Results 1,581-1,600 of 4,092 for speaker:Michael D Higgins

Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (21 Nov 2007)

Michael D Higgins: Question 67: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if, and the way it is intended to transfer resources including staff, from Mullingar and Portlaoise in the context of the transfer of cancer patients from those hospitals to the Mater and St. Vincent's Hospital in Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29965/07]

Order of Business (22 Nov 2007)

Michael D Higgins: No. 15 in the Government legislative programme, the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, is expected to be published before the beginning of next session. Its purpose is described as establishing an officials compliance committee regarding the OECD Convention on Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions. The difficulty is that the Government's White...

Order of Business (22 Nov 2007)

Michael D Higgins: ——why not say so in the Dáil and give us the opportunity to respond?

Order of Business (22 Nov 2007)

Michael D Higgins: How will we know if it is dead?

Order of Business (22 Nov 2007)

Michael D Higgins: It will enable the Government to ratify the convention.

Organic Farming. (22 Nov 2007)

Michael D Higgins: Question 10: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the planned initiatives to promote organic food production and farmers' markets; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30085/07]

Written Answers — Marketing and Processing Scheme: Marketing and Processing Scheme (22 Nov 2007)

Michael D Higgins: Question 52: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the amount a co-operative (details supplied) and its subsidiaries has received in direct funding from the Exchequer; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30084/07]

Official Engagements. (27 Nov 2007)

Michael D Higgins: On the less heady aspect of education, a fundamental question arises as to the role of the teacher, which seems to me to have slipped away. Teachers are anxious to retain the integrity of the professional relationship with the child. Whoever is being taught, the relationship between the teacher and the pupil is the important one. Surely teachers would want to aspire to an equality of...

Middle East Peace Process. (27 Nov 2007)

Michael D Higgins: Question 57: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the human rights implications of the cutting off of basic infrastructural facilities to the Gaza region by the Israeli authorities; if he will advocate the establishment of a permanent secretariat to the peace talks in the name of the Quartet; and if the European Union is engaged in such talks with the different parts of...

Middle East Peace Process. (27 Nov 2007)

Michael D Higgins: Several questions immediately arise from the Minister of State's response. Will he consider the Annapolis meeting a failure if its final statement does not address the issues he mentioned, including the future status of Jerusalem, illegal settlements and so on? Does he agree that the credibility of the European Union is badly damaged by, in the first instance, the clearing house decision...

Middle East Peace Process. (27 Nov 2007)

Michael D Higgins: The EU did not recognise the Government that was elected.

Middle East Peace Process. (27 Nov 2007)

Michael D Higgins: The legacy of proscribing Hamas has damaged the EU's credibility.

Middle East Peace Process. (27 Nov 2007)

Michael D Higgins: Ireland should have recognised the election results and the Government formed thereafter.

Middle East Peace Process. (27 Nov 2007)

Michael D Higgins: The Government did not recognise the Hamas-Fatah Government.

Middle East Peace Process. (27 Nov 2007)

Michael D Higgins: Hamas is more advanced than the IRA.

Millennium Development Goals. (27 Nov 2007)

Michael D Higgins: That is right.

Human Rights Issues. (27 Nov 2007)

Michael D Higgins: It is important to note that the Government's actions in 2004 were opposed. It was pointed out at the time that the assumption that constructive dialogue would change the Burmese junta's actions was unlikely to reach a result. I wish to ask about the mandate of Mr. Pinheiro which differs from the mandate of Dr. Gambari. Will Mr. Pinheiro's mandate in practical terms be able to ascertain the...

Human Rights Issues. (27 Nov 2007)

Michael D Higgins: It is clear from the reply that four quite separate categories of action are required to satisfy the international convention. It would shorten the period in which ratification would be possible if the protection and care of the victim were included in the fundamental Act prohibiting trafficking, that is, the one directed at the criminal law. If one must wait for the immigration, residency...

Arms Trade. (27 Nov 2007)

Michael D Higgins: Does the Minister of State acknowledge the hypocrisy of moral suasion being regarded as the means for implementing such a code, for example, sticking with the area we were just discussing, German exports to the Burma junta, which are clear to everybody? Equally, for example, having listened to the statement we might regard it as having become a piece of wind, considering that the National...

Human Rights Issues. (27 Nov 2007)

Michael D Higgins: The consequences of Britain's decision to walk away from its commitments under the Lancaster House Agreement, which are rarely highlighted, should be mentioned during the Lisbon Summit. Is the Minister of State disappointed that the leaders of the South African Government, which we all support, have stayed unacceptably silent for so long about the human rights breaches in Zimbabwe? Given...