Results 681-700 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern

Order of Business. (10 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I hope Deputy Ó Caoláin's questions will be shorter.

Order of Business. (10 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I hope his questions will be much shorter during the half hour.

Order of Business. (10 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: If the Deputy can find one.

Written Answers — Prisoner Transfers: Prisoner Transfers (22 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I refer the Deputy to my reply to Question No. 152 of 2 February 2005 and Question No. 94 of 8 March 2005 regarding this matter. This matter has been raised in discussions with the US authorities. They have confirmed that they do not use Irish airports for this purpose and that they would not seek to use Irish airports for prisoner transit without seeking the authorisation of the Irish...

Written Answers — Human Rights Abuses: Human Rights Abuses (22 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: Ethnic Hungarians form the largest minority community in Vojvodina, which is an autonomous province of Serbia. It is estimated that some 15% of the total population of 2 million is of ethnic Hungarian background. Vojvodina is an ethnically mixed province, which historically has had a Serb majority. In recent years, however, the size of the ethnic Serb population has increased due to the...

Written Answers — Departmental Transport: Departmental Transport (22 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 216 and 224 together. The Department of Foreign Affairs is responsible for two Votes: Vote 28, foreign affairs, and Vote 29, international co-operation. Under Vote 28, in 2004, the Department of Foreign Affairs paid mileage expenses of €266,892.11 in respect of claims for 256,120 miles and €115,624.26 to cover rail and bus ticket expenses. For the same...

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (22 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 217 and 218 together. Since 1971, when Ireland voted in favour of UN General Assembly Resolution 2758, we have recognised the Government of the People's Republic of China, PRC, as the sole legitimate government of China. Ireland, together with our EU partners, adheres to the "One-China" policy and therefore accepts that Taiwan is part of China. As a...

Written Answers — Irish Language: Irish Language (22 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: Publication by the Department of Foreign Affairs of a notice under section 13 of the Official Languages Act 2003 will be arranged when the Department is formally requested by the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs to prepare a draft scheme specifying the services the Department will provide through Irish or English only, and those which will be provided through both...

Written Answers — Departmental Appointments: Departmental Appointments (22 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: My predecessor or I made appointments to the following bodies under the aegis of the Department of Foreign Affairs over the past three years: the advisory board for Development Cooperation Ireland, formerly the advisory board of Ireland Aid; the Development Education Advisory Committee; the Agency for Personal Services Overseas, APSO; the board of the Ireland-United States Commission for...

Written Answers — Unification of Cyprus: Unification of Cyprus (22 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The United Nations has the lead role in the search for a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem. However, the EU enlargement process provided the impetus for the most recent efforts towards a settlement, which were undertaken by the UN Secretary General last year, during Ireland's EU Presidency. The Government gave its full support to the Secretary General in his mission of good...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (22 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 222 and 223 together. The appointment of special advisers to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs with special responsibility for the European constitution, Mr. Treacy, was approved by the Government on 14 December 2004. Two appointments were subsequently made under the terms of section 11 of the...

Written Answers — Ministerial Responsibilities: Ministerial Responsibilities (22 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The principal legislative provisions relating to the powers of Ministers and Departments are the Ministers and Secretaries Acts 1924 to 1995 and the Public Service Management Act 1997. Section 2(1) of the Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924 provides that each Minister as head of a Department of State shall be a corporation sole and shall have perpetual succession, an official seal, may sue and...

Written Answers — Illegal Immigrants: Illegal Immigrants (23 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 187 and 188 together. The circumstances of undocumented Irish people in the United States are raised on an on-going basis in our bilateral contacts with US political leaders. Most recently, the issue was raised when the Taoiseach and I met President Bush on St. Patrick's Day. During our meeting, the President re-affirmed his commitment to work with Congress on...

Order of Business. (24 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: Exactly.

Order of Business. (24 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: Will Deputy Costello sit down?

Order of Business. (24 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: Suigh síos.

Human Rights Issues: Motion. (24 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I move: That Dáil Éireann, —notes with concern the case of Mr. Roy Bennett, the Movement for Democratic Change, MDC, Opposition Member of Parliament, who was sentenced by the Zimbabwean Parliament in October 2004 to 12 months imprisonment with labour, and in particular notes the apparently arbitrary procedures employed in Mr. Bennett's trial and conviction by a committee of the Zimbabwean...

Human Rights Issues: Motion. (24 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I am pleased to move this motion regarding the case of Mr. Roy Bennett, the Movement for Democratic Change, MDC, Member of Parliament in the Zimbabwean Parliament. It is important that Dáil Éireann should have the opportunity to discuss and convey its concerns regarding this serious ill-treatment of a fellow parliamentarian in a country with which Ireland has strong links. Both the German...

Written Answers — Departmental Correspondence: Departmental Correspondence (24 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The Irish Embassy in Rome has been in direct contact with the person to whom the Deputy refers, has received the necessary details from him and is arranging with the Italian authorities for a copy of the certificate to be issued. The embassy will remain in direct contact with the person concerned until this issue has been resolved.

Written Answers — Diplomatic Representation: Diplomatic Representation (24 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: Following the recent death of our honorary consul general in Quito, Mr. Richard Lacy, the issue of appointing a new honorary consul is under consideration. It is hoped to approve a nominee for the position shortly. However, before an appointment can be confirmed, the agreement of the Ecuadorian authorities must also be obtained. Pending finalisation of the appointment, Irish citizens in...