Results 7,981-8,000 of 15,491 for speaker:Eamon Gilmore

Order of Business (24 Mar 2011)

Eamon Gilmore: I assure Deputy McDonald and every other Member in the House that the Taoiseach's work today is to do the very best for this country and he has the full support of the Government in doing that. I am sure he will have the full support of every Member in the House in doing it.

Order of Business (24 Mar 2011)

Eamon Gilmore: Members are aware that we had on Tuesday an opportunity to have a discussion prior to the Council meeting, which is a relatively new arrangement. There will be an opportunity for the Taoiseach to report back to the House after the Council meeting and the arrangements for that can be discussed between the Whips. As far as this country's strategy and approach are concerned, what the Taoiseach...

Order of Business (24 Mar 2011)

Eamon Gilmore: It has been the practice that following European Council meetings the Taoiseach will report to the House on the meeting. That practice will continue and we will make arrangements for that. Not unpredictably, Deputy Higgins is already declaring a sell-out, capitulation or various other denunciations before there is any outcome. He is being tediously predictable in that.

Order of Business (24 Mar 2011)

Eamon Gilmore: With regard to the other issue raised by Deputy Higgins, since he was last a Member, an Oireachtas Commission has been established which deals with issues relating to staffing in the Houses and so on. The issues he raises are matters for the commission.

Order of Business (24 Mar 2011)

Eamon Gilmore: I presume Deputy Doherty is referring to the Government's commitment to introduce a jobs budget. The Government has given a commitment to introduce, in the early part of its life, a budget to provide measures that will generate and support employment creation. As Deputies will agree, the most important step needed to get the country back on its feet and the economy moving again is to get...

Order of Business (24 Mar 2011)

Eamon Gilmore: The new Government is already different in that respect. It is a new departure for the Dáil to be back in session immediately following the formation of the Government. Previously, when new Governments were formed, there was generally a period of recess to allow them to prepare their legislative programmes and so forth. As the Deputy will be aware, some recesses lasted for a number of...

Order of Business (24 Mar 2011)

Eamon Gilmore: As the Taoiseach indicated yesterday and, I believe, the previous day when these questions were raised, it is intended to publish a full legislative programme in the next number of weeks.

Order of Business (24 Mar 2011)

Eamon Gilmore: There is no legislation promised on the matter. The Government has announced the Ministers of State it has appointed to implement a very ambitious programme for Government. The number of Ministers of State is considerably less than the number appointed by previous Governments on their formation.

Situation in Libya: Statements (24 Mar 2011)

Eamon Gilmore: I welcome the opportunity to discuss the very serious situation in Libya. A concerted international effort is under way to ensure all necessary protection is extended to the Libyan people from the onslaughts of the Gadaffi government and to support those seeking greater democracy and freedom in that country. In the past three months, we have witnessed an unparalleled series of genuinely...

Written Answers — Rockall Island: Rockall Island (24 Mar 2011)

Eamon Gilmore: Rockall is a small uninhabitable rock, 25 x 30 metres wide, located approximately 160 nautical miles west of the Scottish islands of St. Kilda and 230 nautical miles to the north-west of Donegal. It marks a point at which the Rockall Bank, part of the very large Hatton-Rockall area of continental shelf extending under the north-east Atlantic Ocean, protrudes 21 metres above sea level....

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (24 Mar 2011)

Eamon Gilmore: The situation in Cote d'Ivoire is extremely serious and of growing concern to the Irish Government and our EU partners. The first round of Presidential elections was held in Cote d'Ivoire on 31 October 2010, after having been initially scheduled for 2005. With no outright winner, a second round was held on 28 November, in which President Laurent Gbagbo faced opposition leader Alassane...

Written Answers — Passport Applications: Passport Applications (29 Mar 2011)

Eamon Gilmore: An Irish passport is valid for travel up until the date of expiry. However, some countries require a minimum validity on passports to enter their jurisdictions. The Spanish Embassy in Dublin has confirmed that an Irish passport is valid for travel to Spain and the Canary Islands until the date of expiry in the document. On the basis of the information provided the passport holder should...

Written Answers — Official Engagements: Official Engagements (29 Mar 2011)

Eamon Gilmore: St. Patrick's Day offers a unique opportunity to raise Ireland's profile, promote our interests overseas, to strengthen bilateral relations, provide support for Irish communities abroad and to deepen the connection with our Diaspora. This year St. Patrick's Day was a particularly valuable opportunity to begin the process of rebuilding Ireland's reputation overseas. I travelled to New York...

Written Answers — Passport Applications: Passport Applications (30 Mar 2011)

Eamon Gilmore: The Passports Act, 2008 requires that a person must be an Irish citizen before a passport can be issued to him/her. The person in question was born in Ireland last October. Under the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act, 1956, as amended, (1956 Act) persons born in the State after 1 January 2005, where neither parent is an Irish or British citizen or otherwise entitled to reside without...

Written Answers — Passport Applications: Passport Applications (30 Mar 2011)

Eamon Gilmore: The number of passports issued over the period 2007 to 2011 is as follows: Year Passports Issued 2007 601,000 2008 576,617 2009 572,783 2010 603,753 2011 to 18 March 106,615 The average time to process a passport submitted through the Passport Express and Northern Ireland Passport Express services available through the post offices is ten days. It takes on average four – six weeks...

Order of Business (31 Mar 2011)

Eamon Gilmore: It is proposed to take No. 6b, election of Leas-Cheann Comhairle; No. 7, motion re proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Finance Act 2004 (Section 91) (Deferred Surrender to the Central Fund) Order 2011; No. 8, motion re proposed approval by Dáil Éireann for a regulation of the European Parliament and the Council on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil...

Order of Business (31 Mar 2011)

Eamon Gilmore: A Cheann Comhairle, thank you for the clarifying the position. This was communicated to the Government and it is our view that natural justice requires that where a motion is being tabled which is directed at one Member of the House and calls upon that Member to resign from the House, then that Member should be given an opportunity to reply to the motion. My understanding is that this was...

Order of Business (31 Mar 2011)

Eamon Gilmore: Last week we were asked if the Minister for Finance would make a statement in the House following the announcement of the results of the stress tests on the banks. This issue was raised by Deputy Lenihan during the Order of Business this time last week. On that occasion, I agreed that time would be given in the House, once the stress tests were announced, for the Minister for Finance to...

Order of Business (31 Mar 2011)

Eamon Gilmore: The announcement that will be made today will be a significant one and it will give us the scale of the legacy of the banking crisis the Government has inherited. It is important that an opportunity be given for the Minister for Finance to respond to that announcement and that his response be made here in the House. Criticisms have been made previously that on the occasion of major banking...

Order of Business (31 Mar 2011)

Eamon Gilmore: First, I thank Deputy Higgins for raising the issue of the future of the Seanad and the method of voting in Seanad elections. As the House is aware, the programme for Government commits to a referendum on the future of the Seanad and that will form part of the package of reform proposals which the Government will be bringing before the House. Second, in respect of voting entitlements, as the...