Results 3,621-3,640 of 5,534 for speaker:Maureen O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Severe Weather Events Expenditure (28 Jan 2014)

Maureen O'Sullivan: 617. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will consider some form of compensation for those fishermen who have lost equipment, for example, lobster pots, in the recent storms;if he will further consider a scheme of compensation similar to that for the farming community for fodder when it was adversely affected by weather; and if he will make a statement on the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Inter-Country Adoptions (28 Jan 2014)

Maureen O'Sullivan: 660. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs further to last year's delegation visit by the Russian Ministry of Education and Science here, if she has clarified with Russian officials the adoption process as many prospective adoptive parents are still waiting while some are giving up due to age or frustration; if she will provide an update on the adoption situation; and if she will...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Revised) (22 Jan 2014)

Maureen O'Sullivan: May I ask a question?

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Revised) (22 Jan 2014)

Maureen O'Sullivan: When we were in Iran and met its Minister for Foreign Affairs, points were made about the need for humanitarian aid, humanitarian corridors and Iranian support for same. Interestingly, his own background is in human rights. It does not make sense that Iran, which is a main player in this regard, was invited to the peace talks but then had its invitation withdrawn. It was a pity that the...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Revised) (22 Jan 2014)

Maureen O'Sullivan: The Government representatives were keen to assure everyone we met in Tehran that it would happen.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Revised) (22 Jan 2014)

Maureen O'Sullivan: The representatives gave the impression that it would be sooner rather than later.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Revised) (22 Jan 2014)

Maureen O'Sullivan: I acknowledge that the ODA allocation has been maintained, despite the recession, but it is disappointing that we are moving further away from the aid target of 0.7% of GDP. As a member of the committee and as chairman of the Irish section of AWEPA, I have had the opportunity to visit a number of aid countries and I must compliment the work of our ambassadors and their staff and the way in...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Revised) (22 Jan 2014)

Maureen O'Sullivan: We make mandatory contributions worth €46 million to international organisations. Have we any say in how this money is allocated and is it spent in ways that are in keeping with our values? The bureaucracy of an organisation like the United Nations must give rise to massive administration costs, as opposed to money that could be given in direct aid. When we negotiate trade...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Revised) (22 Jan 2014)

Maureen O'Sullivan: Not just yet.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Revised) (22 Jan 2014)

Maureen O'Sullivan: I take it the reason the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade did not answer my question on the costs for the honorary consul in Teheran is because there is a review under way. I will wait until he has all the information on that one. There is no doubt there is increasing tension in areas in Northern Ireland. I have discussed the prisoner issue with the Tánaiste...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Revised) (22 Jan 2014)

Maureen O'Sullivan: I have a similar question. Since the number of citizens travelling abroad has increased, there are further demands on the consular service. Has the Tánaiste noticed an increase in the number of requests for assistance by those who have been forced to emigrate as opposed to those on holiday abroad? With regard to the supports for Irish emigrants, do we fund or support the emigrant...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Revised) (22 Jan 2014)

Maureen O'Sullivan: I will begin by making a point I made this time last year. The Minister, the Minister of State and all the officials are present. They are the powers that be when it comes to foreign affairs but there appears to be a huge rush to get through everything that is before us. That does not sit easy with me when we talk about parliamentary oversight. The Minister comes in and presents, and I do...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Revised) (22 Jan 2014)

Maureen O'Sullivan: Yes, but I want to make a point. How much money is spent on having an honorary consul in a country as opposed to having a small diplomatic mission? It was a narrow view not to reopen that embassy. At every meeting we attended the people expressed regret that we do not have an embassy. If we want to trade and promote relations, and Iran is a main player in the region at other levels, we...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights Issues (22 Jan 2014)

Maureen O'Sullivan: 37. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the prosecution of a person (details supplied) in Pakistan, who is sentenced to death by hanging on the basis of charges of blasphemy; if he has made representations to the Pakistani authorities in relation to this case and the general persecution of Muslims converting to Christianity,...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Diplomatic Representation (22 Jan 2014)

Maureen O'Sullivan: 38. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has made representations to British officials regarding Britain's refusal to recognise Palestine as a member of the International Criminal Court, even though it accepts that Israel is committing illegal acts in Palestinian territories, specifically in relation to settlement building, which is a war crime under the...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Banking Sector Staff Issues (22 Jan 2014)

Maureen O'Sullivan: 53. To ask the Minister for Finance the number of bank staff currently availing of lower or favourable mortgage or other loan interest rates; of those staff, the number that have been able to negotiate a write down of their debts; the total number of persons registered by the banks who had their loans, mortgage or otherwise written down; the number of those that are bank employees; what are...

Charities (Amendment) Bill 2014 [Private Members]: Second Stage (21 Jan 2014)

Maureen O'Sullivan: When James Joyce offered his book Dubliners to his London publishers, he drew attention to the "special odour of corruption" that floats over his stories. He said, "It is not my fault that the odour of ash pits and old weeds and offal hangs round my stories." While we are not assailed by the odours of offal and ash pits, we are assailed by the far more odious, offensive and pervasive odour...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Review of Foreign Affairs Policy and External Relations: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jan 2014)

Maureen O'Sullivan: It is a bit of a contradiction as we are members of the UN Human Rights Council.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Review of Foreign Affairs Policy and External Relations: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jan 2014)

Maureen O'Sullivan: That could have been his answer.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Review of Foreign Affairs Policy and External Relations: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jan 2014)

Maureen O'Sullivan: Yes.