Results 981-1,000 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern

Written Answers — Legal Services: Legal Services (28 Jun 2005)

Dermot Ahern: In the time available it is not possible to provide full details of all legal services engaged by the Department from 1998 to date. A comprehensive response will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Legal Services: Legal Services (28 Jun 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The Department of Foreign Affairs is responsible for two votes: Vote 28 — foreign affairs; and Vote 29 — international co-operation. From 1998 to date the Department spent €3,756,592 on 40 consultancies for Vote 28 and €10,700,611 on 761 consultancies for Vote 29, giving a total of 801 consultancies at a cost of €14,457,203. The Department commissions consultancies where specialised...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (28 Jun 2005)

Dermot Ahern: There has been no expenditure by the Department of Foreign Affairs on the renting, leasing or purchasing of demountable, temporary accommodation over the past five years.

Written Answers — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (28 Jun 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The following table sets out the names of the contract staff in question, their dates of appointment, functions, payscales and pension contribution arrangements. All staff are contracted under terms and conditions of employment set by the Minister for Finance and are employed on a full-time basis. All appointments will terminate no later than the date on which I cease to hold this office....

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (28 Jun 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The Deputy will be aware that the Government has, over many years, sought to ensure that justice was attained in this most tragic of cases. Moreover, the legal issues involved have been reviewed on a number of occasions with a view to determining whether persons alleged to have committed these crimes could be brought to justice. There are, as has been stated before in the House, considerable...

Written Answers — Departmental Revenue: Departmental Revenue (28 Jun 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The Department of Foreign Affairs did not increase passport, visa or other consular fees for any of the years in question. The following amounts were realised by the Department, in appropriations-in-aid, in the years ending 31 December 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998: Year IR£ totals Euro equivalent £000s â'¬000s 1995 659 837 1996 815 1,035 ...

Written Answers — EU Regulations: EU Regulations (29 Jun 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I have not been responsible for the making of any ministerial order having the effect of creating an indictable offence in the period since the judgments referred to in the Deputy's question.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (29 Jun 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The Department of Foreign Affairs entered into contractual arrangements with the following companies and service providers in the lead up to and-or during the 2004 Presidency of the Council of Ministers of the European Union: Audi, Alexander Hotel, Berkeley Court Hotel, Brooks Hotel, Caroline Erskine / Noelleanne O'Sullivan, Celtic Roots Studio, Conrad Hotel, Cooley Distillers, Corporate...

Written Answers — Diplomatic Representation: Diplomatic Representation (29 Jun 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The main visa programme under which Irish people enter Australia is the working holiday visa programme. At any one time upwards of 10,000 young Irish people are in Australia under this programme. The popularity of the scheme is such that last year Ireland was second only to Britain as the main source country for successful applications. A very small proportion of Irish people in Australia...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (29 Jun 2005)

Dermot Ahern: My Department has been monitoring developments in this case and has been providing consular assistance to the person in question since we became aware of the case in February 2003. The Irish ambassador and a diplomatic officer from the embassy in Buenos Aires have made prison visits to the person to whom the Deputy refers. In addition, an Irish person in Quito, on behalf of the embassy and...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (29 Jun 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The Government views with great concern the recent actions by the Zimbabwean Government, which have resulted in an estimated 275,000 people being left homeless, as a result of Operation Restore Order, aimed at clearing away the businesses of informal street traders and unregistered homes built by the urban poor. Ireland and its EU partners have joined many others in the international...

Order of Business. (30 Jun 2005)

Dermot Ahern: We are laughing.

Order of Business. (30 Jun 2005)

Dermot Ahern: Deputy Kenny expects it.

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (30 Jun 2005)

Dermot Ahern: This call by members of the McBride family for a change in British legislation to require the automatic dismissal of a member of the British armed forces found guilty of a serious human rights violation is the latest effort in their campaign to ensure the dismissal of British army personnel James Fisher and Mark Wright. In 1995, Scots Guardsmen Fisher and Wright were convicted of the 1992...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (30 Jun 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I have learned with regret of the death of Ms Gao Rong Rong, a Falun Dafa practitioner, who, according to reports, died on 16 June 2005. I have asked my officials to request the EU Presidency to raise the case of Ms Gao Rong Rong and the circumstances of her death with the Chinese authorities at the next session of the EU-China human rights dialogue which is due to take place in September....

Written Answers — Military Neutrality: Military Neutrality (30 Jun 2005)

Dermot Ahern: There has been no change in the criteria applied to the landing and overflights of foreign military aircraft. Policy in this area is based on the Air Navigation (Foreign Military Aircraft) Order 1952 which gives the Minister for Foreign Affairs discretion in the granting of permission to foreign military aircraft to overfly or land in the State. Permission is normally granted on certain...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (30 Jun 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The Government remains gravely concerned at the deteriorating situation of human rights in Zimbabwe and the continuing failure of the Mugabe government to end repressive policies that have only succeeded in impoverishing and worsening the plight of millions of ordinary Zimbabweans. Ireland and its EU partners have taken the lead internationally, including through action at the UN General...

Written Answers — Diplomatic Representations: Diplomatic Representations (30 Jun 2005)

Dermot Ahern: My Department monitors the situation in Colombia, including the question of hostages and kidnap victims, through our embassy in Mexico City, which is also accredited to Colombia, as well as in co-operation with our EU partners with resident diplomatic missions in that country. As the House is aware from my replies to previous questions on this subject, Ms Ingrid Betancourt, a candidate in the...

Written Answers — Northern Ireland Issues: Northern Ireland Issues (30 Jun 2005)

Dermot Ahern: Mr. David Strudley was appointed on 23 June 2005 to head up the new PSNI policing college in Cookstown, County Tyrone, following a UK-wide advertisement campaign, interview and selection process. Mr. Strudley will take up his new post this September. The Patten commission recommended that recruit training for the police service should move away from a military focus, have a high degree of...

Written Answers — Northern Ireland Issues: Northern Ireland Issues (30 Jun 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 315 and 321 together. The incidents in north Belfast referred to by the Deputy are a matter of great concern to the Government. These incidents, as with all such sectarian attacks, are reprehensible and without justification. I am aware that the summer is a particularly difficult time of year for many Nationalist residents of Belfast and the north east...