Results 4,741-4,760 of 15,491 for speaker:Eamon Gilmore

Leaders' Questions (21 Jun 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: As Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett said, there are 230,000 empty dwellings in the State. As I said in reply to an earlier question, the Government is working with NAMA to have houses transferred to the public system in order that they will be available for people who need them. That makes sense. If residential property is not being used and is tied up in NAMA, it makes sense to use these...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (20 Jun 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: As I have stated in reply to previous Questions, I was very pleased when agreement was reached last month following successful Egyptian mediation between the Israeli authorities and the large numbers of Palestinian prisoners who had been on hunger strike, apparently addressing a range of issues which had occasioned the protests. I have been very concerned however about two prisoners who did...

Written Answers — Passport Applications: Passport Applications (19 Jun 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: The Passports Act, 2008 broadly requires that before issuing a passport to a person, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade shall be satisfied as to the identity of each applicant and that the person is an Irish citizen. Documentary proof in respect of identity and entitlement to citizenship are required for all passport applications. These requirements are outlined in the passport...

Written Answers — Referendum Expenditure: Referendum Expenditure (19 Jun 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: Media monitoring services were provided for the duration of the Stability Treaty referendum campaign at a cost of €3,075. No public funds were spent or budgeted for research, focus groups or polling in relation to the referendum.

Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (19 Jun 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: I propose to take Questions Nos. 174 to 176, inclusive, together. The Government's approach to humanitarian assistance is set out in Irish Aid's Humanitarian Relief Policy, which identifies the primary goals of humanitarian action as saving lives, alleviating suffering and maintaining human dignity. This policy highlights Ireland's commitment to upholding the application of international...

Written Answers — State Agencies: State Agencies (19 Jun 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: There are no organisations of the type referred to by the Deputy under the auspices of my Department.

Written Answers — State Visits: State Visits (19 Jun 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: As I have previously made clear in public statements, if the Government receives an indication that the Pope wishes to travel to Ireland, the Government will be more than ready to issue a formal invitation and to welcome him here. The willingness of the Government to invite Pope Benedict to Ireland has been made very clear by our Ambassador to the Holy See in the course of his meetings with...

Written Answers — Consular Services: Consular Services (19 Jun 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: Ireland had 56 Embassies, 7 multilateral missions and 10 Consulates General and other offices overseas. In addition to their country of primary accreditation, many Ambassadors are also accredited to additional countries on a non-resident basis. There are also 94 Honorary Consuls located in 54 locations around the world which assist primarily with consular functions on behalf of my...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (19 Jun 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: The salary scales applicable to diplomatic grades are the same as those that apply to equivalent grades in the general civil service and, as such, are a matter for the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. The salaries of diplomats and other staff temporarily posted abroad are subject to Irish income tax and other statutory deductions in the same way as any Irish based civil servant....

Written Answers — Passport Applications: Passport Applications (19 Jun 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: There are approximately 35,000 passport applications in the system at present. Of these, 25,000 are applications received through the Passport Express service which attracts a ten day guaranteed turnaround. The other 10,000 are a mixture of urgent counter applications, postal applications, applications from Northern Ireland and applications from our missions around the world. I am pleased...

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (19 Jun 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: As I have indicated to the House on a number of occasions, most recently on 6 March of this year, the question of the Falkland Islands (Malvinas) has been the subject of resolutions adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations, as well as its special committee on decolonisation. In its most recent resolution, adopted on 14 June 2012, the committee expressed its regret that, despite...

Written Answers — Job Initiatives: Job Initiatives (19 Jun 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: My Department does not have a central role in the jobs initiative of May 2011 and has not raised any funds from same.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (13 Jun 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: The most recent Exchequer Statement to end May 2012 indicates that the Foreign Affairs Group (Votes 27 and 28 combined) has spent €241m so far in 2012 which is €86m less than the Department's expenditure profile as published in the Revised Estimates Volume. The shortfall from profile almost entirely arises under Vote 27 where variances are due to timing issues in relation to...

Written Answers — Departmental Offices: Departmental Offices (13 Jun 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: As indicated in the reply to Parliamentary Question No. 47 of 6 June 2012, a local recruitment process was undertaken for the engagement of temporary interns for the Permanent Representation of Ireland to the EU as part of its Presidency staffing plan. The nationalities of the 30 candidates placed on the panel are: Irish 25 Bulgarian 1 Danish 1 Finnish 1 Hungarian 1 Italian 1

Written Answers — Consular Services: Consular Services (13 Jun 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: Three additional staff, two Third Secretaries and a Clerical Officer, have been temporarily redeployed to Poland to assist the Embassy in Warsaw in providing consular services to Irish citizens during the European Football Championships.

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (13 Jun 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: I have made clear on a number of occasions the absolute horror and revulsion which all right-thinking people feel at the recent course of events in Syria and the escalating conflict which is now estimated by the UN to have claimed well over 10,000 lives in the past fifteen months. On behalf of the Government and people of Ireland, I have condemned the appalling massacre at Houla on 25-26 May...

Written Answers — Trade Agreements: Trade Agreements (13 Jun 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: The Agreement on Conformity Assessment and Acceptance of Industrial Products (ACAA) is a normal technical measure under the existing EU-Israel Association Agreement and Action Plan, and does not represent any upgrading or major change in EU-Israel trade relations. It is one of eight such agreements concluded so far with the EU's Mediterranean partners, including also Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon...

Written Answers — Public Service Remuneration: Public Service Remuneration (13 Jun 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: There were no bonuses paid by my Department to senior County Council officials, senior bank officials or senior officials in semi-State companies for the year 2011.

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (13 Jun 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: My Department is responsible for two Votes – Vote 28 (Foreign Affairs) and Vote 27 (International Cooperation). The Department necessarily works with a wide range of partners in pursuit of its strategic goals. In some cases, this involves the provision of funding to associations, organisations or other bodies. The following table sets out the number of such bodies that have received...

Written Answers — Public Sector Staff: Public Sector Staff (13 Jun 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: Details of the staff who are currently employed by my Department on fixed-term contracts are set out in the following table: Number Grade/level Area of work Duration of contract 1 Deputy Secretary OSCE Chairmanship 12 months 1 Assistant Secretary OSCE Chairmanship 24 months 1 Assistant Secretary National Archives 10 weeks 1 Assistant Secretary Passport Appeals Officer 3 years 1...