Results 44,121-44,140 of 51,063 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (19 Jan 2010)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 673 and 677 together. I am aware of the case of Dr Sadok Shourou, who was re-arrested on 3 December 2008, shortly after serving nearly 18 years of a 30 year sentence for his leadership of an Islamist group allegedly attempting to overthrow the Tunisian government. NGOs who observed his original trial at the time were critical of the proceedings. I also...

Written Answers — Emigrant Supports: Emigrant Supports (19 Jan 2010)

Micheál Martin: The Irish Abroad Unit within my Department maintains a keen interest in all aspects of the Irish experience of emigration, both forced and voluntary, and has active programmes aimed at strengthening our links with Irish communities overseas; including in the United States, Canada, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, South Africa, Europe and Asia. While we have no active programme in...

Written Answers — Ethics in Public Office: Ethics in Public Office (19 Jan 2010)

Micheál Martin: As the Deputy will be aware, Ministers, Ministers of State, and Special Advisers are required to make an annual statement of registerable interests to the Standards in Public Office Commission, as set out in the Ethics in Public Office Acts 1995 and 2001. Statements of registerable interests must include any gifts of a value in excess of that set out in the Ethics in Public Office Acts...

Written Answers — Election Management System: Election Management System (19 Jan 2010)

Micheál Martin: My colleague, the Minister for Environment, Heritage and Local Government has primary responsibility for the various legislative codes dealing with the registration of electors and the conduct of elections and referendums. Policy regarding votes for non residents is dealt with by the Franchise section of that Department. The question of voting rights for Irish citizens living abroad was most...

Written Answers — Middle East Peace Process: Middle East Peace Process (19 Jan 2010)

Micheál Martin: The United States has been actively engaged in an effort to persuade the Israeli and Palestinian authorities to re-enter negotiations aimed at reaching a final status agreement within a finite timescale. Progress has been slow and difficult, but this effort has injected new life into a peace process which had been stalled. The US efforts are being conducted by Secretary of State Clinton and...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (19 Jan 2010)

Micheál Martin: I shall, of course, be responding to the correspondence to which the Deputy refers. The issue of human rights in North Korea and the plight of the ordinary people there are matters of very deep concern. While the North Korean regime continues to invest precious resources in its nuclear and military programmes, and in the welfare of its elites, the country is suffering chronic food insecurity...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (19 Jan 2010)

Micheál Martin: The following table below gives details of the number of staff in my Department in each of the years concerned. Year Number of Staff 2007 1,214 2008 1,257 2009 1,279 2010 1,276 The numbers above reflect the actual number of staff serving in my Department at Headquarters, and Departmental officers on temporary assignment abroad. They include those who work-share, but exclude...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (17 Dec 2009)

Micheál Martin: EU relations with Colombia are conducted in the framework of regional relations between the EU and the Andean Community comprising Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. In 2007, negotiations aimed at concluding a comprehensive Association Agreement between the EU and the Andean Community were formally launched. This Agreement will cover all facets of relations between the EU and these...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (17 Dec 2009)

Micheál Martin: The number of staff employed by my Department, excluding those who are locally recruited abroad, was 1332 on 1 January 2009 and 1279 on 10 December 2009. This is the number of actual staff working in the Department, including worksharing staff.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (17 Dec 2009)

Micheál Martin: The Budget 2010 statement and the Estimates for Public Services and Public Capital Programme published on 9 December provides for a total of €714 million for my Department for 2010 under Vote 28 (Foreign Affairs) and Vote 29 (International Cooperation). Under Vote 28, €56.4 million is allocated to programmes, which represents a reduction of €12.8 million on the corresponding allocation...

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (17 Dec 2009)

Micheál Martin: Relations between Armenia and Turkey have long been overshadowed by the events which resulted in the tragic deaths of very large numbers of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire more than ninety years ago. Both sides hold sharply different historical interpretations of these events. More recently, there have been signs of an improvement in this difficult relationship. I welcome the signature by...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (17 Dec 2009)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 202 to 205, inclusive, together. There are no state boards, agencies or regulatory bodies operating under the responsibility of my Department. There are however currently three bodies; two Advisory Committees and one Educational Commission, which operate under the aegis of my Department; the Development Education Advisory Committee; the Government Emigrant...

Written Answers — Passport Applications: Passport Applications (17 Dec 2009)

Micheál Martin: The person in question submitted his application for a passport having lost his first Irish passport and the vital documents which provide evidence of his citizenship. Section 7 of the Passports Act 2008 requires that before issuing a passport to a person, the Minister shall be satisfied that the person is an Irish citizen, and as to the identity of the person. The passport office is...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (16 Dec 2009)

Micheál Martin: I am aware of and share the deep concern that has been expressed at the manner in which trade union activists and human rights defenders have been treated in Colombia. Ireland, along with its EU partners, monitors the human rights situation in Colombia and raises issues including such human rights abuses with the Colombian Government through the on-going EU-Colombia dialogue on human rights...

Written Answers — Programmes for Government: Programmes for Government (16 Dec 2009)

Micheál Martin: The Programme for Government is designed to be implemented across the full range of government Departments and over a series of budgets. The current budget was prepared having full regard to the Programme for Government and is designed to implement the Programme rather than to stimulate actions additional to it. In terms of my Department's core responsibilities in implementing the Programme,...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (16 Dec 2009)

Micheál Martin: I refer the Deputy to Question No. 54, ref. PQ46864, answered yesterday by my colleague Peter Power, T.D., Minister of State with responsibility for Overseas Development:

Written Answers — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (16 Dec 2009)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 218 to 221, inclusive, together. The following table sets out the name, title and salary details of the four special advisors in my Department. The salaries are linked to the Principal Officer standard scale and will be reduced as a result of the reduction in public service pay rates as announced in last week's budget. Minister Micheál Martin, T. D. Name...

Written Answers — Irish Language: Irish Language (16 Dec 2009)

Micheál Martin: The number of reports documents and memos in my Department that have been translated by external translators since the commencement of the 30th Dáil is 22. I set out below a breakdown of the documents in question including the cost of the translation per document. Document Translation costs Application Forms and Brochure for Consular Services €734.25 Regulatory Impact...

Written Answers — Ministerial Travel: Ministerial Travel (16 Dec 2009)

Micheál Martin: As the Deputy will appreciate, Ministers serving at my Department, by the nature of its responsibilities, are obliged to undertake a significant amount of official travel overseas. In regard to official travel overseas, I have included below, in tabular form, the costs incurred on commercial flights from 2006 to date in 2009, in regard to Ministers and Ministers of States serving at my...

Order of Business (16 Dec 2009)

Micheál Martin: That is going back a long time.