Results 1,641-1,660 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern

Written Answers — Northern Ireland Issues: Northern Ireland Issues (15 Dec 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The table sets out the data requested by the Deputy, the numbers and percentages unemployed in Northern Ireland and the breakdown between the communities in 1995, 2000, and 2005 respectively. Spring 1995 Spring 2000 Spring 2005 Protestant Unemployed (number) 33,000 18,500 12,000 Unemployed percentage 8.4% 4.8% 2.9% Catholic Unemployed (number) 39,500 29,500 19,500...

Leaders' Questions. (25 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: No. It was unqualified.

Order of Business. (25 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: Deputy Rabbitte has had more parties than the Minister of State has had hot dinners.

European Council Meeting: Statements. (25 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: A number of the questions Deputy Durkan raised were not really pertinent to the discussions and were not discussed at the December Council.

European Council Meeting: Statements. (25 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: The sugar regime is ultimately a matter for the Minister for Agriculture and Food, Deputy Coughlan, who was party to the discussions in Hong Kong. Obviously some difficult decisions had to be made in that regard and it is fair to say the discussions in Hong Kong faltered in that there was an impression that quite a number of developing countries were to a certain extent benefiting. Our...

European Council Meeting: Statements. (25 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: I will not go through a long dissertation on rural development but the point of the rural development programme in EU funding is to assist those areas coming out of purely agricultural industry and to bring them into newer areas not so reliant on agriculture. That has been the hallmark of European funding over the past number of years.

European Council Meeting: Statements. (25 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: The budgetary correction mechanism, called the UK rebate, remains with the reduced contribution to the financing of the abatement, benefiting Germany, Austria, Sweden and the Netherlands, as agreed at the 1999 Berlin European Council. The rebate remains in full on all expenditure except that relating to the new member states. From 2013 at the latest, the UK shall fully participate in the...

European Council Meeting: Statements. (25 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: The Greek reservations remain. I had discussions with the Greek Foreign Minister regarding how we dealt with this scenario in the Good Friday Agreement regarding Ireland, Northern Ireland and so on. However, decisions were made regarding Macedonia in December, which should be welcome and, hopefully, the discussions will continue. That these negotiations have started or will start does not...

Written Answers — International Agreements: International Agreements (25 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 677 and 680 together. It should be noted that the rights of migrant workers and their families, while they need to be kept under active review, are already protected under existing national legislation and under the Constitution, as well as under EU law. In addition, the rights of migrant workers and their families are also addressed by Ireland's commitments...

Written Answers — Northern Ireland Issues: Northern Ireland Issues (25 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: The Government fully supports the holding of a public inquiry into the murder of Mr. Pat Finucane on 12 February 1989 as recommended by Judge Peter Cory in his report of 1 April 2004. The British Government has proposed establishing an inquiry under the Inquiries Act 2005. Since the Inquiries Bill was first published, the Government has had concerns that the legislation would not allow an...

Written Answers — Diplomatic Representation: Diplomatic Representation (25 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: This Department, through the Irish Embassy in Pretoria, became aware of the arrest of the person mentioned by the Deputy in April 2002 in South Africa on charges of fraud, corruption and contravention of the Aliens Act. I understand that the three counts arose from his alleged illegal residence in South Africa. The embassy provided consular assistance to him and his family, including raising...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (25 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: I share the concerns of the Deputy on the reported killing of 22 people in the Curumani region of Colombia, near the border with Venezuela. Investigations by the Organisation of American States and the Colombian authorities indicate that the number killed was in fact lower, at eight dead and one person missing. The reports suggest that the killings took place in the context of a territorial...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (25 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: In India, other than the consular jurisdictions of Mumbai and Bangalore, the embassy has an arrangement with an outsourcing company, Visa Facilitation Services, VFS, for initial receipt and checking of visa applications. VFS receives most of the visa applications which are handled by the embassy and ensures the forms are properly completed, the documentation complete and the correct fees...

Written Answers — Asylum Applications: Asylum Applications (25 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: I am aware that several men of Uighur origin are being held in the United States detention facility in Guantanamo Bay and are awaiting release. While we have not received any specific request to grant political asylum to the two men indicated in the Deputy's question, the US authorities have in general terms raised with us and with other EU member states the possibility of our offering...

Written Answers — Passport Applications: Passport Applications (25 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: I am pleased to confirm to the Deputy that the application for Irish citizenship, through entry in the Foreign Births Register, by the person to whom he has referred has been approved by the Consulate General in Chicago. The application was initially incomplete as the applicant did not submit all of the required documents. However, the missing documents were subsequently received by the...

Written Answers — Irish Soldiers Memorial: Irish Soldiers Memorial (25 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: I am delighted to be in a position to inform the House that, with the assistance of our Consulate in New York, the Irish in Korea War Memorial Committee has been granted permission by the Board of Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn to erect a memorial to the Irish-born citizens who died in the Korean War. This historic cemetery, the final resting place of many Irish-born generals who died in the...

Written Answers — Departmental Appointments: Departmental Appointments (25 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 686 and 687 together. Since 1997, I or my predecessors have made the following appointments to bodies under the aegis of this Department. The Advisory Board of Ireland Aid was established in August 2002 and the following were appointed to the board: Name Relevant Qualifications/Background Mr. Desmond O'Malley Former Government Minister and...

Written Answers — Diplomatic Representation: Diplomatic Representation (25 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 688, 689, 692 and 694 together. Consular assistance is provided by my Department in a wide variety of circumstances and cases, which require different responses. In certain cases, the Department of Foreign Affairs is prepared to advance funds, based on an assurance of prompt repayment, to assist Irish citizens where this is judged to be urgent and necessary,...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (25 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 690 and 693 together. Persons holding Venezuelan passports are not required to have visas to enter Ireland. In applications from citizens of Ecuador and Columbia, the Department's central records relate to the numbers of applications from all nationalities processed by our individual missions and the visa office in Dublin. They are not disaggregated by the...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (25 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: One member of staff is currently undertaking a full-time, 18-month study course at the Ecole Nationale d'Administration, ENA, in Paris, under a scheme administered by the Department of Finance and the French Embassy. The course provides an opportunity to gain first-hand experience of the work of the French public sector and to make contacts with civil servants from France and from over 20...