Results 881-900 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern

Written Answers — Arms Trade: Arms Trade (2 Jun 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 11 and 51 together. As stated on several previous occasions, the Government's position on the lifting of the EU arms embargo on arms sales to China is clear. We support the lifting of the embargo but we do not wish to see any increase in the quantity or quality of arms exports to China. Our position was set out by the Taoiseach during his visit to Beijing in...

Written Answers — EU Constitution: EU Constitution (2 Jun 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The EU constitution puts in place a new arrangement, known as permanent structured co-operation, to enable those member states wishing to do so to commit to being able to undertake the most demanding crisis management missions. Structured co-operation is open to all member states, on the condition that they undertake to enhance their defence capacities through the development of national...

Written Answers — EU Constitution: EU Constitution (2 Jun 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 13, 22, 28, 31, 35, 39, 43, 57, 60, 93, 152, 158 to 160, inclusive, and 165 together. As regards the Government's overall reaction to the outcome of the French and Dutch referendums on the EU constitution, I refer Deputies to the response to Priority Questions Nos. 2 and 4. The question of a referendum in Denmark is for the Danish people and their Government....

Written Answers — Nuclear Disarmament Initiative: Nuclear Disarmament Initiative (2 Jun 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 14, 49, 83 and 94 together. The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, NPT, which is the most universal of all of the multilateral instruments in the field of disarmament and non-proliferation, came into force in 1970. The treaty has been reviewed at five-year intervals to assess progress under its three pillars of disarmament, non-proliferation,...

Written Answers — Chernobyl Shelter Fund: Chernobyl Shelter Fund (2 Jun 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The Chernobyl shelter fund was established as a multi-lateral funding mechanism to assist Ukraine in transforming an existing unsafe and hastily built shelter around the nuclear reactor destroyed in the accident at Chernobyl in 1986 into a safe and environmentally stable system. The fund is administered and managed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, EBRD, under the terms...

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (2 Jun 2005)

Dermot Ahern: At its meeting on 23 May, the External Relations Council expressed profound concern at developments in eastern Uzbekistan and deeply regretted the appalling loss of life following events in the town of Andijan on 13 May. The Council strongly condemned the reported use of force by the Uzbek security forces, which it characterised as "excessive, disproportionate and indiscriminate." It urged...

Written Answers — Humanitarian Disasters: Humanitarian Disasters (2 Jun 2005)

Dermot Ahern: In the context of examining the opportunities for better co-ordination and operational response to future disasters and humanitarian emergencies abroad, an interdepartmental audit of the assets and capacities available to Ireland is currently underway. This audit is intended to identify gaps and shortfalls in overall international capabilities at EU and UN level where Ireland might...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (2 Jun 2005)

Dermot Ahern: Dr. Mudawi Ibrahim Adam is the chairperson of the Sudan Social Development Organisation, SUDO, a voluntary organisation created to promote sustainable development and human rights in Sudan. It is engaged in humanitarian activities in the Darfur region as well as in human rights education and development projects throughout Sudan. Dr. Mudawi was previously arrested on 24 January 2005 and...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (2 Jun 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I remain very concerned at the continuing detention and treatment of Mr. Roy Bennett, the former MDC, Movement for Democratic Change, MP for the Chimanimani constituency in the Zimbabwean parliament who was sentenced by the Zimbabwean parliament last October to 12 months imprisonment for pushing the Zimbabwean Minister for Justice during a parliamentary debate, an offence which, if heard in...

Written Answers — Northern Ireland Issues: Northern Ireland Issues (2 Jun 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 23 and 42 together. As joint guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement, along with the British Government, we are committed to its full implementation. In the aftermath of the local and Westminster elections, I believe it is important to advance this vital project, to resolve the crisis of trust and confidence and move beyond the current political stalemate. The...

Written Answers — International Criminal Court: International Criminal Court (2 Jun 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The EU has been a consistent and strong supporter of the International Criminal Court, and has taken a leading role internationally in promoting the court. This position has been recognised in its common positions on the International Criminal Court, the most recent of which, of June 2003, commits the Union and its member states to support the effective functioning of the court, and to...

Written Answers — Inter-country Adoptions: Inter-country Adoptions (2 Jun 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 25, 86 and 154 together. This is a most complex and highly sensitive case. The Minister of State, Deputy Treacy, outlined the case in detail to the House in recent weeks. I stress that from the beginning the Government has been actively engaged in seeking to find a solution to this difficult case. An embassy official was sent to the orphanage immediately after...

Written Answers — Codes of Conduct: Codes of Conduct (2 Jun 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The staff of the Department of Foreign Affairs are subject to the terms of the Civil Service Code of Standards and Behaviour. Under section 10 of the code, behaviour at work, civil servants are required to ensure that non-discriminatory language is used in all communications, both internal and external, including display material and documents in electronic form. Under section 12, relations...

Written Answers — Undocumented Irish Emigrants: Undocumented Irish Emigrants (2 Jun 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 27 and 102 together. There is no firm figure for the number of undocumented Irish emigrants in the United States. There are a number of estimates, including a figure of 3,000 by the US authorities for the year 2000. This seems to the Irish immigration centres to be a very low figure. More recently, a figure of 50,000 has been mentioned in some quarters but...

Written Answers — EU Enlargement: EU Enlargement (2 Jun 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 — EU Enlargement: EU Enlargement (2 Jun 2005)

Dermot Ahern: Turkey has been a candidate for membership of the European Union since the Helsinki European Council in December 1999, which agreed that it was destined to join the Union on the basis of the same criteria applied to the other candidate states. The European Council in Brussels on 16-17 December 2004 decided, on the basis of the Commission's report and recommendation, that Turkey sufficiently...

Written Answers — Nuclear Disarmament Initiative: Nuclear Disarmament Initiative (2 Jun 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The Democratic People's Republic of Korea, DPRK announced in February 2005 that it had produced and now possesses nuclear weapons and that it is to suspend its participation in the six party talks for an indefinite period. In May 2005, the DPRK further announced that it had finished extracting 8,000 fuel rods from its reactor at Yongbyon, which it reportedly shut down a month ago. The DPRK...

Written Answers — Middle East Peace Process: Middle East Peace Process (2 Jun 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The Government is in regular and ongoing contact with the Palestinian and Israeli Governments through diplomatic channels. In addition, during the seventh Euro-Mediterranean ministerial meeting in Luxembourg on 30-31 May, I had the opportunity to discuss the situation in the region with the foreign ministers of Israel and Palestine. I hope to travel to the region later this year to meet the...

Written Answers — Nuclear Disarmament Initiative: Nuclear Disarmament Initiative (2 Jun 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 41 and 50 together. Negotiations on the Iranian nuclear programme between Iran, France, Germany and the UK, supported by the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, resulted in an agreement signed in Paris in November 2004 on nuclear issues and future co-operation. Under this agreement, which was endorsed by the European Council last...

Written Answers — Ministerial Travel: Ministerial Travel (2 Jun 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I am continuing to engage in an intensive series of visits to European capitals in discharge of my mandate as envoy of the UN Secretary General. As envoy, I am tasked with presenting the key elements of the Secretary General's In Larger Freedom report and conveying to the Secretary General, in confidence, the views and concerns expressed by UN members. This is being done to prepare for the...