Results 14,361-14,380 of 15,491 for speaker:Eamon Gilmore

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Consultancy Contracts Expenditure (17 Dec 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: I propose to take Questions Nos. 128 and 130 together. While my Department makes use of external IT service providers for various support and maintenance requirements, it has not engaged any IT consultants since 2011. In 2010 and 2011 the Department engaged consultants for the purpose of providing infrastructure- and systems-related security advice and the amounts expended were...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Legal Costs (17 Dec 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: Depending on the subject-matter, litigation is dealt with on my Department’s behalf by the Attorney General's Office, the Chief State Solicitor's Office or the State Claims Agency which engage lawyers to act for the Department where necessary, including for personal injuries claims and other matters. The costs of any external solicitors or counsel engaged for such matters are not...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights Issues (17 Dec 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: At my request, officials of the Embassy of Ireland in Mexico City, which is also accredited to Colombia, have raised with the Colombian authorities concerns regarding the community displaced from their land in Pitalito. The promotion and protection of human rights is a core principle of Ireland's foreign policy. Ireland engages on human rights issues in our contacts with the Colombian...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Staff Remuneration (17 Dec 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: I can assure the Deputy that the staff of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade are remunerated solely on the basis of salary policy and scales approved by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. There are no State agencies under the aegis of my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Birth Certificates Provision (18 Dec 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: Obtaining a birth certificate does not fall under the remit of my Department, however, given the predicament this person finds themselves in the Consular Assistance Section of my Department contacted the Embassy of India in Dublin to discuss the case.The Embassy of India in Dublin noted that they had already advised the person in question that follow up in a case like this should be made in...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland Issues (18 Dec 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: At my invitation, former British Prime Minister John Major delivered a lecture at Iveagh House on 11 December last, commemorating the 20th Anniversary of the signing of the Downing Street Declaration on 15 December 1993. The event was hosted and organised by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. This was the third in a series of commemorative lectures forming the Iveagh House...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Expenditure (18 Dec 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: Matters relating to refugees in Ireland are coordinated by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) under the auspices of the Minister for Justice and Equality. Details of the services and supports available to refugees are published on the website of the linked Reception and Integration Agency. A number of other Government Departments also have responsibilities in this...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland Issues (18 Dec 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: All Parties in this house will share my frustration at the lack of progress on a Bill of Rights. During my visits to Northern Ireland I have been struck by the level of interest amongst a broad swathe of civic society in a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland, which is a very important outstanding provision of the Good Friday Agreement. I believe that many of the contentious issues around...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights Issues (18 Dec 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: I propose to take Questions Nos. 51 and 52 together. I am deeply concerned by the recent summary execution of Jang Song Thaek in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). As the Deputy will be aware, Ireland is adamantly opposed to the use of the death penalty in all circumstances and accordingly seeks its universal abolition. We are aware of concerns expressed by the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Ministerial Advisers Remuneration (18 Dec 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: The Guidelines on Ministerial Appointments issued in March 2011 state that Special Advisers are to be placed on the Principal Officer (standard) scale: €75,674 - €92,550. Appointments will be on the first point of the scale, except where the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform sanctions a higher salary rate. I have four Special Advisers in my Department. Salary details...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Application Numbers (19 Dec 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: The Irish Passport Service produced a total of 632,073new passports in 2012. The Irish Passport Service produced a total of 623,955 new passports from 01 January 2013 to 13 December 2013 (inclusive).

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Diplomatic Representation Expenditure (19 Dec 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: The decision to close Ireland’s Embassy in Teheran in 2011 followed a thorough review of the overseas diplomatic network in which particular attention was paid to the promotion of Irish economic interests and the economic return from missions abroad. Ireland’s diplomatic and consular network is comparatively modest in size and includes 56 Embassies, 7 multilateral Missions and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Diplomatic Representation (19 Dec 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: I propose to take Questions Nos. 63 and 64 together. I can confirm that since 1 January 2013 I have received a total of sixteen requests or letters asking me to reopen the Embassy to the Holy See. With regard to the reopening of the Embassy in Teheran, I have received no requests or letters substantially on this topic in 2013.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Service Issues (19 Dec 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: In 2012 my Department issued 631,947 passports. We are currently on track for the issuance of a similar number in 2013. Customers applying through the Passport Express service are given a commitment by the Passport Service that ten days from the date of receipt of properly completed applications, a passport will be issued. Last year over 83% (428,000) of all persons applying for their...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Good Friday Agreement (19 Dec 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: In ongoing contacts with the British government, most recently at my meeting with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Rt. Hon. Theresa Villiers MP, on 18 December, I continue to stress the importance of both Governments supporting the full implementation of all aspects of the Agreements. I am firmly of the view that an Irish Language Act should be introduced in Northern Ireland. All...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Good Friday Agreement (19 Dec 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: I have previously put on the record of the Dáil that I support the establishment of a Civic Forum which would provide for a broad range of voices on community relations and stimulate informed public debate in relation to key societal challenges. On my regular visits to Northern Ireland, I continue the practice of engaging with civil society representatives. In my address to the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: EU Council Meetings (19 Dec 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: I attended the most recent meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) in Brussels on 16 December.This was the final scheduled Council meeting of the year. We had a full agenda addressing a wide range of issues. Conclusions were agreed across a number of key policy areas; the full text of these Conclusions may be accessed on the official EU website . In opening the Council meeting, High...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Trade Agreements (19 Dec 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: It is assumed the Deputy is referring to the Association Agreement which includes a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area between the EU and Ukraine and which was initialled in March 2012 after lengthy negotiations. While important progress was made, Ukraine announced shortly before the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius last month that it was suspending the preparations to sign the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Freedom of Information Requests (19 Dec 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: In 2012, my Department received 136 Freedom of Information requests, twelve of which incurred a Search and Retrieval fee. To date in 2013, 85 requests have been received, and ten have incurred a Search and Retrieval fee.Where Search and Retrieval fees are incurred, requesters have the option to reduce the scope of their request to reduce or eliminate such fees. My Department works with...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications (19 Dec 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: All passport applications are subject to the provisions of the Passports Act, 2008 (the Act). This broadly provides that a person must be an Irish citizen and that his/her identity is known to the Minister for Foreign Affairs before a passport can issue to that person. Section 6(2)(a) and (b) of the Act provides that: “(2) An application for the issue of a passport to a person shall...