Results 8,601-8,620 of 15,491 for speaker:Eamon Gilmore

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (21 Jul 2011)

Eamon Gilmore: Funding of €50,000 was provided in 2009/10 to Equal Ireland through the Development Education Funding Scheme administered by Irish Aid. Equal Ireland is a non-profit charitable trust founded in 2001 by IBEC, FÁS and SIPTU. It provides training for disadvantaged adults who have not completed second level education. The funding promoted the integration of development education into Equal...

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (21 Jul 2011)

Eamon Gilmore: There are no State boards under the aegis of my Department. There are four bodies operating under my Department to which I make appointments. These are: the Development Education Advisory Committee; the Irish Aid Expert Advisory Group; and the Emigrant Services Advisory Committee; the Ireland - United States Commission for Educational Exchange (the Fulbright Commission). Information on...

Written Answers — Departmental Equipment: Departmental Equipment (21 Jul 2011)

Eamon Gilmore: My Department has 279 computer servers across its offices in Ireland and Missions abroad. Each of these servers is owned by the Department. Server capacity falls into the following ranges: Up to 200 gigabytes – 98 servers. Between 200 gigabytes and 1 terabyte – 160 servers. Greater than 1 terabytes – 21 servers. There are no State agencies under the aegis of my Department.

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (21 Jul 2011)

Eamon Gilmore: The Government is concerned about the treatment of Falun Gong practitioners in China. Freedom of religious belief and expression is an issue which is discussed regularly with the Chinese authorities during both bilateral meetings and at European Union level. At these meetings, the Government re-iterates the great importance Ireland attaches to human rights, fundamental freedoms and the...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (21 Jul 2011)

Eamon Gilmore: I have not procured a new logo for my Department. Extra costs arising from changes to stationary necessitated by the change in the Department's name have been kept to a minimum through use of computer-based templates rather than an external print order. The change in name will be reflected when the next normal renewal of stock takes place. With regard to replacement signage necessitated by...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (21 Jul 2011)

Eamon Gilmore: No State Agencies currently operate under the aegis of my Department. The only semi-state body that operated under my Department during the period in question was the Agency for Personal Service Overseas (APSO), which was established in 1973 and was integrated into my Department on 1 January 2004. The following bodies which operate, or operated, under the aegis of my Department, were...

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (21 Jul 2011)

Eamon Gilmore: The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is responsible for two Votes – Vote 28 (Foreign Affairs) and Vote 29 (International Cooperation). It is not possible to provide all the information requested in the timeframe provided. However, I would refer the Deputy to questions 22473/05 and 27606/08 which also address this issue. The following table sets out, for both Votes, the details of...

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (14 Sep 2011)

Eamon Gilmore: The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is responsible for two Votes – Vote 28 (Foreign Affairs) and Vote 29 (International Cooperation). The information requested by the Deputy, together with a brief description of the services provided, is set out in the following tables. I am very conscious of the need to achieve value for money on such expenditure. My Department commissions external...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (14 Sep 2011)

Eamon Gilmore: I propose to take Questions Nos. 25 and 31 together. The amount expended by my Department on official taxi fares for Headquarters and Missions abroad from 1 January 2008 to date is outlined in the following table: 2008 €454,878 2009 €305,985 2010 €263,202 2011 to date €143,741 My Department's current taxi policy provides that taxis may be used for official business only in...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (14 Sep 2011)

Eamon Gilmore: The 24-25 March European Council adopted the Decision amending Article 136 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union in connection with the proposed new European Stability Mechanism. This Decision shall enter into force on 1 January 2013 provided that all Member States have notified the completion of the procedures for the approval of the Decision in accordance with their...

Written Answers — Passport Applications: Passport Applications (14 Sep 2011)

Eamon Gilmore: I propose to take Questions Nos. 28 to 30, inclusive, together.

Written Answers — Passport Applications: Passport Applications (14 Sep 2011)

Eamon Gilmore: The total number of passport applications received in the period 1 January to the end of August 2011 was 546,382. This contrasts with 540,110 for the same period in 2010 and 504,524 from 01 January to the end of August 2009. 2011 demand represents a 1.2% increase over 2010, a year in which very significant demand over this period arose during a time of industrial action in the Passport...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (14 Sep 2011)

Eamon Gilmore: My Department, which is responsible for Vote 28 (Foreign Affairs) and Vote 29 (International Cooperation), operates a restrictive policy for the use of corporate credit cards for official expenditure. The use of official credit cards may be permitted for officials who, because of the nature of their work, need to make official payments by this method. Credit cards are typically used to...

Written Answers — Passport Applications: Passport Applications (14 Sep 2011)

Eamon Gilmore: The Passports Act, 2008 requires that before issuing a passport to a person, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade shall be satisfied as to the identity of each applicant and that the person is an Irish citizen. Documentary proof in respect of identity and entitlement to citizenship are required for all passport applications. These requirements are outlined in the passport application...

Written Answers — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (14 Sep 2011)

Eamon Gilmore: I propose to take Questions Nos. 34 to 36, inclusive, together. The staffing arrangements for my private and constituency offices and those of Minister of State O'Sullivan and Minister of State Creighton in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade are set out in the following table. These arrangements are in line with the Government's decision on 15 March 2011 to reduce maximum permitted...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (14 Sep 2011)

Eamon Gilmore: The budget available to my Department for IT expenditure was €10,852,599 in 2010 and is €8,740,180 in 2011. IT equipment is purchased in line with national and EU procurement guidelines and regulations. My Department has a number of approaches to ensuring value for money and cost reductions: The Department draws on the various framework agreements established by the Department of...

Written Answers — Expenditure Reviews: Expenditure Reviews (14 Sep 2011)

Eamon Gilmore: My Department's submission to the Comprehensive Review of Expenditure forms part of the overall pre-budget deliberations of the Government. As such, its release cannot be considered in advance of Government decisions on the forthcoming Budget. The Minister for Public Expenditure & Reform has already indicated that it is his intention to publish the reports submitted as part of the CRE process...

Written Answers — Diplomatic Representation: Diplomatic Representation (14 Sep 2011)

Eamon Gilmore: Irish Ambassadors are appointed by the President based on nominations by the Government. I will be submitting proposals to the Government in the very near future about filling existing Ambassadorial vacancies and others that will arise over the next few months.

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (14 Sep 2011)

Eamon Gilmore: I propose to take Questions Nos. 40 to 43, inclusive, together. The Programme for Government states that the Government "will enforce the prohibition on the use of Irish airspace, airports and related facilities for purposes not in line with the dictates of international law". I have already made clear, speaking in the Dáil on 22 March, 2011, that "Shannon will not be used as a means of...

Written Answers — Tax Collection: Tax Collection (14 Sep 2011)

Eamon Gilmore: The matter raised by the Deputy appears to concern a tax refund issue related to a property transaction in Portugal. The Deputy will be aware that the role of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade concerning private property transactions by Irish nationals abroad is limited and that redress in such cases, including on taxation issues, should be sought through the relevant legal system....