Results 8,701-8,720 of 13,254 for speaker:Seán Sherlock

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Issues (4 Nov 2014)

Seán Sherlock: The recent conflict in Gaza has had devastating humanitarian consequences. The large scale internal displacement and damage caused to infrastructure has compounded already difficult living conditions. In response to the conflict, Ireland has pledged a total of €3 million towards urgent immediate needs as well as long term recovery efforts. This support is in addition to our...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid (4 Nov 2014)

Seán Sherlock: The Government’s policy on overseas development, One World, One Future, which was launched in May 2013, underlines the important contribution that Irish volunteers make to international development. It included a commitment to establish a new Irish Aid Volunteering Initiative. The Initiative, launched in October 2013, aims to strengthen support for volunteering, from the information...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Debt Cancellation (4 Nov 2014)

Seán Sherlock: Ireland has played a strong role in international efforts to alleviate the unsustainable debt burden on some of the poorest countries. We have been to the forefront of the work globally to build a consensus on the issue of debt cancellation for the least developed countries. This has resulted in the development of a strong international framework on debt cancellation for developing...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid Oversight (4 Nov 2014)

Seán Sherlock: The Government’s aid programme, Irish Aid, is strongly focused on the fight against poverty and hunger in sub-Saharan Africa. Over 80% of Ireland’s bilateral development cooperation funding is provided to countries in sub-Saharan Africa, where maternal mortality figures remain the highest in the world. Over 20% of our funding is targeted towards strengthening the national...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Infectious Diseases Epidemic (4 Nov 2014)

Seán Sherlock: I propose to take Questions Nos. 838 and 839 together. I remain deeply concerned about the spread of the Ebola virus in West Africa and the devastating impacts it is having, particularly in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. It is clear that the spread of the disease has long-since outpaced the capacity of the three Governments to respond to it and the international community must urgently...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid (23 Oct 2014)

Seán Sherlock: The recent conflict in Gaza has had devastating humanitarian consequences, with the resulting large scale internal displacement and damage to infrastructure compounding already difficult living conditions. In response to the conflict, Ireland initially provided €500,000 to the Emergency Appeal of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in July. At...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid Expenditure (23 Oct 2014)

Seán Sherlock: The Government is strongly committed to Ireland’s overseas aid programme, which is at the heart of our foreign policy. Our policy on International Development, “One World, One Future” clearly sets out our vision for a sustainable and just world, together with our goals and areas of focus for the coming years. The policy reaffirms our commitment to achieving the UN target...

Topical Issue Debate: Ebola Crisis (21 Oct 2014)

Seán Sherlock: I can only speak for Sierra Leone. I concur absolutely with the Deputy on his remarks on the efforts of the NGOs. The work done by GOAL, Concern, Plan and other agencies is extremely effective. The Irish Government's response is that we need to be flexible in our approach and Irish Aid, which is very close to the NGO community, is being allowed to pivot towards the Ebola response. The big...

Topical Issue Debate: Ebola Crisis (21 Oct 2014)

Seán Sherlock: I thank Deputy Smith for raising this issue and I thank him for his kind words. It is appropriate to have this discussion on Ebola today, given the rapid deterioration in the situation in West Africa over the past month and with cases appearing elsewhere in the world. This debate is particularly timely, given that the Ebola crisis was discussed at the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights Issues (21 Oct 2014)

Seán Sherlock: Preventing and responding to gender-based violence is a major priority of Ireland’s programme for overseas development, Irish Aid, and is at the core of our work to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment. As set out in the Government’s Policy on International Development, One World, One Future,we regard gender-based violence as a major abuse of human rights...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid Provision (21 Oct 2014)

Seán Sherlock: For 2014, the Government’s total allocation for Official Development Assistance (ODA) is just under €600 million. Of this total, €479 million is allocated to Vote 27 – International Cooperation - managed by the Development Cooperation Division of my Department. A further estimated €120 million is allocated to ‘other ODA’. This comprises...

Financial Resolutions 2015 - Financial Resolution No. 3: General (Resumed) (15 Oct 2014)

Seán Sherlock: I reiterate what the Minister, Deputy Charles Flanagan, said in respect of our ability to maintain our commitment in respect of ODA, namely, official development assistance or overseas development aid, as it is sometimes known. In the context of the partner organisations with which we work and which operate under the auspices of Irish Aid, the cumulative figure provided shows that we have...

Financial Resolutions 2015 - Budget Statement 2015 (14 Oct 2014)

Seán Sherlock: That would mean an effective tax rate of 59%.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid Expenditure (9 Oct 2014)

Seán Sherlock: The Government is strongly committed to Ireland’s overseas aid programme, which is at the heart of our foreign policy. Our policy on International Development, “One World, One Future” clearly sets out our vision for a sustainable and just world, together with our goals and areas of focus for the coming years. The policy restates our commitment to achieving the UN target...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid Expenditure (8 Oct 2014)

Seán Sherlock: )The Government is strongly committed to Ireland’s overseas aid programme, which is at the heart of our foreign policy. Our policy on International Development, “One World, One Future” restates the Programme for Government commitment to achieving the UN target of providing 0.7% of Gross National Product (GNP) for Official Development Assistance (ODA), when economic...

Other Questions: Infectious Diseases Epidemic (7 Oct 2014)

Seán Sherlock: I request a little latitude, if I may - just 30 seconds.

Other Questions: Infectious Diseases Epidemic (7 Oct 2014)

Seán Sherlock: If Deputy Smith is talking about medical evacuations, there needs to be a greater degree of clarity such that when Irish people go out there to help in the effort, there is some degree of assurance that they can have a pathway back to the most appropriate treatment centre. The national response on this was discussed at Cabinet this morning. This will take an interdepartmental group because...

Other Questions: Infectious Diseases Epidemic (7 Oct 2014)

Seán Sherlock: We must see it in the context of where Ireland sits. Ireland is very much part of the international response which sits within the UN infrastructure where there is a special UN envoy, Mr. Anthony Banbury, who is on the ground in the three countries, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea in particular. I did not participate in the donor conference in London last week because I was in Sierra...

Other Questions: Infectious Diseases Epidemic (7 Oct 2014)

Seán Sherlock: Ireland is working directly in Sierra Leone and Liberia and internationally on a comprehensive and effective response to the ebola epidemic in west Africa.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid (7 Oct 2014)

Seán Sherlock: The Government is strongly committed to Ireland’s overseas aid programme which is at the heart of our foreign policy. “One World, One Future”, our policy on International Development, restates our Programme for Government commitment to the UN target of providing 0.7% of Gross National Product (GNP) for Official Development Assistance (ODA), and to making further...