Results 1,281-1,300 of 2,771 for speaker:Colm Brophy

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Election Monitoring Missions (15 Sep 2020)

Colm Brophy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 369 and 370 together. I refer the Deputy to my responses to Questions No. 338 and No. 342 of 21 July, as well as to Question No. 453 of 8 September, in which detailed information was provided on the current membership of roster of volunteers for election observation missions. Ireland does not require volunteers selected for the election observer roster...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: United Nations (9 Sep 2020)

Colm Brophy: Ireland is a longstanding supporter of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), which provides essential services to 5.6 million registered Palestine refugees, 1.4 million of whom are in Gaza. In the context of the challenge posed by the COVID 19 pandemic, UNRWA's work in providing vital services including education, healthcare and humanitarian relief...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Policy (8 Sep 2020)

Colm Brophy: Ireland's development cooperation programme has been recognised internationally for its commitment to Least Developed Countries (LDCs). This is in line with our international development policy, A Better World, which commits Ireland to reaching the furthest behind first. The OECD's latest development cooperation Peer Review of Ireland was published earlier this year. That Peer Review...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Election Monitoring Missions (8 Sep 2020)

Colm Brophy: I refer the Deputy to the response to Parliamentary Questions No. 338 and No. 342 of 21 July in answer to which details of the members of the election observation roster were provided. That response notes that consideration was given to providing further information beyond the names of the members (including their residences) and it was not determined to be in the public interest to do so. ...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Expenditure (30 Jul 2020)

Colm Brophy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 573 and 575 together. The Irish Red Cross Society was established by the Irish Red Cross Society Order 1939 pursuant to the Red Cross Act, 1938 and is an independent charitable body corporate with full power to manage and administer its own affairs. Funding from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to the Irish Red Cross ceased in 2018 and there are...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Climate Change Policy (28 Jul 2020)

Colm Brophy: I agree that something can be done on that issue in co-operation with our fellow European countries. Contributing to climate finance is very important. In 2018, Ireland provided €80 million in international climate finance, which mostly focused on adaptation for poor countries. The majority of that money was counted within the official Department assistance and was almost entirely...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Climate Change Policy (28 Jul 2020)

Colm Brophy: As the Deputy is aware, the new Department with responsibility for climate action, communication networks and transport will lead on the Government's participation in the UN's framework for action on climate change. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is actively engaged in this process through its participation in the Irish national delegation. Members of the delegation, including...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Foreign Conflicts (28 Jul 2020)

Colm Brophy: I reiterate that arms exports is an issue for the independent state. Our main effort is towards bringing about a peace agreement in Yemen. That is what we have been working on consistently. Along with the EU and the UN, Ireland believes that is the only way to bring about a long-term, sustainable improvement in the situation of Yemen. We fully support, therefore, the efforts of the UN...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Foreign Conflicts (28 Jul 2020)

Colm Brophy: Yemen is the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with more than 24 million people in need of humanitarian assistance. The spread of Covid-19 threatens a catastrophic situation in a country where the health system has been shattered by years of conflict. Ireland is deeply concerned by this level of humanitarian suffering, and has provided over €27 million in humanitarian aid...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Foreign Conflicts (28 Jul 2020)

Colm Brophy: Ireland does not have a weapons industry and, therefore, it does not supply military weapons to any party in the conflict in Yemen. Arms exports are a national competence in the EU, as I said, but all member states are subject to a common position on arms exports. Each arms export licence must be assessed on the eight criteria I mentioned, including that the recipient country must respect...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Constitutional Amendments (28 Jul 2020)

Colm Brophy: The Government is committed to holding a referendum on extending the franchise at Presidential elections to Irish citizens living outside the State. We will shortly restore the Thirty-Ninth Amendment of the Constitution (Presidential Elections) Bill to the Dáil Order Paper.   The date for the holding of the referendum will be decided once the legislation has been approved by...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Covid-19 Pandemic (28 Jul 2020)

Colm Brophy: The COVID-19 pandemic underscores the critical need for international collaboration across the scientific community and beyond, including open communication, shared resources and coordinated actions. As Dr. Mike Ryan, Executive Director of the World Health Organization's (WHO) Health Emergencies Programme, has said, “Nobody is safe until everybody is safe.” Ireland’s...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid (28 Jul 2020)

Colm Brophy: Official Development Assistance (ODA) is an integral element of Ireland’s foreign policy. A Better World, Ireland’s policy for international development, provides a vision for Ireland’s development cooperation, including the clear commitment of the Government to direct ODA to reaching the furthest behind first.  Successive Organisation for Economic Co-operation...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (28 Jul 2020)

Colm Brophy: Ireland's strong commitment to gender equality and the elimination of gender-based violence is reflected across our foreign policy.  A Better World, Ireland’s policy for international development, sets gender equality as a key cross-cutting priority.  It commits to an overarching focus on women and girls across all our interventions and partnerships, specifically highlighting...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Sustainable Development Goals (28 Jul 2020)

Colm Brophy: My Department’s Statement of Strategy for 2021-2025, which is currently being prepared, and the relevant business plans, will continue to reflect the centrality of the SDGs and Ireland’s commitment to Agenda 2030. Ireland played a unique and central role in the process to agree Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as co-chair, alongside Kenya of the final...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (28 Jul 2020)

Colm Brophy: Yemen is the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with over 24 million people in need of humanitarian assistance. The spread of COVID-19 in the country could be catastrophic.  Ireland has provided more than €5 million in humanitarian aid to Yemen in 2020, bringing the total since 2015 to €27 million. Our 2020 contribution was provided to the UN's Country Based...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Diaspora Issues (28 Jul 2020)

Colm Brophy: The Government will publish its new Diaspora policy in 2020. Considerable preparatory work has already been undertaken, including extensive public consultations last year in Ireland and with Diaspora communities around the world.  This work is nearly finalised and the new policy will be published later this year.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Constitutional Amendments (28 Jul 2020)

Colm Brophy: The Government is committed to holding a referendum on extending the franchise at Presidential elections to Irish citizens living outside the State. We will shortly restore the Thirty-Ninth Amendment of the Constitution (Presidential Elections) Bill to the Dáil Order Paper.   The date for the holding of the referendum will be decided once the legislation has been approved by...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Election Monitoring Missions (21 Jul 2020)

Colm Brophy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 338 and 342 together. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade administers and maintains a roster of suitably skilled individuals who are available to deploy on international election observation missions organised, in the main, by the European Union (EU) and the Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of Organisation for Security and Cooperation...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Emigrant Support Services (21 Jul 2020)

Colm Brophy: The Emigrant Support Programme (ESP) provides funding to non-profit organisations and projects to support our most vulnerable emigrants overseas, to strengthen Irish communities abroad and to facilitate the development of closer and more strategic links between Ireland and the global Irish. The budget for the programme in 2020 is €12.595 million and is a demonstration of the Government...