Results 2,501-2,520 of 11,290 for speaker:Matt Carthy

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (1 Feb 2024)

Matt Carthy: From previous years. Okay. I am happy to allow others to come in if the Cathaoirleach can let me back in.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (1 Feb 2024)

Matt Carthy: They might be more understandable if they were speaking French.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (1 Feb 2024)

Matt Carthy: I take it we can ask questions across both Votes. I have fewer questions in this instance. I agree with the Tánaiste that the actions of a number of states to withdraw or suspend funding to UNRWA is indefensible. I welcome his stated position that the Government will not be party to any such action. My questions are twofold. When looking at states that have withdrawn funding from...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (1 Feb 2024)

Matt Carthy: I am convinced that an increased allocation from Ireland would have broad if not unanimous support in the Houses and would send a strong message.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (1 Feb 2024)

Matt Carthy: During the year we had a number of discussions on the International Criminal Court and the particular investigation. I will not go into the politics of Ireland joining or not. One of the responses by the Government was to make an increased contribution to the court. There has been quite an amount of criticism of the prosecutor for what is perceived to be slowness in the approach to the...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (1 Feb 2024)

Matt Carthy: Was that ring-fenced for the specific purpose?

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (1 Feb 2024)

Matt Carthy: Okay.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (1 Feb 2024)

Matt Carthy: It is going back to 2014 and there has been no ruling. The Ukrainian case, for example is 2021 and-----

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (1 Feb 2024)

Matt Carthy: I am not suggesting any interference. I am seeking an update in terms of the timeline as the prosecutor will set it. I think the committee requested an update from the prosecutor. I mentioned it at a meeting but I am not sure if I made a formal request that we would do so. I think it is entirely appropriate. In the absence of definitive rulings from the international courts, the...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (1 Feb 2024)

Matt Carthy: I understand there is a preclusion on publishing the written submission which Ireland has made to the ICJ advisory opinion case. Is that the case?

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (1 Feb 2024)

Matt Carthy: Which is it?

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (1 Feb 2024)

Matt Carthy: I take it the Attorney General's verbal intervention will be based on the written submission?

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (1 Feb 2024)

Matt Carthy: I want to move on because it is getting late. Regarding new diplomatic missions, despite the fact that a number of new embassies and consulates have been opened in recent years, we are still under represented in different parts of the world, either by having no representation or a very small presence. I have raised this issue a number of times. I was in Australia over the summer. It is...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (1 Feb 2024)

Matt Carthy: I will not raise again the issue a couple of summers ago of one particular envoy but the Minister has managed to raise the memory for me.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (1 Feb 2024)

Matt Carthy: Whether the Tánaiste was in this Department or not, he was certainly around the Cabinet table, if not heading it, if I remember correctly. Is the use of envoys something which has been quietly pushed to one side or is it something the Government is considering for either geographical regions or for particular political purposes into the future?

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (1 Feb 2024)

Matt Carthy: Neither do I, by the way.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (1 Feb 2024)

Matt Carthy: No.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (1 Feb 2024)

Matt Carthy: That is the point I was making. I said I would not revisit the case with the former Minister-----

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (1 Feb 2024)

Matt Carthy: -----but I do not actually think that we should rule out envoys for specific purposes into the future because we have a very rigid format which works well in how ambassadors and consuls are appointed compared to many other countries. They are not political appointments and that is correct-----

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (1 Feb 2024)

Matt Carthy: -----but there might be a rationale at different points in time to have envoys to the North Americas, the South Americas or wherever, and to have a broader strategic overview than that of a specific envoy.