Results 881-900 of 4,092 for speaker:Michael D Higgins
- Humanitarian Aid. (18 Nov 2009)
Michael D Higgins: I had the privilege of meeting Dr. EllacurÃa when I visited El Salvador in 1981, eight years before his murder. He, his five Jesuit colleagues, their housekeeper and her daughter were savagely murdered, principally because they had adopted the option for the poor and were organising in the poorest districts of El Salvador. My question refers to the 20th anniversary of the killings, which...
- Humanitarian Aid. (18 Nov 2009)
Michael D Higgins: I thank the Minister of State for his response. I am anxious that he would confirm after the meeting in New York when the needs assessment has been done that the Government will be open to making such small grant as might be available to make a quick response, rather like it did before.
- Diplomatic Representation. (18 Nov 2009)
Michael D Higgins: Did the Minister have substantive discussions on the position of the out of status Irish in the United States? With regard to the conclusions of the Farmleigh conference, which I attended, has there been a follow through on the proposals for a space at Silicon Valley for young Irish entrepreneurs? In addition, there is the issue of niche marketing and identifying the diaspora across...
- Foreign Conflicts. (18 Nov 2009)
Michael D Higgins: Are there not lessons to be learned from the situation in Afghanistan about the non-applicability of concepts like governance that are defined in a totally western way? There is a curious resonance in these answers to the reaction to the invasion of Iraq, which was justified by the invading administration as the establishment of an island of democracy in a sea of non-democratic structures....
- Foreign Conflicts. (18 Nov 2009)
Michael D Higgins: That would be as bad as the Ba'ath Party.
- Overseas Development Aid. (18 Nov 2009)
Michael D Higgins: As regards what has just been aired, I agree entirely with both Deputy Deasy and the Minister of State that the quicker this is brought to a conclusion, the better. This is in nobody's interest, and neither is it in anybody's interest that any particular organisation should be allowed to present its case in preference to others. Each will have developed its own level of expertise over time....
- Overseas Development Aid. (18 Nov 2009)
Michael D Higgins: This matter must be co-ordinated with the Department of Social and Family Affairs.
- European Union Appointments. (18 Nov 2009)
Michael D Higgins: Irish language speakers.
- Middle East Peace Process. (18 Nov 2009)
Michael D Higgins: The Government has a principled position on this.
- Overseas Development Aid. (18 Nov 2009)
Michael D Higgins: Question 48: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if, in view of the 25% reduction in overseas development aid spending over the past 12 months and the consequences from this which have flown to the poorest of the poor, he is in a position to confirm that there will be no further cuts and that Ireland will honour its commitment to reach the UN target of 0.7% of GDP by 2012. [42162/09]
- Overseas Development Aid. (18 Nov 2009)
Michael D Higgins: I have heard this presentation before. When Ireland made its international commitment on overseas development aid we had a moral yardstick. We were complimented on our willingness to achieve 0.7% even if the economic circumstances reversed. We basked in that compliment. Now we are comparing ourselves to others who have reduced their commitment. The fickleness of that is not lost on me....
- Overseas Development Aid. (18 Nov 2009)
Michael D Higgins: I can see that the Minister of State is migrating his speeches on finance into the foreign affairs area, which is a great pity. What has damaged us is the year-on-year deficit of the past two years, which was â¬10.8 billion. Of that sum, â¬4 billion went into Ango-Irish Bank. If the Minister asked the public to choose between meeting our target for overseas development aid and bailing...
- Overseas Development Aid. (18 Nov 2009)
Michael D Higgins: The Minister of State brought up this question.
- Overseas Development Aid. (18 Nov 2009)
Michael D Higgins: An acceptable and transparent one.
- Overseas Development Aid. (18 Nov 2009)
Michael D Higgins: I am not suggesting that we can.
- Overseas Development Aid. (18 Nov 2009)
Michael D Higgins: We can have both if we have clean banking and a clean development programme.
- Overseas Development Aid. (18 Nov 2009)
Michael D Higgins: Yes, we do.
- Humanitarian Aid. (18 Nov 2009)
Michael D Higgins: Question 50: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he acknowledges that the most appropriate way of marking the 20th anniversary of the murder of six Jesuits, their housekeeper and her daughter in El Salvador by anti-democratic forces, is for him to respond generously to the loss of life and homes of some of the poorest people in EL Salvador as a result of Hurricane Ida. [42163/09]
- Written Answers — Rural Transport: Rural Transport (17 Nov 2009)
Michael D Higgins: Question 98: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the position regarding the rural transport project funded by his Department; if he has made a decision on continued funding of this project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41624/09]
- Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (17 Nov 2009)
Michael D Higgins: Question 84: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the cost to date of the proposed decentralisation programme for his Department; the position regarding staffing levels that have decentralised; the efficiency of these changes to the workings of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41625/09]