Results 8,641-8,660 of 13,254 for speaker:Seán Sherlock

Garda Síochána (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2014: Order for Report Stage (4 Feb 2015)

Seán Sherlock: I move:That Report Stage be taken now.

Garda Síochána (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2014: Report Stage (4 Feb 2015)

Seán Sherlock: I am standing in for the Minister for Justice and Equality. The effect of the amendment would be to replace the current three-member GSOC with a single person. The Minister appreciates this is one of a set of changes to the Garda Síochána Act 2005 that has been recommended by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality. It was the view of the joint...

Seanad: Overseas Development: Statements (4 Feb 2015)

Seán Sherlock: With regard to Syria specifically, we have allocated €29 million since 2011 to the crisis there. In geopolitical terms it is a major challenge. We all acknowledge this and it is self-evident. Through our investments we have ensured we are working with the Irish NGOs on the ground, the Red Cross in particular, and the United Nations through multilateral arrangements. We are now...

Seanad: Overseas Development: Statements (4 Feb 2015)

Seán Sherlock: Just for the record, it is important that I correct that assertion utterly. I am happy to address it in my reply and I am aware that the Senator only has five minutes, but we do not tie our aid. We have an Africa strategy as well as the Africa Ireland Economic Forum. I would be happy to address the Senator's points but, for the record, we do not use our Irish Aid budget for trade promotion.

Seanad: Overseas Development: Statements (4 Feb 2015)

Seán Sherlock: I thank all of the Senators for their contributions. I will start with ODA and percentage targets. As I understand it, the targets were set in 1973. Since then, there has not been a Government that has reached them. The highest point was reached in 2008 when we hit approximately 0.59%, or a monetary figure of €920.6 million. I regard this as an apolitical space because, throughout...

Seanad: Overseas Development: Statements (4 Feb 2015)

Seán Sherlock: There are eight countries in Africa and Vietnam.

Seanad: Overseas Development: Statements (4 Feb 2015)

Seán Sherlock: I am delighted to have the opportunity to address the Seanad today at the beginning of what may turn out to be one of the most important years in world development. This year, 2015, will see international agreements on a new global development agenda, agreement on how to finance this agenda, and a legally-binding agreement on climate change. These agreements will affect all of us, but they...

Seanad: Overseas Development: Statements (4 Feb 2015)

Seán Sherlock: Will I proceed?

Seanad: Overseas Development: Statements (4 Feb 2015)

Seán Sherlock: However, before we look forward to the events of 2015, I would like to take a look back at some of the key achievements and processes of Irish Aid in the past year. Last year, the Government allocated almost €600 million to Official Development Assistance. This represents a significant investment by Ireland in building a fairer, more peaceful and more sustainable world. This...

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 Sherlock: I will take them on the next-----

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 Sherlock: I thank the Chairman for his kind remarks. With his permission, I will deal with the questions that were asked before I make my statement, as I am conscious that some people need to move on to deal with other issues. On the Palestinian question, the Minister mentioned monetary commitments of €10 million, but there is a further funding commitment in 2015 to the bilateral...

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 Sherlock: Yes - no doubt about it. Since that time, the budget for Uganda has decreased, from €21 million in 2014 to €16.2 million in 2015. An interim programme is in place for Uganda and we are considering developing a new five-year country programme. That process is ongoing as we speak. We are taking a vigilant line in Uganda. A positive result of what happened is that there has...

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 Sherlock: Vote 27 - international co-operation - covers the main elements of the Government's international development assistance programme, Irish Aid. The Vote provides the funding necessary to deliver the Department's high-level goals to contribute to the reduction of global poverty and hunger, with a particular focus on sub-Saharan Africa. We can be proud that against a background of great...

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 Sherlock: Deputy Smith is a former Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

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 Sherlock: As some of the questions are quite technical members might intervene if I miss any of the points made. In regard to the questions posed by Deputy Smith, as I understand it DAC praised Ireland for its work on policy coherence across Departments. A wide range of Departments participated in the review. Perhaps I missed something in the question articulated by the Deputy. An interdepartmental...

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 Sherlock: I know that.

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 Sherlock: I take the point the Deputy is making and I assure him that absolutely and utterly there has been a response from the Irish Government at Geneva on these issues. The danger of situations such as these is the mistakes are repeated. I reassure the committee that not only were we very responsive and we influenced the international response, and great credit is due to our embassy staff, but we...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Debt Restructuring (27 Jan 2015)

Seán Sherlock: Ireland, in common with all other EU Member States, was unable to support the UN General Assembly resolution on the modalities for the implementation of General Assembly Resolution 68/304 on the establishment of a multilateral legal framework for sovereign debt restructuring processes. The decision to vote against the Resolution was taken on the basis of its substance and the procedural...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Humanitarian Aid (22 Jan 2015)

Seán Sherlock: Ireland is playing a strong role in the international response to the Ebola crisis through the work on the ground of its embassy in Sierra Leone - it is one of very few countries that have such a bilateral relationship with that country in particular - and through its significant financial support. In 2014 alone, the Government provided more than €18 million directly and through...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Humanitarian Aid (22 Jan 2015)

Seán Sherlock: Through the Chair, I wholeheartedly agree with everything Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan has said. In fairness to the Irish response, it has been extremely influential in influencing the United Nations response. There is a United Nations mission on the ground - I was present in Freetown on the very weekend it arrived - and because of the presence of our ambassador and team on the ground, as well...