Results 8,141-8,160 of 18,459 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Order of Business (10 Jul 2014)

Brendan Smith: It is very important.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: North South Ministerial Council (10 Jul 2014)

Brendan Smith: 31. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the cancellation of the North-South Ministerial Council meeting due to be held on 4 July 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30562/14]

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: North South Ministerial Council (10 Jul 2014)

Brendan Smith: 32. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the items that were due to be discussed at the North-South Ministerial Council Meeting due to be held on 4 July 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30564/14]

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: North South Ministerial Council (10 Jul 2014)

Brendan Smith: 33. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade when it is proposed to hold the next meeting of the North-South Ministerial Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30565/14]

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland Issues (10 Jul 2014)

Brendan Smith: 34. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the recent contacts he has had with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and with party leaders in Northern Ireland in relation to the urgent need to progress the Haass talks to a successful conclusion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30566/14]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Situation: Ambassador of Iran to Ireland (9 Jul 2014)

Brendan Smith: Unfortunately, with so much conflict elsewhere in the world, the tragedy of the Syrian crisis, with such terrible loss of life, does not get nearly as much attention as it deserves. Iran's support for President al-Assad's regime is a source of concern to us, given the regime's behaviour over the years and the horror, terror and loss of life inflicted on so many of its citizens. Could the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Situation: Ambassador of Iran to Ireland (9 Jul 2014)

Brendan Smith: I wish to follow up on a question raised by the Chairman. I understand the EU-Iran human rights dialogue was ended by Iran in 2004. If I understand the ambassador correctly, he indicated that the problem in resuming the talks is on the EU side. If that is the case, I will table parliamentary questions to identify the difficulties arising for the European Union in resuming dialogue. Human...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Situation: Ambassador of Iran to Ireland (9 Jul 2014)

Brendan Smith: I thank the ambassador for his presentation. I had an opportunity recently to meet him to be briefed on different issues. Last week, in response to a parliamentary question, the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade indicated there has been progress in the nuclear issue and Iran is engaging fully in resolving it. Is it hoped the deadline for agreement by 20 July will be...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights Issues (9 Jul 2014)

Brendan Smith: 43. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he proposes to raise at the EU Foreign Affairs Council the issues referred to in correspondence (details supplied) regarding Burma; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30300/14]

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights Issues (9 Jul 2014)

Brendan Smith: 44. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will have the issues outlined in correspondence (details supplied) regarding Burma considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30301/14]

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: UN Reform (8 Jul 2014)

Brendan Smith: 148. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the proposals he has made to the Secretary General of the United Nations to put in place new structures, given that the current structures are totally outdated and in view of the lack of effectiveness of the UN in dealing with conflict in many parts of the world and taking into account political changes over many decades; and if he will...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights Issues (8 Jul 2014)

Brendan Smith: 153. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has had recent contact with the Egyptian authorities in relation to the detention of an Irish citizen (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29812/14]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rural Transport Programme (8 Jul 2014)

Brendan Smith: 843. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of staff currently employed by the rural transport programme who will be made redundant due to the restructuring of the programme into 18 transport co-ordination units; the redundancy package that is being offered to those staff; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29917/14]

Topical Issue Debate: Education and Training Boards (3 Jul 2014)

Brendan Smith: I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I sincerely hope that the proposal from Cavan and Monaghan ETB will indeed be considered in detail and subsequently approved. It will not be acceptable to anybody in Cavan-Monaghan if we do not have our own training remit. We are fortunate that in the past two decades we have built up a very good further education structure in the area. For...

Topical Issue Debate: Education and Training Boards (3 Jul 2014)

Brendan Smith: I thank the Ceann Comhairle for giving me an opportunity to raise this important matter on Topical Issues. As the Minister of State, Deputy Cannon, will know, the Cavan and Monaghan education and training board has submitted a detailed proposal to the Department of Education and Skills in respect of the delivery of training in Cavan and Monaghan from 2015 onwards. The Dundalk training...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Support for Family Carers on the Island of Ireland: Carers' Cross-Border Consortium (3 Jul 2014)

Brendan Smith: I thank the Chairman, welcome the witnesses and compliment them on their work. They have given a detailed presentation and we should all appreciate the outstanding work done throughout the island and abroad by carers. Ms Doonan and Mr. Caughey made clear that we must support carers in the difficult work they do. Their work is often unsung and unpaid. Along with giving proper recognition...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Cross-Border Co-operation in Communications Technology: ERNACT (3 Jul 2014)

Brendan Smith: Some of the contributions made gave the impression there is no broadband anywhere. We need to balance our comments. There is a very good broadband service available in some towns and villages, but the service is patchy. I did not have the opportunity to read the announcement made yesterday, but we have had numerous initiatives over the past ten or 12 years in regard to rolling out...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Cross-Border Co-operation in Communications Technology: ERNACT (3 Jul 2014)

Brendan Smith: We have seen various initiatives, but there are still pockets of the country that have been left unprovided for. I know of some villages and towns in my county that have good broadband, but there is poor coverage just half a mile out the road from them. Some houses fall between one broadband-enabled exchange and another exchange that is not broadband-enabled. Small villages near towns...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Cross-Border Co-operation in Communications Technology: ERNACT (3 Jul 2014)

Brendan Smith: I thank the Chairman. I apologise for missing the presentation. I was attending a meeting of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade. I welcome the witnesses. I have known Ms Rena Donaghey for many years. I met some of the other delegates more recently. Their project is very interesting. When I flicked through the briefing we were given, I did not see any mention of the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Humanitarian Aid (3 Jul 2014)

Brendan Smith: 32. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if humanitarian assistance will be provided to persons in need in Iraq in view of the very difficult circumstances that have arisen due to the security situation in that country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28818/14]