Results 13,041-13,060 of 15,491 for speaker:Eamon Gilmore

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Budgets (30 May 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: In the context of the forthcoming Budget, the Department of Public Expenditure & Reform has asked my Department to identify savings which will feed into the expenditure decisions by Government for the Estimates 2014 and the setting of future Ministerial ceilings. The scale of the adjustments for 2014 was set out in part 1 of the Expenditure Report 2013, which was published in...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Peace Process (30 May 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: Due to pressure of other business, the discussion of the Middle East Peace Process which had been planned for the Foreign Affairs Council on 27 May was postponed to the Council’s meeting in June. It had been intended that Ministers would discuss the initiative of US Secretary of State Kerry to restart the peace process, and in particular what the EU could do in support of, and in...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Undocumented Irish in the USA (30 May 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: I propose to take Questions Nos. 61 and 62 together. A resolution of the situation facing the undocumented Irish in the United States has been and remains a priority for the Government in ongoing contacts with the US Administration and Congress. In this context, we very much welcome the recent publication of the US Senate’s Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: EU Presidency Expenditure (11 Jun 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: The detailed organisation of events during the Presidency is the responsibility of the hosting Department and there is no centralised record of fees that might be paid to speakers.In the case of my own Department, no fees have been paid to speakers at events held in Ireland. However as part of the Presidency cultural programme fees have been paid in three instances as follows: €250...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications (11 Jun 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: Emergency passports permitting travel abroad are issued only in circumstances where the Passport Service is satisfied, on the basis of the application and supporting evidence, that:the proposed journey is related to the death or serious injury or illness abroad of a close relative or a medical emergency relating to the applicant him/herself; and the presence of the applicant at the foreign...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (11 Jun 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: I propose to take Questions Nos. 105, 113, 118 and 119 together. The crisis in Syria is undoubtedly the major challenge confronting the international community at present. It is being extensively discussed at EU level within the Foreign Affairs Council, including at the most recent Council which I attended in Brussels on 27 May. All member States are united in their support for...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (11 Jun 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: I strongly support the Colombian peace process and hope that the ongoing negotiations will bring an end to the long conflict there that has caused much suffering. I warmly welcome the agreement reached recently on the land reform element of these peace negotiations. I wish the parties success in reaching agreement on the other important items remaining on their agenda so that a final...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (11 Jun 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: The Central Statistics Office (CSO) of Ireland compiles external trade figures for Ireland, which are available at . The trade figures outlined below for China include total merchandise trade and total trade in services between Ireland and China, including Hong Kong and Macau, for the period January 2008 to December 2012. In 2008, total bilateral trade between Ireland and China was...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (11 Jun 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: Ireland was one of sixty-seven UN Member States to sign the new Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) on 3 June 2013. The Government was represented at the signing ceremony at UN headquarters in New York by the Minister of State with Special Responsibility for Trade and Development, Joe Costello T.D. The Treaty is the first legally binding instrument to regulate the international trade in conventional...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (11 Jun 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: There is widespread international concern about the nature and intent of Iran's nuclear programme. A number of aspects of Iran's choices and behaviour in relation to that programme, and related policy areas, are difficult to understand other than as efforts to achieve a military nuclear capability. Ireland shares those concerns.Many of these concerns relate specifically to activities which...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (11 Jun 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: As our own peace process in Ireland has shown, reconciliation on the ground between two communities who have been in sustained conflict remains a deeply sensitive process even after the successful conclusion of a comprehensive peace agreement. I commend those who are working to promote reconciliation between Israelis, Palestinians and other Arabs, and between Jews, Muslims and Christians, in...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (11 Jun 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: The Minister of State for European Affairs attended the European Parliament plenary session in Strasbourg on 21-22 May 2013. The Minister represented the Council in plenary debates on preparations for the European Council meeting of 22 May, Banking union-Single Supervisory Mechanism, the draft World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Treaty on copyright exceptions for the visually...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (11 Jun 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: The number of passports issued by month in 2012 and 2013 is detailed in the table below. PASSPORT ISSUED 2012 - 2013 2012 2013 January 34,307 38,951 February 54,055 47,152 March 65,723 53,684 April 59,767 67,273 May 76,566 June 66,519 July 77,831 August 54,788 September 40,073 October 45,961 November 36,269 December 20,421 The table shows a...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Diplomatic Representation Expenditure (11 Jun 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade currently utilises 138 properties abroad in pursuit of its mission on behalf of the State, which includes promoting Irish economic interests, providing services to the public and representing Ireland in international organisations. 35 of these properties are owned by the State and the balance are rented. They are used primarily as office premises...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: EU Directives (11 Jun 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: Responsibility for transposing EU measures into Irish law rests with individual Departments with responsibility for the relevant policy area. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has no EU Directives awaiting transposition.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (11 Jun 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: Mongolia, one of the OSCE’s Asian Partners for Co-operation since 2004, became the 57th OSCE participating State on 21 November 2012, pursuant to Ministerial Council Decision No. 2/12. I was pleased to welcome the Foreign Minister of Mongolia, Mr. Bold Luvsanvandan, to the Dublin OSCE Ministerial on 6 December. In recent weeks, Ireland’s Ambassador to the OSCE, Eoin...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Diplomatic Representation Issues (11 Jun 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: As outlined in my reply of 29 May 2013, my Department is consulting with the Revenue Commissioners as well as with other European countries concerning CD vehicle identification procedures. It is hoped that this review will be completed by the autumn. There is currently no legislation governing the use of diplomatic licence plates and issue of whether legislation is required in this matter...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights Issues (11 Jun 2013)

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 rule...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (11 Jun 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: I propose to take Questions Nos. 123 and 130 together. I share the deep concern expressed by others in the EU on the violent clashes which have been taking place in Turkey. Like the rule of law, pluralism of opinion and the right to peaceful protest are part of every democracy and the disproportionate use of force by the police, as acknowledged by the Turkish Deputy Prime Minister, was...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights Issues (11 Jun 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: I assume that the prison that the Deputy is referring to is Lukiskes prison in Vilnius, which has been the subject of reports by the Council of Europe’s European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT). I also understand that the Lithuanian Government is actively addressing the issue of upgrading its prison accommodation and is...