Results 901-920 of 11,433 for speaker:Michael Kitt

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

Michael Kitt: Ireland has had a development relationship with Zambia since the 1960s and it was designated as a Programme Country in 1980. It is expected that Ireland will provide assistance of approximately €30m to Zambia in 2008. The central goal of the programme is to assist the Government and people of Zambia in reducing chronic poverty and inequality, through support for its national poverty...

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

Michael Kitt: The Government is committed to expanding Ireland's Overseas Aid programme. We have set a target of spending 0.7% of GNP on Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) by 2012 and we are well on track to meeting this UN target. For 2008, the Government has allocated €914 million to ODA. The majority of this funding — €814 million — comes under Vote 29, International Cooperation, which is...

Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: 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, 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 by Irish Aid's Evaluation and Audit Unit, and...

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

Michael Kitt: Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world, with more than 50% of the population living on less that US$1 a day and one of the world's highest maternal mortality rates. Nepal is also prone to disasters, which are likely to become more frequent in the future due to climate change. Last year, floods and landslides affected over 60% of the country and displaced more than 70,000 people....

Written Answers — Rapid Response Corps: Rapid Response Corps (11 Mar 2008)

Michael Kitt: Sixty-four volunteers were invited to become members of the Rapid Response Corps in 2007 following a rigorous selection and interview process. Fifty-two of this group completed their pre-departure training and checks last year, and are ready to deploy when requested. Since November 2007, eight Corps members have been deployed in Sri Lanka, Kenya, Somalia, Nepal, Mozambique, Tanzania, Sudan...

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

Michael Kitt: The Department of Foreign Affairs has provided funding for organisations operating in Nepal under a number of different schemes, which are summarised below: Department of Foreign Affairs — Irish Aid Grant aid to organisations operating in Nepal 2005 2006 2007 € € € NGO co-financing — block grant scheme / Civil Society Fund (2006 onwards) Action Aid 200,000 229,401...

Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: 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 by...

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

Michael Kitt: The White Paper on Irish Aid sets out the principles and policies underlying the aid programme. It outlines the vision for the future and a number of key initiatives. It also identifies considerations which guide the selection of long term development partners. These include factors such as the level of poverty and the scope for Ireland to make a positive impact. It also includes standards of...

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

Michael Kitt: The eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are at the heart of Ireland's development cooperation programme as set out in the 2006 White Paper on Irish Aid. They inform both our programme of development cooperation and our support for and dialogue with multilateral development bodies. Irish Aid's focus on reducing poverty and supporting the provision of basic services to the poorest people...

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

Michael Kitt: Irish Aid has been providing development assistance to Tanzania since 1975 and it was designated as a Programme Country in 1979. It is expected that Ireland will provide assistance of approximately €40 million to Tanzania in 2008. The central goal of the programme is to assist the Government and people of Tanzania in reducing poverty, through supporting the implementation of its national...

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

Michael Kitt: It is expected that Ireland will provide assistance of approximately €44 million to Uganda through its programme of bilateral assistance in 2008. In addition to funds provided directly through the programme, support is channelled indirectly through NGO partners, missionaries, UN agencies and civil society organisations. The overarching objective of the programme is the reduction of...

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

Michael Kitt: Recent data released by the United Nations Joint Programme on AIDS (UNAIDS) show that the global HIV prevalence — the number of people living with HIV — has levelled off and that the number of new infections has fallen. This is primarily due to much improved surveillance methodologies along with some positive impacts of HIV programmes. However, in 2007 over 33 million people were living...

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

Michael Kitt: Africa and sub-Saharan Africa in particular, bears a disproportionate burden of the world's death and disease. Much of this is related to HIV, malaria, tuberculosis and other communicable diseases and also to conditions of persistent poverty. Whilst there has been encouraging progress in many countries in the treatment of HIV and control of TB and malaria with resultant reduction of death...

Seanad: Passports Bill 2007: Committee Stage (12 Mar 2008)

Michael Kitt: I understand the point the Senator is making. However, I have been advised by the Office of the Attorney General that this amendment is unnecessary because the Civil Registration Act already provides for the issue raised. Section 5(1) of that Act provides that in so far as any certificate issued under any enactment repealed by section 4 of the same Act could have been issued under a...

Seanad: Passports Bill 2007: Committee Stage (12 Mar 2008)

Michael Kitt: This section deals with the regulations, as Senator Cummins observed. However, these are not State regulations and requirements but simply the conditions laid down by the airlines. This was raised on Second Stage in both the Dáil and Seanad. Senator Keaveney, for example, spoke about people being questioned as they came off the Belfast to Dublin train. This section does not deal with...

Seanad: Passports Bill 2007: Committee Stage (12 Mar 2008)

Michael Kitt: Section 6(1) of the Bill gives a citizen of Ireland the right to apply for a passport. Section 6(2) requires applications to be made in a certain form and to be accompanied by certain information and documents. In other words, a citizen can choose whether to apply for a passport. If he or she chooses to apply, the application must satisfy a number of mandatory requirements. If I were to...

Seanad: Passports Bill 2007: Committee Stage (12 Mar 2008)

Michael Kitt: I thank Senators for their comments. The term "common good" is included in the legislation to give the Minister discretion in exceptional cases. In practice, it is unlikely a Minister will invoke the power to refuse a passport on the basis of the common good. This provision is also included in recognition of the explicit use of the term "common good" in the High Court judgment that first...

Seanad: Passports Bill 2007: Committee Stage (12 Mar 2008)

Michael Kitt: I take on board the points made by all Senators. As I stated, there was clarification by reference to the European Convention on Human Rights, particularly protocol 4 of that convention. There is also an obligation on the Minister under the European Convention on Human Rights Act 2003. The point Senator Cummins raised about NGOs travelling abroad is a very good one. To stop NGOs...

Seanad: Passports Bill 2007: Committee Stage (12 Mar 2008)

Michael Kitt: In reply to Senator Alex White, this amendment seeks to provide that the Minister can refuse to issue another passport to an applicant who refuses to surrender a passport previously issued to him or her. Section 18(6), as the Senator said, provides that an applicant for a passport shall, if so required by the Minister, surrender a passport issued to him or her — whether or not it is valid...

Seanad: Passports Bill 2007: Committee Stage (12 Mar 2008)

Michael Kitt: The answer is "Yes".