Results 1,661-1,680 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (25 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: The Department of Foreign Affairs is responsible for two Votes, Vote 28 — Foreign Affairs and Vote 29 — International Co-operation. The Department commissions consultancies and external advice where specialised knowledge and/or skills are not available within the Department and, particularly in the case of the Development Co-operation Ireland, DCI, programme, where an independent...

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

Dermot Ahern: The amounts deducted from the salary of employees in my Department in respect of superannuation and social insurance in each of the years 2003, 2004 and 2005 are outlined in the following table: Superannuation Deductions from employees 2005 2004 2003 Superannuation 1,251,095.53 1,204,103.14 971,546.24 Purchase of Notional service 86,360.40 88,656.14 72,516.26 Pay Related...

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

Dermot Ahern: The Department of Foreign Affairs attaches the highest priority to supporting, promoting and fully implementing the Civil Service policy on harassment, sexual harassment and bullying introduced by the Department of Finance in 2000. A revised version of the policy, entitled A Positive Working Environment, came into effect in September 2005 and was, as with the earlier version, brought to the...

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

Dermot Ahern: I do not have any role whatsoever in the process or decision making in this matter. This is a matter for the Accounting Officer of my Department. Two schemes involving annual performance-related pay and bi-annual merit awards are in operation in the Department of Foreign Affairs. These are the scheme of performance-related pay awards for officers at the level of deputy secretary and assistant...

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

Dermot Ahern: The adoption of annual corporate public procurement plans by Departments is one of the recommendations of the National Public Procurement Policy Framework document issued by the Department of Finance in May 2005. The development of such a corporate plan by each Department involves the evaluation of existing approaches to procurement, the setting of targets for value for money improvements in...

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

Dermot Ahern: There are currently four bodies under the aegis of my Department: the Advisory Board for Development Co-operation Ireland; the Development Education Advisory Committee, DEAC; the Díon committee; and the Ireland — United States Commission for Educational Exchange, known as the Fulbright Commission. The Advisory Board for Development Co-operation Ireland published its annual report for 2004...

Written Answers — Freedom of Information: Freedom of Information (25 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: There are currently four bodies under the aegis of my Department: the Advisory Board for Development Co-operation Ireland; the Development Education Advisory Committee, DEAC; the Díon Committee on Emigrant Support; and the Ireland — United States Commission for Educational Exchange, known as the Fulbright Commission. The Fulbright Commission is subject to the full remit of the Freedom of...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (26 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: Under the Government's decentralisation programme, the development co-operation directorate of the Department of Foreign Affairs, currently based in Dublin, will decentralise to Limerick. This is scheduled to take place during the first quarter of 2007. Already 24 posts in the directorate, including that of director general, are filled by officers who have signalled their intention to...

Written Answers — International Agreements: International Agreements (26 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: Romania, together with Bulgaria, has signed a treaty of accession with the European Union, which is currently in the process of being ratified by EU member states. Ireland has traditionally been supportive of EU enlargement and we look forward to welcoming Romania into the European Union once the ratification and pre-accession procedures have been completed. The European Commission is...

Leaders' Questions. (31 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: Where would she go with her voucher?

Leaders' Questions. (31 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: A useless voucher.

Leaders' Questions. (31 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: We could print the money.

Written Answers — International Agreements: International Agreements (31 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 376 and 377 together. Article 29.5 of the Constitution provides that every international agreement to which the State becomes a party, except international agreements of a technical and administrative character, must be laid before Dáil Éireann. However, my Department has gone further and introduced the practice of laying all international agreements,...

Written Answers — EU Constitution: EU Constitution (31 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: Following the "No" votes in France and the Netherlands, the European Council in June of last year decided to instigate a period of reflection on the EU constitution and the future of Europe. This issue will be reviewed during the current Austrian Presidency. EU Foreign Ministers are responsible for preparing this review. The Government remains committed to the constitution and does not favour...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (31 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: The General Affairs and External Relations Council, at its meeting in Brussels on 30 January 2006 which I attended, approved the renewal of the EU's restrictive measures against Zimbabwe for a further period of 12 months, until 20 February 2007. I very much welcome this decision to renew these restrictive measures. This decision reflects the fact that there has been no progress by the Mugabe...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (31 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: Under the Government's decentralisation programme, the development co-operation directorate of my Department, which is currently based in Dublin, will decentralise to Limerick. This is scheduled to take place during the first quarter of 2007. Already, a total of 25 posts in the directorate, including that of director general, are filled by officers who have signalled their intention to...

Written Answers — Freedom of Information: Freedom of Information (31 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: The freedom of information Acts 1997 and 2003 established an independent process for consideration of freedom of information requests. As I have no role in respect of how the provisions of the Acts are applied in specific instances, it would be inappropriate for me to discuss the detail of individual requests. To do so would undermine the independence of designated decision makers and may...

Written Answers — Council of Europe Investigation: Council of Europe Investigation (31 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: Two investigations are currently under way under the aegis of the Council of Europe. The first is an investigation by Senator Dick Marty, a rapporteur appointed by the legal affairs committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. The second takes the form of a questionnaire which has been sent to all member states of the Council of Europe by the Secretary General, Mr. Terry...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (1 Feb 2006)

Dermot Ahern: Statistical information on visas issued by Irish missions abroad, the majority of which are issued under a delegated sanction arrangement with the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, is limited to the number of such visas issued by each mission. I would also refer the Deputy to the reply to a parliamentary question on this issue which the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law...

Written Answers — Undocumented Irish Emigrants: Undocumented Irish Emigrants (1 Feb 2006)

Dermot Ahern: A US congressional delegation, led by Congressman James Walsh, chairman of the friends of Ireland group in Congress, visited Ireland last month. I was pleased to meet with the delegation, which included Congressmen Brian Higgins and Tim Murphy, in Carlingford on 17 January. Our discussions covered bilateral issues of mutual interest. I took the opportunity to thank the delegation for the...