Results 5,781-5,800 of 8,652 for speaker:Seán Crowe

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: National Flag (3 Feb 2015)

Seán Crowe: 496. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if the flag over his Department's building was flown at half mast on 23 January 2015 to mark the death of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia; and if his Department requested that other Department buildings do the same. [4518/15]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Work Programme 2015: European Commission Representation in Ireland (29 Jan 2015)

Seán Crowe: I welcome the representatives. The Chairman has asked us to be fairly sharp in our questioning. We were told the Commission would be more political. As evidence of that, it has been described as the last chance Commission for bringing European Union citizens closer to Europe or we will fail, according to President Jean-Claude Juncker. Recently there was interference in the Greek elections...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Work Programme 2015: European Commission Representation in Ireland (29 Jan 2015)

Seán Crowe: I can do so if the Deputy wishes. We have had difficulties before with this herd mentality and people all thought the same about issues. There was criticism of that following the banking crisis, for example. Ms McGuinness, MEP, is in an important role relating to communications and it would be useful to have that conversation at some stage within this committee. In private session we...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (Revised) (28 Jan 2015)

Seán Crowe: I welcome the Minister, the Ministers of State and staff from the Department.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (Revised) (28 Jan 2015)

Seán Crowe: It would be remiss of us if we did not mention the fact that a UN soldier has been killed in the Golan Heights. It is important that we extend our sympathy to the family of the Spanish soldier involved. When the news first broke everyone was worried an Irish soldier had been killed but a family has suffered a loss.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (Revised) (28 Jan 2015)

Seán Crowe: Perhaps it is.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (Revised) (28 Jan 2015)

Seán Crowe: Is the Vice Chairman finished?

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (Revised) (28 Jan 2015)

Seán Crowe: I ask him to give me a bit of leeway. I do not understand the idea of dealing with Vote 28 first instead of Vote 27. As I mentioned to the previous Minister, we are supposed to scrutinise the programme. I am not criticising the Department's staff but we need to look at the measure again. This is not a matter for today but I want the Minister to comment. We are keen to look at the...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (Revised) (28 Jan 2015)

Seán Crowe: My queries were about international matters.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (Revised) (28 Jan 2015)

Seán Crowe: I asked about Cuba. Are there plans to undertake a trade mission there in the future?

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (Revised) (28 Jan 2015)

Seán Crowe: I notice there is an increase in pay of €4.7 million and an increase in non-pay costs of €4 million. This falls under the category of administration. Perhaps the Minister will expand on that. Like other members, I welcome the new passport card. How much will it cost and when will people be able to receive it? What is the thinking behind the card? What is the difference...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (Revised) (28 Jan 2015)

Seán Crowe: I welcome the fact that the Government is now giving €5 million to the board of the International Fund for Ireland to move its strategy forward. One of the major concerns in recent years has been the increase in sectarianism. Much of the funding goes to those interface areas and cross-party and cross-community work that is so important. With regard to shared spaces where it is safe...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (Revised) (28 Jan 2015)

Seán Crowe: When does the Government plan to finalise and release Ireland's national plan on business and human rights? The Minister mentioned the unpredictability of demands in relation to the UN, but have there been any demands in relation to Irish peace-keepers abroad in 2015? Has there been any increase? There is a €5.6 million decrease in D.3, contribution to international organisations....

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (Revised) (28 Jan 2015)

Seán Crowe: The big question arising in regard to Colombia is how the clauses built into an agreement are triggered when breaches occur. The difficulty is that there is no mechanism within any of the agreements which render them null and void when breaches occur. I welcome that there has been no reduction in the gross allocation to overseas development aid, ODA. I welcome also that only 6% of the...

Free Trade Agreements between the European Union and Columbia and Peru: Motion (28 Jan 2015)

Seán Crowe: We did not say that. We are seeking the opportunity to revisit the matter.

Free Trade Agreements between the European Union and Columbia and Peru: Motion (28 Jan 2015)

Seán Crowe: Yes, in Israel.

Free Trade Agreements between the European Union and Columbia and Peru: Motion (28 Jan 2015)

Seán Crowe: Sinn Féin opposes the timing, the content and the lack of viable human rights safeguards and mechanisms within this agreement. The human rights provisions are not strong enough, and an oversight mechanism will not deliver the necessary safeguards needed in that country. Anti-trade union violence has directly led to the deaths of almost 3,000 trade union activists over the past 25...

Free Trade Agreements between the European Union and Columbia and Peru: Motion (28 Jan 2015)

Seán Crowe: Colombia must regulate and transform society in favour of its civilian population if it is to be able to bring about a peaceful resolution to the conflict that has bedevilled the people in that country. Approximately 6 million people have been displaced. The key to the conflict is land rights, but it is also about human rights. Anyone who has visited the courts in Colombia can articulate...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (28 Jan 2015)

Seán Crowe: 106. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to recent protests in Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, that the protests are in opposition to proposed legal reform to keep President Joseph Kabila in power, that the security services are reported to have killed more than 40 political protesters; and if he will make a statement on the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights Issues (28 Jan 2015)

Seán Crowe: 107. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the case of Abdallah Abu Rahme, a Palestinian human rights activist and advocate of non-violent protest, that Catherine Ashton recognised him as a Human Rights Defender in 2010 and the Elders called for his immediate release, calling him a prisoner of conscience, that he is due to stand trial in an...