Results 6,761-6,780 of 21,096 for speaker:Charles Flanagan

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: UN Resolutions (12 Apr 2017)

Charles Flanagan: Ireland supports the United Nations Security Council Resolution 690 (1991) which established a United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO). Ireland, and our EU partners, categorise Western Sahara as a non-self-governing Territory. Ireland has consistently supported the right to self-determination of the people of Western Sahara but has not at any time taken a...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: EU Agreements (12 Apr 2017)

Charles Flanagan: The EU has responded to the migration crisis by adopting a range of measures. These have included engaging with countries of origin and transit to address the root causes of migration including through bespoke Migration Compacts; agreeing a plan to relocate migrants from Italy and Greece across the Union; the launching of Operation Sophia to disrupt people smuggling in the Mediterranean; and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Issues (12 Apr 2017)

Charles Flanagan: The triggering of Article 50 on 29 March represented the formal commencement of a process for which Ireland has been preparing intensively and extensively over the last nine months. Indeed, our analysis and contingency planning have been under way ever since late 2014. This has included comprehensive analysis involving all Government Departments of the implications of the UK’s decision...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland (12 Apr 2017)

Charles Flanagan: Following the Assembly election, I spoke on 5 March with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and the Taoiseach spoke with Prime Minister May. Both Governments agreed on the need for intensive engagement to address outstanding issues and commitments to ensure the early establishment of an Executive. As co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement, both Governments have a role to play in...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications (12 Apr 2017)

Charles Flanagan: The target turnaround time is fifteen working days for renewal applications submitted via Passport Express as operated in partnership with An Post. This is advised on my Department’s website and via all An Post promotional materials and on their website. As a matter of best practice and to avoid delays in the event of incomplete applications or insufficient supporting...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (12 Apr 2017)

Charles Flanagan: I am aware of the report referred to by the Deputy. Human rights and humanitarian values are at the core of the approach of the EU and Member States to addressing the migration crisis and the EU is committed to enhancing human rights safeguards in all negotiations on migration and mobility with third countries. Some of our EU partners have had to face disproportionate pressures during...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications (12 Apr 2017)

Charles Flanagan: I launched the Online Passport Application Service on 30 March. The service is safe, fast and convenient and it allows adult Irish citizens to renew their passports from anywhere in the world on their personal computers, tablets or mobile phones. They can do so twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. The target turnaround time for online applications is ten working days plus postage....

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (12 Apr 2017)

Charles Flanagan: The large majority of passport applications are currently submitted through the Post Office networks on this island. This includes more than seventy Post Offices in Northern Ireland and more than one thousand Post Offices in this state. With the availability of both the online passport renewal service for adults and the An Post Passport Express service, very few applicants in Ireland are...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Diaspora Policy (12 Apr 2017)

Charles Flanagan: The ‘Global Irish Summer Camp’ Progamme was trialled in 2016 and allowed for 20 Irish-American students, who would ordinarily have never got the chance to visit Ireland, to travel here for a short immersive programme that incorporated educational and heritage elements. The cost of the Programme in 2016 was €100,000. I am aware of suggestions that this programme has been...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Trade Strategy (12 Apr 2017)

Charles Flanagan: My Department, working with state agencies, is working to support Irish businesses diversify into new markets, products and services, as well as intensifying our efforts in existing markets. The Government’s new trade and investment strategy, Ireland Connected: Trading and Investing in a Dynamic World, sets out our priorities and the actions to achieve these. Local Market Teams,...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: United Nations (12 Apr 2017)

Charles Flanagan: The number and scale of current humanitarian crises is shocking and presents an enormous challenge for the international community. In this respect the United Nations has recently been loudly sounding the alarm call. Its warning last month of its need for assistance in reducing the risk of starvation and famine in South Sudan, Yemen, Somalia and northeast Nigeria was a stark reminder of the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Policy (12 Apr 2017)

Charles Flanagan: One factor behind the rise of extreme right wing movements in Europe in recent times is disillusionment among Europe’s citizens that their everyday concerns are not being addressed by their political leaders. In response, they have been listening more closely to those offering easy answers and all too often, simplistic solution. The Rome Declaration agreed by EU leaders last month...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Policy (12 Apr 2017)

Charles Flanagan: The Western Balkans continues to be a priority for the European Union. At the most recent European Council on 9 March, the Heads of State and Government, including the Taoiseach, reaffirmed their unequivocal support for the European perspective of the Western Balkans. The region was also discussed at the most recent Foreign Affairs Council (6 March) which I attended, and the most recent...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Peace Process (12 Apr 2017)

Charles Flanagan: Notwithstanding other concurrent crises in the Middle East region, the resolution of the Israeli and Palestinian conflict remains a priority for the Government and for the European Union, and one to which I have devoted a lot of time at EU level and in visits to the region. Already the issue has been discussed at three of the four meetings of the Foreign Affairs Council held so far this...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: International Terrorism (12 Apr 2017)

Charles Flanagan: The issue of how best to respond to the threat posed by terrorism, evident once again in the recent attacks in London, Stockholm and Egypt has been and remains high on the EU agenda. Foreign Ministers remain focused on implementation of the Council Conclusions on Counter-terrorism agreed in February 2015 and on the contribution that the EU can make through external action to preventing...

Topical Issue Debate: Christian Community in the Middle East (13 Apr 2017)

Charles Flanagan: I thank the Deputies for raising this important issue. There is a grim timeliness about this Topical Issue debate. It is deeply dismaying that we should need to discuss continuing violence and persecution against Christians in the Middle East as we prepare to commemorate the Easter holidays. I must begin by expressing my horror at the attacks on two Coptic churches in Egypt on Sunday, and...

Topical Issue Debate: Christian Community in the Middle East (13 Apr 2017)

Charles Flanagan: I thank Deputies O'Keeffe, Michael Collins and Mattie McGrath for raising this important issue. Let me reiterate in the strongest possible terms that Ireland strongly condemns all forms of persecution on the basis of religion or belief, irrespective of where they occur or who the victims are or might be. We attach great importance to combatting all forms of discrimination based on religion...

Topical Issue Debate: Syrian Conflict (13 Apr 2017)

Charles Flanagan: I welcome the opportunity to address this House on the situation in Syria once again. It is beyond doubt the greatest challenge facing the international community at present. The situation continues to be a matter of gravest concern and efforts to resolve it reflect not only the challenges internal to Syria, but wider regional and global dynamics. I was horrified by the news of last...

Topical Issue Debate: Syrian Conflict (13 Apr 2017)

Charles Flanagan: Deputy Wallace and I disagree on a wide range of issues in regard to foreign policy and, indeed, domestic policy but there are two issues here with which I fully agree with him. The first is that there is not, in my view, any military solution to the situation in Syria and there must be a political and diplomatic solution. Second, I share Deputy Wallace's horror at the continuing conflict...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Ministerial Travel (13 Apr 2017)

Charles Flanagan: St. Patrick’s Day offers a unique opportunity to promote Ireland’s economic and political interests overseas, with levels of publicity and media attention unmatched by the national day of any other country. Ministerial visits around this period are organised to ensure that we use this exposure to maximise the promotion of Ireland’s trade, tourism and investment interests...