Results 1,641-1,660 of 2,792 for speaker:Colm Brophy

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Policy (10 Mar 2021)

Colm Brophy: In line with commitments made in the Global Ireland: Ireland's Strategy for Africa to 2025, Ireland is committed to strengthening political dialogue, development cooperation, and trade and investment relationships with the African continent. That Strategy signals the Sahel and francophone West Africa for intensified engagement. Notwithstanding the challenges posed by COVID-19, that...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Policy (10 Mar 2021)

Colm Brophy: Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are an important global constituency which is disproportionately impacted by climate change and the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ireland's Strategy for Partnership with Small Island Developing States (SIDS) was launched in June 2019 by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney TD. The Strategy set out a multi-strand approach to...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (10 Mar 2021)

Colm Brophy: The ongoing armed conflict between the Federal Government of Ethiopia and the former regional authorities in Tigray, which began on 4 November, remains a major concern for Ireland. The conflict has had a devastating impact on the population of Tigray, and poses severe risks to the stability of Ethiopia and the wider Horn of Africa region. Ireland strongly supports calls by the UN High...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Meetings (11 Mar 2021)

Colm Brophy: With a record 235 million people currently needing humanitarian assistance and protection, or one in 33 people worldwide, humanitarian agencies are seeking new ways to collaborate and increase efficiency and impact. Responding to this imperative, the Irish Emergency Alliance (IEA) was launched in September 2020. It comprises seven non-governmental organisations that work in fragile...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Climate Change Policy (11 Mar 2021)

Colm Brophy: Delivering on a commitment in the Programme for Government, a dedicated Climate Unit was established last autumn in the Development Cooperation and Africa Division in my Department. The establishment of the Climate Unit will facilitate a more holistic and effective Irish engagement on global climate issues, and guide the process now underway of doubling the proportion of Irish Official...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid (11 Mar 2021)

Colm Brophy: Development education is an integral part of the Irish Aid programme, Ireland’s Official Development Aid programme managed in large part by the Department of Foreign Affairs, but which engages many Departments across Government, the education system and civil society. Development education contributes to an active Irish public, engaged and well-informed on issues which impact on...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Covid-19 Pandemic (24 Mar 2021)

Colm Brophy: Ireland is fully supporting efforts by the international community to ensure fair and equitable access to vaccines, and other COVID-related technologies.  Consideration of C-TAP touches on stakeholder relationships managed by other Government Departments, including the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Department of Health and Department of Further and Higher...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid (24 Mar 2021)

Colm Brophy: The Government is committed to achieving the UN Official Development Assistance target of 0.7% of GNI by 2030, as set out in A Better World, Ireland's International Development policy, and re-iterated in the Programme for Government. It is important that we do so in a responsible way. Ireland's development programme has a strong global reputation and our ambition to meet this important target...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: International Agreements (24 Mar 2021)

Colm Brophy: Ireland is fully supporting efforts by the international community to ensure fair and equitable access to vaccines for all. The Government quadrupled funding to the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2020, given its role as lead UN agency for health and co-host of the Access to Covid-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, which has the COVAX facility as a centrepiece. The Department of...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: International Bodies (31 Mar 2021)

Colm Brophy: I would like to thank the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence for their recent Report on the Distribution of COVID-19 Vaccines to Developing Countries, whose recommendations are being considered by the relevant Government Departments. Ireland is fully supporting efforts by the international community to ensure fair and equitable access to vaccines for all. The Government...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Covid-19 Pandemic (21 Apr 2021)

Colm Brophy: Question Number 774 of 24 March refers. My Department continues to support global efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the €50 million in Irish Aid funding to global health in 2021, €5 million is channelled to directly finance COVID-19 vaccines through COVAX. The COVAX mechanism is beginning to deliver results, with over 38 million vaccines already delivered to 106...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Pyrite Remediation Programme (23 Apr 2021)

Colm Brophy: I thank the Senator for raising this case and for the opportunity to provide an update on behalf of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage on this matter. I appreciate that the issue of defective concrete blocks is particularly emotive for households and I sympathise with all those affected by this distressing situation. The Department of Housing, Local Government and...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Pyrite Remediation Programme (23 Apr 2021)

Colm Brophy: I thank the Senator. He is correct that I will be conveying his remarks to the Minister later today. As outlined, there is a commitment to keep the issue under review.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Heritage Sites (23 Apr 2021)

Colm Brophy: Before I begin the official reply, I want to make a personal comment. As the Senator said, I know this area well as my mother's family parish is Ardfinnan. Knocklofty House is an absolute treasure. It was so disappointing to hear the description the Senator gave because, from my early earliest years as a child, going down on holidays every summer and looking out at Knocklofty House, and...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Heritage Sites (23 Apr 2021)

Colm Brophy: I will certainly ask the Minister of State to visit. If we are allowed travel, the Senator can rest assured that I will most definitely be in Ardfinnan this summer. I will call him and we can do that together. As I said, Knocklofty House is an amazing building and heritage site. It is vital to so many people in the area that a preservation order be placed on it to ensure it does not...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (5 May 2021)

Colm Brophy: Ireland remains deeply concerned by the ongoing conflict in Tigray, which has seen many people killed, injured, and displaced, and which is feeding into instability across the wider Horn of Africa region. Ireland continues to maintain the Security Council’s attention on Ethiopia, brokering a press statement on the situation in Tigray on 22 April - the first time the Council has...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Irish Aid (5 May 2021)

Colm Brophy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 343 and 344 together. My Department publishes a report on Ireland's Official Development Assistance (ODA) programme, known as Irish Aid, each year. The report includes statistical information on programme expenditure in a series of annexes which clearly show the distribution of aid, including the amounts given to developing countries, and the amounts allocated...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Covid-19 Pandemic (6 May 2021)

Colm Brophy: The response to question No. 540 of 31 March refers. My Department continues to support global efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the €50 million in Irish Aid funding to global health in 2021, €5 million is channeled to direct support to COVID-19 vaccination, including through COVAX. The COVAX mechanism is beginning to deliver results, with over 49 million vaccines...

Seanad: Good Friday Agreement: Motion (10 May 2021)

Colm Brophy: I welcome the opportunity to represent the Government and to speak in support of the motion on the Good Friday Agreement and the shared island initiative. I will not oppose the amendments. The Good Friday Agreement, signed 23 years ago last month, was both an end and a beginning. It was an end to long years of hard work and difficult compromises on all sides. It was the beginning of a new...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (11 May 2021)

Colm Brophy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 64 and 81 together. Minister Coveney covered some of these issues in an earlier reply, but for the record I would also stress my serious concern about the ongoing conflict in Tigray, which has seen many people killed, injured, and displaced, and which is feeding into instability across the Horn of Africa region. Minister Coveney Ireland set out the...