Results 5,481-5,500 of 15,491 for speaker:Eamon Gilmore

Written Answers — Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe: Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (15 Mar 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: As Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, I am the Chairperson-in-Office for the duration of our Chairmanship and bear overall responsibility for the executive action of the organisation. Ireland was one of the founding States of the OSCE and we have always recognised the Organisation's vital role in maintaining peace and security in Europe. I am honoured to chair the OSCE this year and...

Written Answers — Irish Emigrants: Irish Emigrants (15 Mar 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: Since 2004, my Department has provided funding to Irish emigrants living in Britain under the Emigrant Support Programme. Prior to this Irish Government funding was referred to as the Dion fund. The emphasis of the ESP is on supporting culturally sensitive front-line welfare services, targeted at the most vulnerable members of our overseas communities. These services have made a substantive...

Written Answers — Irish Emigrants: Irish Emigrants (15 Mar 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: The Report led to the establishment of the Irish Abroad Unit within the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in 2004.This Unit has responsibility for developing Government policy towards Irish communities abroad and the wider Irish Diaspora and management of the annual Emigrant Support Programme (ESP) grant round. Since 2004, over €93m has been provided, through the Emigrant Support...

Written Answers — Departmental Properties: Departmental Properties (14 Mar 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: My Department pays the rent on one office space which it occupies in Dublin, the ground floor of Findlater House, 27 -31 Upper O'Connell Street, Dublin 1. This property is leased by the Office of Public Works (OPW) on behalf of my Department. Consequently, all matters in relation to the lease are negotiated by the OPW. The rental costs were €417,450 in 2011. The space serves as a public...

Written Answers — Official Engagements: Official Engagements (13 Mar 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: The historic State visit of Queen Elizabeth II to Ireland last year was a symbol of the modern, deep and friendly relationship between our two countries. We would hope that future high-level visits will serve to follow up on the momentum created by the Queen's visit and to reinforce the close ties between Britain and Ireland. President Higgins was in London last month and I note that...

Written Answers — Cross-Border Projects: Cross-Border Projects (13 Mar 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: I propose to take Questions Nos. 122 and 123 together. Successive PEACE programmes have made an important contribution to the social and economic well-being of the people of Northern Ireland and the border regions. The programmes have contributed towards the reinforcement of progress towards a peaceful and stable society in Northern Ireland, as well as promoting reconciliation between the...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (13 Mar 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: I propose to take Questions Nos. 124 and 125 together. The Government is concerned about the treatment of Falun Gong practitioners in China. Freedom of religious belief and expression is an issue which is discussed regularly with the Chinese authorities during both bilateral meetings and at European Union level. At these meetings, the Government re-iterates the great importance Ireland...

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (13 Mar 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: There are no semi-State companies or statutory agencies under the aegis of my Department.

Written Answers — International Agreements: International Agreements (13 Mar 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: The Government has always attached great importance to the implementation of the 1995 Resolution on a WMD free zone in the Middle East. The benefit of establishing such a zone in a region which faces so many political and security challenges is obvious. The Resolution was agreed in 1995 as part of a wider agreement which also included the indefinite extension of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation...

Written Answers — Diplomatic Representation: Diplomatic Representation (13 Mar 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: As I have previously reported to this House, the decision to close the Embassy in Tehran was taken in light of the current pressures on public finances. It followed a careful review of our overseas diplomatic missions by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade which paid particular attention to the economic return from bilateral missions. The Government remains committed to maintaining...

Written Answers — Official Engagements: Official Engagements (13 Mar 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: On two occasions last year, I held very useful meetings in New York with representatives from the Irish American Lesbian and Gay community about a range of issues of concern to them. I agreed to stay in touch regarding these matters as well as the ongoing effort to resolve issues surrounding participation by the Gay and Lesbian community in the New York St Patrick's Day Parade. As a result...

Written Answers — Public Service Staff: Public Service Staff (13 Mar 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: My Department does not have an office in County Clare. There are no State agencies under the aegis of my Department.

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (8 Mar 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: There are no State agencies, and consequently no State boards, under the aegis of my Department

Written Answers — Diplomatic Representation: Diplomatic Representation (8 Mar 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: The decision to close Ireland's Embassy to the Holy See, along with the Embassy to Iran and the Irish Development Office in Timor Leste, was made following a comprehensive review of the Mission network and against a background of the need by my Department to reduce its expenditure in the current difficult economic climate. The Government will continue to review our network of diplomatic...

Leaders' Questions (8 Mar 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: I have been informed that the management of AIB will be communicating with its employees this morning to the effect that there will be 2,500 redundancies which it hopes to achieve on a voluntary and early retirement basis. My first concern is for the employees of AIB because obviously this is upsetting news for all those who work in the bank. I understand there is a process in place whereby...

Leaders' Questions (8 Mar 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: Everybody understands that as a result of the restructuring required in the banking sector - on a day like today I do not want to get into where the fault lies for what happened in the sector; that is a matter for another day - there will have to be reductions in the numbers working in Irish banks. The Deputy mentioned October and since October the Government has been working on what we need...

Leaders' Questions (8 Mar 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: As far as the people who are losing their jobs are concerned, as we said when we launched the Pathways to Work initiative, the approach the Government is taking in respect of people who lose their jobs is that the first day a person is out work is the first day on that person's way back into work. That is why we will work with people who have lost and who are losing their jobs. In the area...

Leaders' Questions (8 Mar 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: The answer to emigration is to create jobs here and that is what the Government's entire strategy is about. The strategy involves, first, attracting investment into the country. That means we have had to restore the country's reputation to get investment back into the country. We are seeing some signs of new jobs being announced and investment being generated and returning to this country....

Leaders' Questions (8 Mar 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: There is not going to be an overnight success here and there was no back-slapping fest yesterday.

Leaders' Questions (8 Mar 2012)

Eamon Gilmore: Both the Taoiseach and I made it very clear that we have made progress, we have stabilised the economy and we are seeing some growth return to the economy. In the last quarter of last year we saw an increase, for the first time since 2007, in the number of people at work, but we are not going to exaggerate that. There is a great deal more to do to get the jobs we need in order that people...