Results 961-980 of 3,797 for speaker:Ciarán Cannon

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (13 Nov 2018)

Ciarán Cannon: I am aware of the kidnapping on Monday 5 November of 78 schoolchildren and three others in the town of Bamenda in North West Cameroon. The Government fully supports the 6 November statement of the EU calling for the schoolchildren to be freed immediately and without conditions, expressing solidarity with the families of the kidnap victims, and calling on all parties to engage in a...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (13 Nov 2018)

Ciarán Cannon: I am aware of the case of a death late last month of a US citizen in the town of Bamenda in Cameroon. The person in question had been in Cameroon for 12 days when he was shot in a crossfire between Government forces and separatist elements, part of the ongoing violence in that country relating to the desire of certain English speaking communities to secede. The circumstances of the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (13 Nov 2018)

Ciarán Cannon: ‘The Global Island: Ireland’s Foreign Policy For Changing World’ states clearly that: “We are committed to promoting the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) individuals, who continue to suffer disproportionate levels of violence and face systemic discrimination in many countries.” There is no situation in which a...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Hospital Facilities (8 Nov 2018)

Ciarán Cannon: On behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, I thank the Senator for raising this issue and for the opportunity to provide an update to the House on the planned new X-ray facility to support the expanded ED at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda. As the Senator is aware, the new emergency department is a part of the major capital infrastructure project that is taking place at Our...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Hospital Facilities (8 Nov 2018)

Ciarán Cannon: The development that is under way at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda is taking place in the context of the national development plan, under which capital funding for our health services will be 165% higher over the next ten years than it was in the last ten years. Such a commitment to capital investment in our health services marks a serious sea change. As I have outlined, the...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Human Rights (8 Nov 2018)

Ciarán Cannon: I thank the Senator for raising this important issue and giving me the opportunity to report on the steps the Government has taken and will continue to take to assist the LGBTI community in Tanzania. Ireland's support for the LGBTI community is clearly situated within a human rights framework. No one should be stigmatised or persecuted on the grounds of sexual orientation. Ireland engages...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Human Rights (8 Nov 2018)

Ciarán Cannon: I thank the Senator for his comments. The Government places the protection of human rights at the centre of our foreign policy. It pervades everything that we do in that area. Officials in my Department will continue to closely monitor the situation in Tanzania and across east Africa where we have increasing concerns about the number of restrictions being placed on free speech, freedom of...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Missing Persons (8 Nov 2018)

Ciarán Cannon: I thank the Senator for raising this issue. I am responding on behalf of the Minister for Justice and Equality who, unfortunately, cannot be present today. It is distressing when the remains of deceased persons are sometimes discovered on land often because of some construction activity or washed up on our riverbanks or coasts. I assure the Senator that the concerned State authorities make...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Missing Persons (8 Nov 2018)

Ciarán Cannon: I thank the Senator for his further comments and for sharing his concerns, which we all share, that families at some point in the future may find it difficult to determine where exactly their missing loved ones have gone. I have endeavoured to set out as best I can the response of the Minister. I assure the Senator that his Department will continue to support FSI in this important work and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (8 Nov 2018)

Ciarán Cannon: Ireland’s Foreign Policy, as outlined in the “Global Island”, is clear on this issue stating that: “We are committed to promoting the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) individuals, who continue to suffer disproportionate levels of violence and face systemic discrimination in many countries.” This sets a context for the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: UN Conferences (6 Nov 2018)

Ciarán Cannon: Ireland has a strong commitment to health and HIV and AIDS in our international development cooperation policy and programme. Our engagement in health is focused on building strong health systems, supporting immunisation and prioritising human resources for health. We consider these as critical elements of a more robust health system better equipped to tackle the challenges posed by...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Funding (6 Nov 2018)

Ciarán Cannon: The Government is strongly committed to delivering Ireland’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) programme effectively and efficiently, providing humanitarian assistance, and contributing to the fight against global poverty and hunger, both bilaterally, in partnership with other donors, with NGOs, and through working with multilateral partners such as the UN.In September 2000, world...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: International Election Monitoring (6 Nov 2018)

Ciarán Cannon: International election monitoring missions play an important role in the promotion of democracy and human rights.The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade maintains a roster of election observers for such missions. We aim to ensure that, when requested, Ireland is represented at an appropriate level on international observation missions for elections and constitutional referendums. Irish...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Ministerial Communications (24 Oct 2018)

Ciarán Cannon: I can confirm that I have not spoken recently with the Foreign Minister of South Africa, Ms Lindiwe Sisulu. While I met with a number of my counterparts during the United Nations General Assembly in September, I did not meet with Foreign Minister Sisulu, as a meeting between Ireland and South Africa was held at Head of State or Government level between the Taoiseach and President Ramaphosa....

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Election Monitoring Missions (23 Oct 2018)

Ciarán Cannon: I refer the Deputy to related parliamentary questions on this matter, Question 164 of 25 October 2017 and Question 214 of 3 October 2018. International election monitoring missions play an important role in the promotion of democracy and human rights. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade maintains a roster of election observers for such missions. Observers from the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (23 Oct 2018)

Ciarán Cannon: The promotion and protection of human rights is at the heart of Irish foreign policy. The 2015 foreign policy review, Global Island Ireland’s foreign policy for a changing world, recognises that human rights violations undermine development. Global Islandcommits the Department to promote and protect those who face persecution for defending human rights, with an explicit commitment to...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Humanitarian Aid (18 Oct 2018)

Ciarán Cannon: In December 2017, a number of international NGOs, including the NGO in question, received notification from the government of Pakistan to cease operations. This decision was appealed by the organisation. However, on 4 October 2018 the Pakistani authorities said that the appeal had been rejected and that it, along with a number of other reputable international NGOs, must cease operations...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Irish Aid (17 Oct 2018)

Ciarán Cannon: I refer the Deputy to my replies to Question 122 of Tuesday 18 September 2018 and Question 113 of Wednesday 26 September 2018 in connection with the distribution of approved grants for NGO’s. Irish Aid currently has a three-year Strategic Partnership agreement with the organisation in question, covering the period 2017-2019. The organisation in question receives one of the highest...

Criminal Justice (Victims of Crime) (Amendment) Bill 2018: Second Stage [Private Members] (16 Oct 2018)

Ciarán Cannon: The Minister of State, Deputy Stanton, and I have listened to the points raised by Deputies this evening and the Government is committed to providing greater supports and protections for victims of crime and ensuring victims are provided with all the information and assistance they need when interacting with the criminal justice system. The Minister of State, Deputy Stanton, has spoken this...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Waste Disposal (16 Oct 2018)

Ciarán Cannon: The Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment is continuing the work of developing, with a number of stakeholders, a mechanism to provide a €75 support for persons with lifelong or long-term medical incontinence to help meet the average annual cost of disposing of medical incontinence products. Unfortunately, this process has taken far longer than originally...