Results 881-900 of 11,433 for speaker:Michael Kitt

Passports Bill 2007: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (27 Feb 2008)

Michael Kitt: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. Deputy Michael D. Higgins raised this issue previously. The position is that since the foundation of the State passports have always been issued by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, under the executive power of the State on the authority of the Government. This practice is perfectly legitimate. Enactment of the Passports Bill will simply add a...

Passports Bill 2007: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (27 Feb 2008)

Michael Kitt: Deputy Michael D. Higgins talked about a saver in regard to previous passports. I am assured by the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel that there is no need to add a saver as proposed. Passports issued prior to the enactment of this legislation remain valid. That is the bottom line and there is no need to add a saver to the proposal.

Passports Bill 2007: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (27 Feb 2008)

Michael Kitt: The review by the Secretary General of the Department has not yet commenced. I would be happy to convey to those involved in the review any views Deputies may have in regard to the Passport Office. Deputies Lynch and Timmins raised certain points. I am delighted the Passport Office in Cork is working so well as stated by Deputy Lynch. That strengthens my case for an office in the west...

Student Support Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (27 Feb 2008)

Michael Kitt: Is the party recruiting in the North?

Student Support Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (27 Feb 2008)

Michael Kitt: You have not answered my question.

Seanad: Fairtrade: Statements (4 Mar 2008)

Michael Kitt: I thank the Members for the opportunity to present a statement on Fairtrade to the Seanad and to set out Irish Aid supports provided to Fairtrade. Irish Aid is among the largest donors to Fairtrade in the world. We have supported the Irish Fairtrade Network since 2002 and approved grants of more than €8.5 million in support of producers in developing countries and development education...

Seanad: Fairtrade: Statements (4 Mar 2008)

Michael Kitt: I thank Senators for their welcome comments and statements on Fairtrade. I refer to the White Paper on Irish Aid which states that we will "increase our financial support for initiatives which promote fair and ethical trade." That sums up many of the issues I raised and that were raised by Senators today. I reaffirm the commitment to support the expansion of Fairtrade throughout Ireland...

Seanad: Passports Bill 2007: Second Stage (5 Mar 2008)

Michael Kitt: I thank the Cathaoirleach. The purpose of the Passports Bill is to provide a comprehensive legislative basis for the regulation and issuance of passports. Passports are currently, and have been for more than 80 years, issued under the general administrative provisions of the Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924. These passports are perfectly valid and the introduction of the Bill does not in...

Seanad: Passports Bill 2007: Second Stage (5 Mar 2008)

Michael Kitt: Except at election time.

Seanad: Passports Bill 2007: Second Stage (5 Mar 2008)

Michael Kitt: I thank all the Senators who contributed to the debate on the Bill, which was constructive and informative. It is clear from the debate and the debate in the Dáil that there is a consensus regarding the Bill. We all share a common desire to put in place a comprehensive legislative basis which will ensure the continued provision of a high quality and secure passport service. As in most...

World Trade Organisation: Statements (6 Mar 2008)

Michael Kitt: I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this important debate. My colleague, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Dermot Ahern, and I, together with the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Deputy Coughlan, and the Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy McGuinness, have been working closely during the current Doha Development Agenda...

Overseas Development Aid. (11 Mar 2008)

Michael Kitt: Irish Aid has in place rigorous accounting and audit controls. Audits of the Irish Aid programme are undertaken on the basis of a three year rolling work plan, managed by the evaluation and audit unit, with clear priority being given to the audit of expenditure in programme countries. The strategy embraces four separate, though very complementary, approaches: (a) work carried out directly...

Overseas Development Aid. (11 Mar 2008)

Michael Kitt: I have given the Deputy an example of four different but complementary audits. The evaluation and audit unit has a staff of ten, headed by a principal development specialist. Of these, five work exclusively in the audit area. There are some difficulties, for example, with grants of over €300,000. We have been working with our NGO partners to resolve some of these issues. Multilateral...

Overseas Development Aid. (11 Mar 2008)

Michael Kitt: We are working with the poorest of the poor, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa. We are working at the coalface and have a good audit committee and good governance. We are working to get aid to the poorest of the poor and achieve the 0.7% of gross national income target by 2012. The Minister for Foreign Affairs has written to the Chief Whip to give parliamentarians, through the Joint Committee...

Overseas Development Aid. (11 Mar 2008)

Michael Kitt: I propose to take Questions Nos. 88, 91, 102 and 113 together. In 2008 Ireland's spending on overseas development aid will reach €914 million. This level of expenditure, the highest in the history of the programme, represents 0.54 % of GNP. It will ensure that Ireland remains one of the most generous donors in the world on a per capita basis. We are well on track to meeting the UN target...

Overseas Development Aid. (11 Mar 2008)

Michael Kitt: On the question of suspending funding to Mozambique——

Overseas Development Aid. (11 Mar 2008)

Michael Kitt: The Deputy asked about Mozambique. There was an issue in Mozambique about Finland postponing part of the budget, some €2 million. The Irish Government has made no decision on that and awaits our investigations on it. There is a positive side to the situation in Tanzania. Following a banking scandal the president sacked the Government and other staff. In a separate case, two Ministers...

Overseas Development Aid. (11 Mar 2008)

Michael Kitt: Obviously, we do not fund governments for their own sake. Rather, we are funding projects, particularly in the health, education and water sanitation areas. Missionaries have been present and doing good work for years as the first NGOs on the ground. I keep in constant touch with them and welcome that we are increasing funding to €20 million this year. I should mention the hard-working...

Overseas Development Aid. (11 Mar 2008)

Michael Kitt: The Minister, Deputy Dermot Ahern, raised the issues at the GAERC and exerted the necessary pressure. At my meeting, I dealt with economic partnership agreements, which arose at the European affairs committee. When I accompanied the Taoiseach to South Africa and Tanzania in January, we raised this issue with the President of South Africa.

Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (11 Mar 2008)

Michael Kitt: Ireland provides development support to some of the poorest countries in the world, some of which are ranked as having a significant level of corruption. Working in countries with corruption and weak governance generates a risk for donors, including Ireland. Corruption affects the poorest and most marginalised in society. We are committed to addressing it through improving transparency and...