Results 5,221-5,240 of 15,491 for speaker:Eamon Gilmore

Middle East Peace Process (29 Mar 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 and 36 together. I have been deeply concerned by the worrying rise in violent exchanges across the Gaza border in recent weeks and made this clear in a statement which I issued on 12 March. These exchanges have included not only Israeli air strikes against Gaza, in which 24 people are believed to have been killed, including five civilians, but also...

Middle East Peace Process (29 Mar 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: When I visited the Middle East at the end of January I met Prime Minister Netanyahu and the Israeli Foreign Minister, Avigdor Liberman, on the Israeli side and President Mahmoud Abbas and Foreign Minister, Riyadh al-Maliki, on the Palestinian side. The talks in Amman had just commenced at that stage, namely, the attempt to get things moving along the lines of the Quartet framework. Both...

Middle East Peace Process (29 Mar 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: I cannot speculate as to what was the motivation. The attacks in both directions - the terrorist attacks on Israel and the military attacks in the opposite direction - are wrong to the extent that 25 people are dead, many of them civilians. As has been said time out of number, substantive talks to get a settlement are needed. It is disappointing that the Quartet framework has not been...

Middle East Peace Process (29 Mar 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: I have been pretty clear on the attacks from both sides. We want both to end and I am glad that, as a result of the Egyptian intervention, the outbreak of violence has ended. I hope that remains the case but there is an onus on people to get talks moving again. There must be a settlement and that is why Ireland continues to press at EU and UN levels to get things moving. It is deeply...

Human Rights Issues (29 Mar 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: I met the Vice President of Colombia, Angelino Garzón, when he visited Ireland on 24 January. I conveyed the concerns of the Government of Ireland at reports of human rights abuses in Colombia. Vice President Garzón acknowledged these concerns and underlined the progress that had been made in recent years to improve the human rights situation in Colombia. During our meeting, Vice...

Human Rights Issues (29 Mar 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: We will lead from the front on this issue. As Deputy Mac Lochlainn acknowledged, we strongly argued that there should be a human rights clause in the free trade agreement. The agreement provides for a suspension or abandonment of the agreement if human rights are not honoured in Colombia. I share the concern expressed about the dangers in Colombia for trade union activists. I raised that...

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (29 Mar 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: I propose to take Questions Nos. 9, 15 and 54 together. I have on a number of occasions stated clearly my grave concerns at the deteriorating situation in Syria and condemned the unacceptable violence and repression which is now estimated to have claimed well over 8,000 lives since last March. I am particularly concerned about the urgent humanitarian needs of the civilian population in many...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (29 Mar 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 and 24 together. The Russian Federation Presidential Elections took place on 4 March and were the subject of an extensive monitoring mission conducted principally by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), together with partners from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe The...

Written Answers — Middle East Peace Process: Middle East Peace Process (29 Mar 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: As I have repeatedly stated in this House, I regard the continued expansion of settlements as the major obstacle to peace. It is an attempt to create demographic facts on the ground that will dictate the contours of any future Palestinian State. Settlement outposts are illegal under international law, and also under Israeli law. There can be no doubt that settlement outposts erected since...

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (29 Mar 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: The Government remains closely engaged at both European Union and international level in monitoring the situation in Burma and in supporting the Burmese people in their struggle for democracy and human rights. We have been encouraged by recent movements including the opening of dialogue between the Burmese Government and Aung San Suu Kyi as well as approval of the registration of her...

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (29 Mar 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: The Human Rights Council, at a Special Session on 25 February 2011, established the International Commission of Inquiry on Libya. The mandate of the Commission was "to investigate all alleged violations of international human rights law in Libya, to establish the facts and circumstances of such violations and of the crimes perpetrated and, where possible, to identify those responsible, to...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (29 Mar 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: I propose to take Questions Nos. 14 and 27 together. I have already made clear on a number of occasions, including in this House, my own deep concern and that of the Irish Government and people at the human rights situation in Bahrain. I am particularly concerned about the gravely deteriorating health of dual Danish-Bahrain citizen Mr Al-Khawaja, a leading Bahraini human rights activist and a...

Written Answers — Irish Communities Abroad: Irish Communities Abroad (29 Mar 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: I propose to take Questions Nos. 16, 31 and 55 together. The welfare of our young people who are working abroad is a very important priority for the Government. I made this clear during my visit to Canada over St Patrick's Day when I had an opportunity to meet many young Irish living and working there and where I opened a centre in Toronto which will help address their needs. There are...

Written Answers — Missing Persons: Missing Persons (29 Mar 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: The person referred to by the Deputy first came to the attention of my Department in November 2008. The family were concerned that there had been no contact from the individual and requested assistance in locating him. My Department has been providing consular assistance to the family since that time. In the weeks after the initial disappearance, the Embassy arranged a meeting, which...

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (29 Mar 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: Ireland supports the promotion of national reconciliation and accountability in Sri Lanka. It is Ireland's view and one shared by the other member States of the European Union that genuine reconciliation among all groups and communities in Sri Lanka is essential and requires justice and accountability for past events. The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), appointed in May...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (29 Mar 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: I propose to take Questions Nos. 19, 21 and 35 together. I am aware of the case referred to by the Deputies. Hana Shalabi was released last October as part of the prisoner exchange deal concluded between the Israeli government and Hamas for the release of the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. She had spent over two years in administrative detention by the time of her release. She was...

Written Answers — Diplomatic Representation: Diplomatic Representation (29 Mar 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: There are currently 58 resident Embassies in Ireland. The operation of these Embassies is regulated by the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations 1961 as transposed into Irish law by the Diplomatic and Immunities Act 1967. 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...

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (29 Mar 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: The killing of 16 Afghan civilians on 11 March this year was a shocking and tragic incident. On behalf of the Government, I extend my deepest condolences to the families of those killed and to the Afghan people. I welcome the commitment made by the US Secretary of Defence to quickly establish the facts surrounding this incident and to hold the person responsible to account. I understand...

Written Answers — Nuclear Proliferation: Nuclear Proliferation (29 Mar 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: The most recent reports of the International Atomic Energy Agency on Iran, including those issued on 8 November 2011 and 24 February 2012, have concluded that there are both strong grounds for serious concerns regarding possible military dimensions to Iran's nuclear programme and that information available indicated that Iran had carried out activities relevant to the development of a nuclear...

Written Answers — Diplomatic Representation: Diplomatic Representation (29 Mar 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: In my view the State has been very well served by the current system governing Ambassadorial appointments, which draws on the skills and professionalism of experienced, dedicated and impartial career civil servants. The maintenance of a non-politicised civil service is a principal of our system of government to which I attach considerable importance. Ireland's diplomatic service is...