Results 761-780 of 11,433 for speaker:Michael Kitt

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (23 Oct 2007)

Michael Kitt: Irish Aid, the Government's official development programme, recognises adequate water and sanitation both as a fundamental right and as essential for social and economic development. We believe that adequate water and sanitation are prerequisites to the achievement of other basic rights, such as the right to health or to the achievement of equal rights for women and children, who currently...

Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (23 Oct 2007)

Michael Kitt: There are no plans, at this time, to purchase a transport aircraft for the Air Corps as part of Ireland's overseas aid programme. Such a purchase is unlikely to be a cost effective use of Irish Aid funding. The current position is that the transportation of Ireland's supplies of essential, non-food relief items — which are stockpiled at the UN's humanitarian response base in Brindisi, Italy...

Written Answers — Rapid Response Corps: Rapid Response Corps (23 Oct 2007)

Michael Kitt: The Rapid Response Corps is one element of the Rapid Response Initiative, which is itself a key component of the Government's White Paper on Irish Aid of September 2006. The overall aim is to save lives by a more effective response to humanitarian crises. The Rapid Response Corps is a roster of highly-skilled individuals who can deploy, on a voluntary basis, at short notice to emergency...

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (23 Oct 2007)

Michael Kitt: The main focus of Ireland's programme of development assistance is on Africa, particularly sub-Saharan Africa. Our objective is to help the poorest and most vulnerable people in developing countries, through assisting in bringing about positive and lasting changes in their lives. There is undoubtedly a clear inter-relationship between poverty, food security and conflict. The reduction of...

Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (23 Oct 2007)

Michael Kitt: The fundamental objective of Ireland's overseas aid programme is to help the poorest and most vulnerable people in developing countries, in particular in Africa, through assisting in bringing about positive and lasting changes in their lives. To achieve this change, Irish Aid devises programmes — in close consultation with national governments and other key stakeholders — which support...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (23 Oct 2007)

Michael Kitt: Refugee movements have many causes, including human rights abuses, conflicts and poverty. It is commonly accepted that the targeted eradication of poverty is an effective means of reducing migratory pressures from less developed countries to the developed world, thereby ensuring that migration can be effectively managed to the benefit of both sending and receiving countries. My Department...

Written Answers — Debt Relief: Debt Relief (23 Oct 2007)

Michael Kitt: The IMF and World Bank have made increasing efforts to tackle the problem of debt in developing countries since the launch of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative in 1996. The HIPC Initiative, which was strengthened and enhanced in 1999, sought to reduce the debt burden of qualifying countries to sustainable levels but did not entail cancellation. Ire land contributed some...

Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (31 Oct 2007)

Michael Kitt: Irish Aid works in some of the poorest countries in the world. It is a reality that in some of these countries, there are concerns surrounding governance issues, including corruption . It is for this reason that accountability and good governance are central components of our programme strategies. We support the building of capacity, including audit capacity, in our programmes. In this way...

Undocumented Irish in the United States: Motion (6 Nov 2007)

Michael Kitt: With the agreement of the House I wish to share time with Deputy Scanlon. I am delivering this statement on behalf of the Minister for Foreign Affairs Deputy Dermot Ahern. This debate provides a welcome opportunity for this House to highlight the difficulties facing the undocumented Irish in the United States, the Government's strong record of engagement on their behalf and our continued...

Seanad: Government's Irish Aid Strategy: Statements (13 Nov 2007)

Michael Kitt: I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach and my colleagues in the Seanad for this opportunity to present the work of the Irish Aid programme to the House and to set the context for it. As Senators are aware, the scale of global development challenges today are such that we need a truly international response if we are to improve the lives of the world's poorest people. A key step was taken by the...

Seanad: Government's Irish Aid Strategy: Statements (13 Nov 2007)

Michael Kitt: I thank all the Senators who took part in this very good debate. Overseas aid represents an increasingly significant part of our foreign policy and it is important our approach to development be debated in the Houses of the Oireachtas. Over the past year, Irish Aid has made considerable progress in implementing the recommendations of the White Paper and the Government has put in place...

Millennium Development Goals. (27 Nov 2007)

Michael Kitt: United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has assigned the task of monitoring implementation of the millennium development goals, MDGs, to the United Nations Development Programme. This programme compiles information against each of the MDG targets in collaboration with national governments, regional groupings and experts, other UN partners, the World Bank, the IMF and the OECD. The...

Millennium Development Goals. (27 Nov 2007)

Michael Kitt: Ireland is very much aware of the role it must play in reaching the millennium development goals and we are focusing very much on reducing poverty and supporting the provision of basic services to the poorest people in the world. Clearly our goal is reaching 0.7% of GDP by 2012, three years earlier than the agreed European Union deadline of 2015. The interim target this year was 0.5% and we...

Millennium Development Goals. (27 Nov 2007)

Michael Kitt: I appreciate the Deputy's support on this. That is the very point I have been making at the meetings, first of all in Madeira and more recently in Brussels. We are pressing very hard, particularly in Africa, which the Deputy would accept has fallen behind. There has been more progress in China and other Asian countries. We can also consider with some satisfaction that some 6 million...

Order of Business (27 Nov 2007)

Michael Kitt: Deputy Kenny knows his history.

Written Answers — Defence Forces Training: Defence Forces Training (27 Nov 2007)

Michael Kitt: All members of the Rapid Response Corps are obliged before deployment to participate in an intensive training programme. Two training programmes were held during 2007. The training, which was designed especially for the Rapid Response Corps, is delivered in two parts over 6 days by the Kimmage Development Studies Centre (D-TALK) in Dublin and by the Defence Forces UN School (UNTSI) at the...

Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (27 Nov 2007)

Michael Kitt: The White Paper published in September last year sets out the key principles and priorities for the Irish Aid programme as it expands to meet the target of 0.7% of our gross national product allocated to overseas development assistance by 2012. The core objective of the Irish Aid programme is to tackle global poverty and exclusion. For this reason, the White Paper reaffirms that Africa will...

Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (27 Nov 2007)

Michael Kitt: The high quality of Ireland's aid programme is recognised internationally. In ensuring that Irish assistance is of the highest quality, Irish Aid recognises the importance of research in order to ensure that decisions are informed by a strong evidence base. In the coming year, Irish Aid will continue to invest in practical research, through a variety of partnerships and networks in a range of...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (27 Nov 2007)

Michael Kitt: Under the Government's decentralisation programme, the Development Cooperation Directorate of the Department of Foreign Affairs will decentralise to Limerick. In May 2007 an advance party comprising over 50 staff moved to Limerick. There are three categories of Specialists employed by Irish Aid: Principal Development Specialists, Senior Development Specialists, and Development Specialists....

Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (27 Nov 2007)

Michael Kitt: The White Paper on Irish Aid underlines that culture can contribute to public awareness and understanding of complex development issues and plays an important role in building stronger public appreciation for the diversity of the partner countries and societies within which Irish Aid works. Irish Aid strategies for improving the lives of people in developing countries are devised and...