Results 1,321-1,340 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern

Departmental Staff. (10 Nov 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I am circulating with my reply a table indicating the number of staff recruited by the Department of Foreign Affairs over the past five years. It should be noted that a number of staff will also have left the Department during this period on transfer to other Departments or offices. Others will have retired or resigned, or availed of the option to take career breaks or special leave. I am...

Departmental Staff. (10 Nov 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The Department has no problem fulfilling its functions with the existing cohort of staff personnel. In regard to engaging 500 consultancies over the past five years, 87% of them are in the area of overseas development aid. Most of them are small time related consultancies because we do not have this expertise within the Department. They ensure value for taxpayers' money in regard to the...

Departmental Staff. (10 Nov 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I do not know if there is an age limit. I do not have the figures, but if there is, I can get the figures for the Deputy. I would not like to think there is an age limit other than the normal limit that exists in the public service.

Nuclear Armaments. (10 Nov 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 and 59 together. Negotiations between the EU three and Iran are suspended following Iran's decision on 8 August 2005 to recommence conversion of uranium at its Isfahan facility. This action was in breach of the Paris Agreement signed by Iran and the EU three, France, Germany and the United Kingdom, in November 2004. Under this agreement, Iran, inter alia,...

Nuclear Armaments. (10 Nov 2005)

Dermot Ahern: A review has not taken place. We have full confidence in the three countries involved. We are fully informed and briefed at all the meetings that feed into the GAERC meetings that I attend. We get full and frank disclosure of the discussions that take place. It is difficult as it is a stop start issue as regards the relationship with Iran. It is important we engage with them in a diplomatic...

Nuclear Armaments. (10 Nov 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I do not honestly know. They maintain they have made a decision to put in place nuclear energy facilities in their state which is their entitlement under the NPT. It was made clear to me when I met the Iranian ambassador to the UN that they had made a policy decision to go nuclear and that they were putting in place facilities. He had with him a member of the Iranian Parliament who said that...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (10 Nov 2005)

Dermot Ahern: Efforts by illegal migrants from sub-Saharan Africa to transit through Morocco in order to enter Spanish territory have been a growing problem for Spain and Morocco, and for the EU in general, in recent years. This situation poses significant difficulties for the States involved. Of equal concern are the serious risks to which the migrants expose themselves, as the method most often used has...

Written Answers — State Airports: State Airports (10 Nov 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 13 and 14 together. The wearing of foreign military uniforms in the State is governed by section 317 of the Defence Act 1954. The provisions of this section prohibit the wearing of a foreign military uniform without ministerial permission. In accordance with the requirements of the Defence Act 1954, express permission was granted by the then Minister for...

Written Answers — Lisbon Agenda: Lisbon Agenda (10 Nov 2005)

Dermot Ahern: Under the Irish Presidency of the EU in 2004, an EU-wide mid-term review of progress under the Lisbon Agenda was initiated. The outcome of this review was considered by the European Council at its meeting in March 2005. The European Council acknowledged that, five years after the launch of the Lisbon Agenda, the results were mixed. In this context, the European Council agreed to relaunch the...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (10 Nov 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I refer the Deputy to the reply I gave to Priority Question No. 2 — which is identical to this question — of today's date.

Written Answers — Middle East Peace Process: Middle East Peace Process (10 Nov 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 19, 51 and 82 together. The Government, and its partners in the EU, firmly believe that the Quartet roadmap provides the best framework for a lasting and peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We are continuing to work with Israel and with the Palestinian Authority to ensure that they take advantage of the opportunity offered by the...

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (10 Nov 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 20, 58 and 101 together. Ireland is gravely concerned by the unrest and loss of life which have occurred in Addis Ababa and some other parts of Ethiopia since 1 November 2005. While order is gradually being restored, I understand that an estimated 48 people died during rioting last week, over 200 were injured. Reliable reports suggest that up to 20,000 people...

Written Answers — UN Reform: UN Reform (10 Nov 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The UN World Summit held last September in New York agreed a balanced and extensive package of UN reforms. I was honoured to have contributed to the summit outcome in my role as one of the envoys appointed by Secretary General Annan to support his recommendations for change aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of the UN. These changes must be implemented if today's common challenges in the...

Written Answers — EU Enlargement: EU Enlargement (10 Nov 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 23, 78, 95 and 139 together. The need to cope with the challenges of managing an enlarged Union of 25 or more members was one of the reasons for embarking on the process that led to the elaboration of the treaty establishing a constitution for Europe. The position as regards the ratification of the European constitution is that a total of 13 countries might be...

Written Answers — Diplomatic Representation: Diplomatic Representation (10 Nov 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 24 and 30 together. In a statement I made on Monday, 24 October to mark the tenth anniversary of Aung San Suu Kyi's detention under house arrest, I reiterated Ireland's clear position on Burma. Together with our EU partners we condemn the abuse of human rights and fundamental freedoms in Burma and deplore the lack of progress towards democracy. Our goal...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (10 Nov 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The obligation on member states to transpose EU legislation relates to EU directives. EU regulations do not need to be transposed, as they are directly applicable. If the EU Commission considers that a member state has failed to fulfil an obligation, such as failure to transpose a directive or incorrectly transposing a directive, it can — under Article 226 of the treaty — issue a reasoned...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (10 Nov 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The EU has given a clear commitment that the long-term future of the western Balkans, including Kosovo, rests within the European Union. The Union has taken a lead role in working to consolidate peace and stability and to promote economic development, respect for human rights and the rule of law in the region. Kosovo has been under UN administration, in accordance with Security Council...

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (10 Nov 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The International Criminal Court issued indictments on 13 October 2005 for the arrest of five Lord's Resistance Army, LRA, commanders, including the LRA leader, Joseph Kony. This represents a historic development for the court and it is now incumbent on all those involved, including any neighbouring states in which the LRA leaders concerned may be sheltering, to facilitate the arrest of the...

Written Answers — Arms Trade: Arms Trade (10 Nov 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The regulation of arms exports is legally a matter for national authorities, subject to internationally agreed restrictions, such as all EU, OSCE and UN arms embargoes. The Government does not have access to information on the precise details on armaments contracts made by other EU member states. However, the promotion and support of international efforts to secure appropriate safeguards on...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (10 Nov 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I am presuming that the Deputy's question relates in its entirety to the staffing of the Department's development co-operation directorate. The Taoiseach announced at the UN Millennium Review Summit in New York on 14 September that the Government will reach the target of spending 0.7% of GNP on official development assistance by 2012. We have agreed a number of steps along the way to...