Results 44,281-44,300 of 51,072 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (18 Nov 2009)

Micheál Martin: As I have stated on many occasions in this House, the situation in Burma/Myanmar has long been one of grave concern to the Government. The Rohingya ethnic group is one of the many ethnic groups which have been severely affected by the brutal policies of the Myanmar military regime. The situation of the Muslim Rohingyas is, however, even more difficult than that of other ethnic groups in...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (18 Nov 2009)

Micheál Martin: Although there have been reports over a number of years of secret prisons operating in China, international interest in such places of detention has greatly increased since the publication on 11 November by Human Rights Watch of a report entitled An Alleyway in Hell, China's Abusive "Black Jails". The report contains allegations that Chinese government officials, security forces, and their...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Equipment: Defence Forces Equipment (18 Nov 2009)

Micheál Martin: The purchase of equipment for the Permanent Defence Forces is a matter for the Minister for Defence. The Government's views on the illegality of the route of the Separation Wall, as confirmed in the 2004 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, are well known.

Written Answers — Diplomatic Relations: Diplomatic Relations (18 Nov 2009)

Micheál Martin: Syria is a key actor in the Middle East region and has increasingly demonstrated a willingness to play a more positive role in the peace process. This was certainly the strong impression I formed when visiting Syria last February where I met with President Assad, Prime Minister Al-Dardari and Foreign Minister Muallem. In my meetings, I encouraged President Assad and his government to use any...

Written Answers — Northern Ireland Issues: Northern Ireland Issues (18 Nov 2009)

Micheál Martin: The Government continues to liaise closely with British Government counterparts to encourage the parties in Northern Ireland to complete the transfer of policing and justice powers as soon as possible. As I said in my address to Seanad Éireann on 3 November, the devolution of these powers to the Assembly and Executive would demonstrate to the wider world that Northern Ireland is a...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (18 Nov 2009)

Micheál Martin: I refer the Deputy to the answer given to PQ 40584 on 10 November 2009, as outlined below. The Irish United Nations Association (IUNA) is a non-governmental organisation based in Dublin whose objectives are to promote the aims and activities of the United Nations and its specialised agencies in Ireland. IUNA has received funding from the Department of Foreign Affairs since 1972. In addition...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (18 Nov 2009)

Micheál Martin: The situation in Zimbabwe continues to be of great concern to the Government and to the European Union as a whole. I am gravely concerned by reports of continuing human rights violations, arbitrary arrests, torture of prisoners and abuse of the rule of law. Recent media reports of widespread physical and sexual abuse of children, which would appear to be the basis of the Deputy's question,...

Written Answers — EU Enlargement: EU Enlargement (18 Nov 2009)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 104 and 105 together. Turkey has had a perspective towards membership of the European Union since the conclusion of the Association Agreement of 1963. Negotiations on accession commenced in 2005 and are proceeding, albeit at a slow pace, on ten chapters of the accession framework. The Science and Research Chapter was provisionally closed in June 2006. The...

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (18 Nov 2009)

Micheál Martin: The Government is greatly concerned by recent events in the Republic of Guinea, notably the violent crackdown by security forces on political demonstrations in Conakry on 28 September 2009. There, the armed forces opened fire on a crowd of unarmed protestors, killing 150 and injuring over a thousand. In the days following, there were reports of widespread rape and looting by soldiers. While...

Written Answers — Diplomatic Representation: Diplomatic Representation (18 Nov 2009)

Micheál Martin: Privileges and immunities of accredited diplomatic agents in Ireland are governed by the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 1963, as incorporated into Irish law, by the Diplomatic Relations and Immunities Act of 1967 and as amended by the Diplomatic Relations and Immunities Act of 1976. My Department expects all those...

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (18 Nov 2009)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 111, 118 and 227 together. Successive Irish Governments over many years have afforded a high priority to efforts to resolve the long-running Middle East conflict, and that continues to be the case. We will support any efforts by Israeli, Palestinian and Arab leaders to negotiate an agreed solution to their mutual differences, and seek to mobilise and encourage...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (18 Nov 2009)

Micheál Martin: As I have stated in this House on many occasions, I deplore the fact that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has been in detention for more than 14 of the last 20 years and that she was sentenced in August to a further 18 months of house arrest, following her conviction on the most spurious of charges. Ireland, and the EU more broadly have for many years called for her release and we will continue to do...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (18 Nov 2009)

Micheál Martin: I refer the Deputy to the statement made by An Taoiseach in the Dáil on 1 April last after the visit he and I made to Washington over the St Patrick's Day period. In response to a question as to whether he had raised the matter of Extraordinary Rendition with President Obama, he referred to the assurances received from the US that Ireland was not being used by the US as a transit point for...

Written Answers — Global Irish Economic Forum: Global Irish Economic Forum (18 Nov 2009)

Micheál Martin: The Global Irish Economic Forum took place in Farmleigh over the weekend of the 18-20 September. The Forum was convened by the Government with two broad objectives: to explore how the Irish at home and abroad, and those with a strong interest in Ireland, could work together and contribute to our overall efforts at economic recovery; and to examine ways in which Ireland and its global...

Written Answers — Statutory Instruments: Statutory Instruments (18 Nov 2009)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 214 and 215 together. There are no State agencies operating under the aegis of my Department. There is a list of all statutory instruments brought by my Department from 1935 to date available at the following link of my Department's website. http://www.dfa.ie/home/index.aspx?id=3034#instruments Details of all statutory instruments, together with details of...

Written Answers — European Economic Policies: European Economic Policies (18 Nov 2009)

Micheál Martin: The coming year will be an important one for the Common Agricultural Policy, the Common Fisheries Policy, and for the World Trade Organisation negotiations. The European Commission is expected to bring forward a formal communication in mid 2010 on the future of the CAP. In addition, the consultative process on reform of the CFP is expected to be finalised around the same time. As regards WTO...

Written Answers — Commodity Markets: Commodity Markets (18 Nov 2009)

Micheál Martin: Commodity prices clearly impact on all of us, not least in the energy area, where market speculation is considered to be one of the factors which contributed to the volatile prices that we saw in 2008. Volatility in wholesale energy prices has been a cause for considerable concern for the EU Commission and the International Energy Agency (IEA). As a member of the IEA, Ireland has access to a...

Written Answers — EU External Relations: EU External Relations (18 Nov 2009)

Micheál Martin: Russia is an important strategic partner for the EU, particularly in terms of trade, energy and the Common Neighbourhood. Trade and investment between the EU and Russia have grown substantially. The EU is Russia's largest trading partner while Russia is now the EU's third biggest trading partner. Negotiations are currently underway between the EU and Russia on a new agreement to replace the...

Written Answers — EU Defence Policy: EU Defence Policy (18 Nov 2009)

Micheál Martin: As the Deputy will be aware, the European Union's security and defence policy, ESDP, has developed as the operational arm of the Union's common foreign and security policy (CFSP) and is primarily intended to help prevent conflict overseas and to strengthen security and stability in regions such as the Balkans, the Middle East, Africa and Afghanistan. As reflected in the Ministerial...

Written Answers — European External Relations: European External Relations (18 Nov 2009)

Micheál Martin: Together with its EU partners, Ireland attaches considerable importance to achieving stability in the countries of the Western Balkans, which were recognised as having a perspective towards EU membership by the European Council at Thessaloniki in 2003. The European Union's Stabilisation and Association process provides the framework for co-operation on economic, political and legal matters...