Results 45,061-45,080 of 51,089 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Common Foreign and Security Policy: Common Foreign and Security Policy (27 Jan 2009)

Micheál Martin: Ireland, together with its EU partners, attaches great importance to achieving stability in the countries of the Western Balkans. The European Union's Stabilisation and Association (SAA) process provides the framework for co-operation on economic, political and legal matters and aims to bring countries closer to EU standards and principles. Stabilisation and Association Agreements have now...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (27 Jan 2009)

Micheál Martin: I remain deeply concerned about the situation in Burma. Recent events there do not suggest that the military regime is in any way planning to ease its grip on the country. Aung San Suu Kyi remains firmly under house arrest and many other activists are also incarcerated. Further political activists were jailed in November last, in some cases for up to 65 years, in what appears to be a wide...

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (27 Jan 2009)

Micheál Martin: I have been pleased to be able to report to this House on a number of occasions on the substantial improvement in security in Iraq which has taken place over the last two years. This has been achieved by a combination of enhanced activity by Iraqi and international security forces, but also by progress in internal reconciliation and political action, which we have always stressed would be...

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (27 Jan 2009)

Micheál Martin: The situation in Afghanistan remains deeply troubling. The deteriorating security environment continues to be of particular concern, especially with regard to the high number of civilian casualties and the impact it is having on reconstruction efforts and the operations of international aid agencies, including Irish non-governmental organisations working in Afghanistan. Figures released by...

Written Answers — Official Engagements: Official Engagements (27 Jan 2009)

Micheál Martin: As is customary at the start of each presidency, the Czech Foreign Minister presented its priorities to the General Affairs Council yesterday (26 January). Under an over-arching motto of "Europe Without Barriers", the Czech Presidency will focus on the Economy, Energy and the European Union in the World. The first few weeks of their EU Presidency have been dominated by major issues connected...

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (27 Jan 2009)

Micheál Martin: The situation in Zimbabwe remains dire. The country has effectively not been governed since March 2008, and after years of mismanagement and neglect, its infrastructure seems to be in terminal collapse. Inflation continues unabated, and those in power have found no better response than to print ever larger banknotes — most recently, a one hundred trillion Zimbabwe dollar note — which then...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (27 Jan 2009)

Micheál Martin: The Cabinet Committee on Aspects of International Human Rights to which the Deputy refers was established last autumn. As part of its remit, the Committee has reviewed the Programme for Government commitments in relation to our total opposition to extraordinary rendition. As requested by the Committee, the Embassy in Washington on my instructions made early contact with the transition team...

Written Answers — Nuclear Proliferation: Nuclear Proliferation (27 Jan 2009)

Micheál Martin: At its meeting on 4 November 2004, the First Committee of the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution A/C.1/59/L.34 urging the Conference on Disarmament to agree on a programme of work that included the immediate commencement of negotiations on a Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty (FMCT). The resolution was overwhelmingly approved by a recorded vote of 147 in favour to 1 against (US)...

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (27 Jan 2009)

Micheál Martin: The Mumbai attacks at the end of November were a horrific terrorist offensive against the Government of India, innocent Indian civilians and targeted foreigners. In a statement issued immediately after the attacks began, I said that terrorist atrocities such as those at Mumbai served no purpose except to kill and injure innocent victims, Indian and foreign alike, and to sow panic and...

Written Answers — Nuclear Proliferation: Nuclear Proliferation (27 Jan 2009)

Micheál Martin: Preparations for the 2010 Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) are well under way. The Preparatory Committee for the Review Conference met for two weeks in Vienna in 2007 and in Geneva in 2008 and the third meeting will take place in New York in May 2009. The aim of the preparatory cycle is to reach agreement on the agenda and modalities for the Conference in June...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (27 Jan 2009)

Micheál Martin: As my colleague, Minister of State Peter Power T.D., emphasised during an adjournment debate on this issue on 25 November 2008, Ireland is deeply concerned about displaced Roma families who are residing in camps in Northern Mitrovica, and in particular about reports that residents of these camps are exposed to high levels of lead contamination. During his visit to Kosovo on 22 December last,...

Written Answers — Arms Trade: Arms Trade (27 Jan 2009)

Micheál Martin: The value of armaments sales by EU Member States to the Middle East in recent years is as follows: 2007 — €1,550,682,825; 2006 — €1,589,178,880; 2005 — €623,675,950; 2004 — €4,097,370,574; 2003 — €301,908,646; Total — €9,162,816,875. The latest year for which statistics are available is 2007. Figures for sales by individual exporting Member States of the European...

Written Answers — Irish Language: Irish Language (27 Jan 2009)

Micheál Martin: The St. Andrews Agreement 2006 included a commitment to bring forward an Irish Language Act for Northern Ireland, reflecting on the experience in Wales and our own experience in Ireland. It also called on the incoming Northern Ireland Executive to work to enhance and protect the development of the Irish language. The British legislation giving effect to the St. Andrews Agreement included a...

Written Answers — Official Engagements: Official Engagements (27 Jan 2009)

Micheál Martin: I am committed to undertaking a number of foreign trips in the next four months. I plan to visit Syria and Lebanon in early February. The visit will provide the opportunity to meet with leading political figures and deepen and extend our political and commercial contacts in both countries. I will also be meeting with members of the Irish community in Syria, and I will also visit the UNIFIL...

Written Answers — Departmental Properties: Departmental Properties (27 Jan 2009)

Micheál Martin: The Department's headquarters, Iveagh House, is owned by the State. All of the other properties used by the Department in the State are leased. With one exception, these properties are leased by the Office of Public Works on behalf of the Department. The one property directly leased by the Department is Hospitality House in South Cumberland Street and the relevant details are as follows: ...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (27 Jan 2009)

Micheál Martin: As the Deputy will, I am sure, appreciate, I am not in a position to support individual visa applications. It is the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform rather than my own Department which has primary responsibility for visa and immigration policy. Further details as to how someone ordinarily resident in Belfast should apply for a visa are available on the website of the Irish...

Written Answers — Passport Applications: Passport Applications (27 Jan 2009)

Micheál Martin: In 2005, the Government decided that, building on the existing free transport, television licence, phone and electricity schemes for older people, passports should also be available free to persons aged 65 and over. This attractive scheme was widely and warmly welcomed. The reality is that, for a scheme such as this to work satisfactorily, there clearly has to be a fixed starting date and...

Written Answers — State Airports: State Airports (27 Jan 2009)

Micheál Martin: The Air Navigation (Foreign Military Aircraft) Order 1952 gives the Minister for Foreign Affairs primary responsibility for the regulation of activity by foreign military aircraft in Ireland. A search of my Department's records of overflight and landing requests for foreign military aircraft since 1 January 2006 has revealed no request related to traffic by foreign military aircraft of the...

Written Answers — European Council Meetings: European Council Meetings (27 Jan 2009)

Micheál Martin: No decision has been taken by the EU Council of Ministers since 2002 to reduce the number of members of the European Commission. The Treaty of Nice, which entered into force on 1 February 2003 following ratification by all Member States, provides that when the European Union consists of 27 Member States: The number of Members of the Commission shall be less than the number of Member States....

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (27 Jan 2009)

Micheál Martin: As the Deputy will appreciate, requirements for permission to enter the United States are a matter for the United States authorities. The P-1 non immigrant visa enables non-US citizens or non-US permanent residents, who are professional athletes, artists or entertainers to enter the US for a specific competition or performance. For detailed information, it would be best to contact the Visa...