Results 6,621-6,640 of 50,136 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Northern Ireland Issues: Northern Ireland Issues (17 Sep 2009)

Micheál Martin: The formal framework for members of the Government to meet members of the Northern Ireland Executive is through the North-South Ministerial Council as provided for in Strand Two of the Good Friday Agreement. They meet, however, also in other contexts. There have been forty-four ministerial meetings of the Council, including in plenary and institutional format, since restoration of the...

Written Answers — Northern Ireland Issues: Northern Ireland Issues (17 Sep 2009)

Micheál Martin: I condemn the criminal actions of those responsible for the bomb discovered last week in south Armagh. The lives of local people going about their everyday business, in their homes and in the wider community, were put at serious risk by an unrepresentative few who have no support for their actions. I wish to pay tribute to the security authorities on both sides of the border who worked...

Written Answers — Diplomatic Representation: Diplomatic Representation (17 Sep 2009)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 48 to 51, inclusive, and 60 together. Ireland has a network of 75 resident diplomatic and consular Missions abroad, as well as the British-Irish Inter-Governmental Secretariat in Belfast and the North-South Ministerial Council Joint Secretariat in Armagh. The Irish diplomatic network provides essential consular services, diplomatic representation and...

Written Answers — Emigrant Support Services: Emigrant Support Services (17 Sep 2009)

Micheál Martin: The Government attaches the highest importance to resolving the plight of our undocumented citizens in the United States. We have emphasised our strong support for the undocumented in all our engagements with the US Administration and Congress, including during meetings earlier this year with President Obama, Secretary of State Clinton and key Congressional leaders. As the Deputy will be...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (17 Sep 2009)

Micheál Martin: Unfortunately, no part of the world is totally free from human rights abuses. As has been stated on previous occasions, in response to similar Questions, it is not the policy of the Government to draw up a 'league table' of countries deemed guilty of the most serious human rights abuses. The complexity and specificity of individual country situations could render such an exercise difficult...

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (17 Sep 2009)

Micheál Martin: The EU is closely following the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as that country recovers from the effects of the brutal 1996-2003 civil war. While much of the country has achieved a degree of stability, several localised conflicts have continued, most notably in the east. These conflicts have in many cases been characterised by an appalling degree of brutality, with...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (17 Sep 2009)

Micheál Martin: The crime of genocide, as defined in international law, involves the commission of acts with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such. These acts may include killing members of the group; causing serious bodily or mental harm; deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in...

Written Answers — Middle East Peace Process: Middle East Peace Process (17 Sep 2009)

Micheál Martin: The priority for the EU and the international community in the Middle East right now must be to continue to encourage Israelis and Palestinians to engage in a viable peace process with the vision of a settlement which will result in two sovereign States, Israel and Palestine, coexisting side by side in peace and security. The EU fully supports and is actively cooperating with the current...

Written Answers — EU Enlargement: EU Enlargement (17 Sep 2009)

Micheál Martin: Ireland, together with its EU partners, attaches great importance to achieving stability in the countries of the Western Balkans. The December 2007 European Council reaffirmed that the future of the Western Balkans lies within the European Union. Progress on a range of fronts by countries of the region is discussed regularly at the General Affairs and External Relations Council. The...

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (17 Sep 2009)

Micheál Martin: The situation in Sudan, in particular the resolution of the ongoing conflict in Darfur, progress in the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and the humanitarian consequences of the expulsion of thirteen international humanitarian agencies from the country, continue to be the focus of international concern. Recent months have seen considerable engagement on these issues...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (17 Sep 2009)

Micheál Martin: In our bilateral contacts with both Israel and the Palestinian authorities, the Government regularly raises human rights issues, including the implications of respective Israeli and Palestinian security policies, and the importance of full compliance with international humanitarian law. In particular, Ireland and the EU have serious concerns about the practice of administrative detention,...

Written Answers — EU Enlargement: EU Enlargement (22 Sep 2009)

Micheál Martin: Iceland formally submitted its application for membership of the European Union to the Swedish Presidency on 17 July 2009. The General Affairs Council in July agreed to refer it to the European Commission for its opinion (avis), in accordance with established procedures. Given that its application is currently under consideration with the European Commission, no formal accession discussions...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (22 Sep 2009)

Micheál Martin: Payment of invoices by this Department is governed by the provisions of the Prompt Payment of Accounts Act, 1997 as amended by the European Communities (Late Payment in Commercial Transactions) Regulations 2002. The Act, which came into force in January 1998, initially provided for the payment of interest on invoices which are unpaid after 45 days from date of receipt. In August 2002, the...

Written Answers — Programmes for Government: Programmes for Government (23 Sep 2009)

Micheál Martin: My Department has been engaged in monitoring and assessing the foreign policy commitments contained in the current programme for Government which runs from 2007 until 2012. Significant resources within the Department have been directed towards achieving these commitments over the past two years. A significant number of foreign policy commitments have been delivered, or are close to being...

Written Answers — International Agreements: International Agreements (23 Sep 2009)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 24 , 28, 31, 52, 62, 69 and 73 together. I refer the Deputies to my written answer of 16 September 2009 on this subject: "The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) was ratified by Ireland on 8 December 1989. The Optional Protocol to this International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (OP-ICESCR) will set up a...

Written Answers — Emigrant Support Services: Emigrant Support Services (23 Sep 2009)

Micheál Martin: Supporting Irish communities overseas, and in particular the most vulnerable members of these communities, is an important priority for the Government. Over the past five years the Government has allocated more than €60 million, under the Emigrant Support Programme, to support our communities abroad. The socially sensitive frontline services which this funding supports continue to make a...

Written Answers — Fishing Industry Development: Fishing Industry Development (23 Sep 2009)

Micheál Martin: Successive Irish Governments have pursued a policy of proactive engagement with the European Union. This approach has yielded excellent dividends for Ireland over the last three and a half decades. Indeed, since 1973 we have received €61 billion from the EU budget, while contributing just €19.5 billion to that budget, a net benefit to Ireland of more than €40 billion. We continue to...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (23 Sep 2009)

Micheál Martin: I am very concerned about the situation of Roma families in Kosovo and, in particular, continuing reports that residents of the camps around Mitrovica are exposed to high levels of lead contamination. The Taoiseach raised the conditions of displaced Roma when he met with President Sejdiu and Prime Minister Thaci during his visit to Kosovo on 22 December 2008. The Deputy will also be aware...

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (23 Sep 2009)

Micheál Martin: The situation in Sudan, in particular the resolution of the ongoing conflict in Darfur, progress in the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and the humanitarian consequences of the expulsion of thirteen international humanitarian agencies from the country, continue to be the focus of considerable international concern. Recent months have seen considerable engagement on...

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (23 Sep 2009)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 33 and 64 together. I am concerned about the situation in Afghanistan. There has been a deterioration in the security environment marked in particular by frequent insurgent attacks throughout the country prior to and in the course of the elections held on 20 August and by the high number of casualties which these caused. The number of abductions is...