Results 741-760 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern

Written Answers — Diplomatic Representation: Diplomatic Representation (20 Apr 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The State agencies operating in Irish diplomatic missions are listed in the following table. The total operational costs given are for the year 2004 and include chancery costs. The State agencies' share of this cost is provided. Operational costs are taken to mean rent, rates, heating, lighting, cleaning, common charges, etc. It does not include salary, telephone or information technology...

Written Answers — Diplomatic Representation: Diplomatic Representation (20 Apr 2005)

Dermot Ahern: A total of 17 official residences, seven chanceries and three combined chancery-residence premises are owned by the State. The full list is shown in annex 1. The list of diplomatic premises rented abroad is given in annex 2. It is the policy of my Department to purchase representational offices and official residences abroad where resources allow and where market conditions and value for...

Written Answers — Diplomatic Representation: Diplomatic Representation (20 Apr 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 207 and 208 together. There are six Irish Embassies in Europe with a staffing contingent made up of an ambassador, a first secretary, a third secretary and support staff. These embassies are located in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Greece, the Netherlands and Turkey. The average operating cost for these missions in 2004 was €1,002,966.90. Expenditure incurred...

Written Answers — Parental Leave Provisions: Parental Leave Provisions (21 Apr 2005)

Dermot Ahern: There are no public bodies under the aegis of my Department. All staff in my Department are covered by the arrangements for maternity leave applying to civil servants generally, the particulars of which are determined by the Minister for Finance.

Written Answers — Public Capital Programme: Public Capital Programme (21 Apr 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 122 to 125, inclusive, together. My Department has not been responsible for overseeing any infrastructure programmes, under the public capital programme or otherwise, over the past seven years. The question of meetings or advice in relation to such projects does not, therefore, arise.

Written Answers — Public Capital Programme: Public Capital Programme (21 Apr 2005)

Dermot Ahern: While my Department has no projects under the public capital programme and has no infrastructure projects in hand, it has had, over the past five years to end 2004, a capital budget allocation of €20.4 million. These funds were used to purchase official residences as well as to provide for major maintenance, refurbishment, up-grading and fitting out at Irish diplomatic missions throughout...

Written Answers — US Visas: US Visas (26 Apr 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The number of Irish people who may be resident in the United States without the appropriate authorisation is difficult to estimate. I do not know how the Deputy arrived at the figure he cites. While the US authorities estimate that the number may have declined to 3,000 in 2000, many of the organisations working with our emigrants would regard this as a low estimate. No one, however, is in a...

Written Answers — Ministerial Travel: Ministerial Travel (26 Apr 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 267 to 271, inclusive, together. In response to a long-standing invitation, I visited South Down, my neighbouring constituency, on 11 April. I fulfilled several engagements with the sitting MP, including a visit to a regeneration project in Castlewellan and a meeting with members of the Northern Ireland Youth Forum in Warrenpoint town hall. As regards other...

Written Answers — UN Missions: UN Missions (26 Apr 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The outbreak of ethnically-motivated violence in March 2004 was a serious setback to the work of building a multi-ethnic society in Kosovo. In a series of attacks across Kosovo on 17 March, 19 people were killed and widespread damage was caused to homes and other property, most of which were owned by members of the Kosovo Serb community. I am aware of criticism by Amnesty International on the...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (27 Apr 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I refer the Deputy to my reply to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 152, 94 and 214 of 2 February 2005, 8 March 2005 and 22 March 2005, respectively, regarding the alleged illegal use of Shannon Airport for the transit of US prisoners. 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 will not...

Written Answers — Media Censorship: Media Censorship (27 Apr 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I am aware of reports that Eutelsat, a satellite operator headquartered in Paris, had decided not to renew the broadcasting contract of New Tang Dynasty television, which broadcasts to Europe and China. I understand, however, that legal negotiations are currently ongoing between the two parties on the matter and that the New Tang Dynasty television continues to broadcast while these...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (27 Apr 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The European Union police mission in Kinshasa, known as EUPOL Kinshasa, was established by the External Relations Council in December 2004. The mission is due to be formally launched in Kinshasa later this week at a ceremony to be attended by the Secretary General high representative, Javier Solana, and the EU's special representative to the Great Lakes region, Aldo Ajello. The EU has already...

Written Answers — Diplomatic Representation: Diplomatic Representation (27 Apr 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I have already outlined in a statement issued on 1 April 2005 the serious concerns of the Government regarding the conduct of the parliamentary elections in Zimbabwe on 31 March 2005. The high percentage of voters turned away because their names did not appear on the electoral register, which is estimated at between 10% and15%, as well as the apparent use of postal votes in a concerted manner...

Written Answers — International Agreements: International Agreements (27 Apr 2005)

Dermot Ahern: A total of 139 states have signed the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. To date, 98 states have become parties to the statute. Together with our partners in the European Union, Ireland has been a consistent and strong supporter of the ICC, recognising it as an essential means of combating impunity for the most serious crimes of concern to the international community. This...

Written Answers — International Agreements: International Agreements (27 Apr 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction, often referred to as the biological and toxin weapons convention, BTWC, was opened for signature on 10 April 1972 and entered into force on 26 March 1975. Ireland is a state party to the convention. Ireland has legislation currently in...

Written Answers — EU Enlargement: EU Enlargement (28 Apr 2005)

Dermot Ahern: Croatia applied for membership of the European Union in 2003 and the Commission presented its formal opinion on the application in April 2004. The June 2004 European Council agreed that Croatia fulfils the Copenhagen political criteria and the specific conditions established for the countries of the western Balkans. It decided that Croatia is a candidate country for membership and that...

Written Answers — Diplomatic Representation: Diplomatic Representation (28 Apr 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The European constitution provides for the creation of a European external action service, EEAS, to assist the Union Minister for Foreign Affairs in the fulfilment of his or her mandate. The EEAS cannot be established until after the entry into force of the European constitution, the target date for which is 1 November 2006. Preparatory discussions on its establishment are at an early stage....

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (28 Apr 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 12 and 58 together. The political crisis in Ecuador in recent days follows the decisions of President Gutiérrez to declare a state of emergency in the capital Quito on 15 April 2005 and to dissolve the Supreme Court for the second time in four months. The demonstrations which followed these actions have led to a number of deaths and the decision of the...

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (28 Apr 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 — UN Programmes: UN Programmes (28 Apr 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The Independent Inquiry Commission, established by the United Nations and chaired by Mr. Paul Volcker, is charged with investigating alleged irregularities in the administration of the oil for food programme. The commission is also expected, in its final report, to provide authoritative estimates of the revenues earned by the former Iraqi regime from sales of oil in contravention of Security...