Results 14,041-14,060 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (8 Feb 2007)

Dermot Ahern: Neither the office of the UN Commission on Human Rights' Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, nor AFRI, the organisers of the event in Ireland at which the Special Rapporteur spoke, have as yet been able to provide a copy of the Special Rapporteur's speech, or an outline of the comments to which the Deputy refers. I have made clear on numerous occasions, however, that the Government,...

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (8 Feb 2007)

Dermot Ahern: The UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy, former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari, visited Belgrade and Pristina on 2 February to present his Comprehensive Proposal for the Kosovo status settlement. President Ahtisaari has indicated his intention to hold further consultations with the two parties on the Proposal during the coming weeks. My understanding is that he plans to deliver his final...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (8 Feb 2007)

Dermot Ahern: My legislative priorities for the present Dáil session are included in the Government's legislative programme as announced by the Chief Whip on 30 January. The European Communities (Amendment ) (No. 2) Bill 2006 seeks to address issues raised by the Supreme Court in two recent judgements. It has been passed by the Seanad and the Second Stage is due to be taken in the Dáil during the present...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (8 Feb 2007)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 83 and 113 together. As Deputies will be aware, I was one of only two Ministers for Foreign Affairs to attend a meeting of the European Parliament's Temporary Committee on the alleged use of European countries by the CIA for the transport and illegal detention of prisoners (the TDIP Committee). There is absolutely no suggestion in the TDIP Committee's Report...

Written Answers — Northern Ireland Issues: Northern Ireland Issues (8 Feb 2007)

Dermot Ahern: The Government's recently launched National Development Plan for the period 2007-2013 includes a comprehensive statement of Government policy on North/South co-operation. All-island collaboration is a key horizontal theme of the Plan. For the first time, the Plan contains proposals for significant Irish Government investment in North/South projects and initiatives for mutual benefit. The...

Written Answers — Northern Ireland Issues: Northern Ireland Issues (8 Feb 2007)

Dermot Ahern: I welcome the decision taken by the Sinn Féin Ard Fheis on 28 January last to support policing and the criminal justice system in Northern Ireland. As the Taoiseach stated in this House last week, this was a landmark step. I also welcome the clarity offered by the leadership of Sinn Féin since the Ard Fheis in calling on everyone to cooperate with the police, including specifically on the...

Written Answers — Passport Applications: Passport Applications (8 Feb 2007)

Dermot Ahern: In 2006 there were 677,000 applications processed and this is very much in line with the 2005 figure of 680,675. The actual figure for passports produced was approximately 630,000 in both years. Within the above figure, a total of 86,970 passports were issued in 2006 by our Embassies and Consulates abroad while some 40,000 were issued to Irish citizens in Northern Ireland.

Written Answers — Diplomatic Representation: Diplomatic Representation (8 Feb 2007)

Dermot Ahern: On 9 January last, I officially opened the Department's Crisis Centre which is located in Hainault House, 69-70 St Stephen's Green. The Crisis Centre is located in the same building as the existing Consular Assistance Section of the Department. In the event of a crisis abroad affecting Irish Citizens, the Crisis Centre can be activated within minutes during normal work times and within an...

Written Answers — Ministerial Travel: Ministerial Travel (8 Feb 2007)

Dermot Ahern: As is customary, Heads of State and of Government and Ministers for Foreign Affairs attend the opening plenary session of the UN General Assembly in September each year. In addition to addressing the Assembly, they have the opportunity to meet bilaterally and with key office holders in the United Nations itself, including with the Secretary General and the President of the General Assembly. I...

Written Answers — World Trade Negotiations: World Trade Negotiations (8 Feb 2007)

Dermot Ahern: The World Economic Forum took place in Davos, Switzerland, from 24-28 January 2007. The Taoiseach participated in a number of meetings at the Forum on 24-25 January. A number of Trade Ministers who were present at the Forum met informally on 27 January for an exchange of views on the situation in the now suspended current round of WTO negotiations, the Doha Development Agenda. As this was an...

Written Answers — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (8 Feb 2007)

Dermot Ahern: The following table sets out the number of personnel in my constituency office, their grades and remuneration: Constituency Office Grade / Position Number Remuneration Personal Assistant (non-established; based in Constituency) 1 Higher Executive Officer Standard Scale €43,445–€55, 147 Executive Officer 1 Executive Officer Standard Scale — PPC €30,027–€47,641 Clerical...

Written Answers — European Council Meetings: European Council Meetings (8 Feb 2007)

Dermot Ahern: The Council on 22 January was particularly noteworthy for three reasons. It was (a) the first held since Irish became an official and working language of the Union, (b) the first in which an intervention was made in Irish and (c) the first since the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Union. The Council considered the Commission's Annual Progress Report on the Lisbon Strategy. Ministers...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (8 Feb 2007)

Dermot Ahern: I understand from media reports that the individual referred to by the Deputy, a trade union president, has been accorded protective measures by the Government of Colombia since 2004. While I am aware of reports that a number of the protective measures previously granted by the Colombian Government to the individual in question have been withdrawn, I have no information on the involvement of...

Written Answers — Official Engagements: Official Engagements (8 Feb 2007)

Dermot Ahern: President Mubarak visited Ireland on 6-7 December 2006, the first visit ever by a Head of State of the Arab Republic of Egypt. He was accompanied by an important Ministerial delegation, including Foreign Minister Aboul Gheit and Trade and Industry Minister Rasheid. The programme for the President's visit included meetings with President McAleese and with the Taoiseach, and a Ministerial...

Written Answers — Official Engagements: Official Engagements (8 Feb 2007)

Dermot Ahern: I am currently scheduled to accompany the Taoiseach to Washington for a number of high level meetings over the St. Patrick's Day period, including with President Bush and Members of Congress. I will also participate in the traditional ceremonies at the White House and on Capitol Hill, where discussions will cover bilateral issues of mutual interest, including the peace process and immigration...

Written Answers — Military Neutrality: Military Neutrality (8 Feb 2007)

Dermot Ahern: In my interview with The Irish Times on 29 December last, I observed that Ireland's foreign policy is entering a new phase. This reflects the progress of Ireland's development, from the initial stages as a newly independent nation where our foreign policy focused on securing international recognition, through the more recent years where we have focused on securing peace and prosperity on the...

Written Answers — Northern Ireland Issues: Northern Ireland Issues (8 Feb 2007)

Dermot Ahern: The Independent Monitoring Commission confirmed in its 13th Report that efforts by some in the leadership of the UVF and UDA to move those organisations away from violence and criminality are continuing, but that progress on this front remains mixed and limited. While it is to be welcomed that the level of loyalist shootings has "continued to decline sharply" in the period of the report, and...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (8 Feb 2007)

Dermot Ahern: I presume the Deputy's question refers to the two trials currently under way of Ethiopian opposition politicians, journalists and civil society activists who were detained in early November 2005, after post election tensions resulted in violent demonstrations in June and November 2005 in which 193 civilians and six members of the security forces were killed and 834 people were injured. On 23...

Written Answers — African Union Summit: African Union Summit (8 Feb 2007)

Dermot Ahern: Ireland was represented at the African Union (AU) Summit held in Addis Ababa on 29- 30 January 2007 by the Director for Sub-Saharan Africa in the Department of Foreign Affairs. The Summit was attended by Heads of State or Government and Foreign Ministers from all AU Member States, except Eritrea. The new UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, the Palestinian Authority President Abbas, and the...

Written Answers — International Agreements: International Agreements (8 Feb 2007)

Dermot Ahern: As indicated to the House, most recently on 11 October 2006, the case for ratification of this Convention has been examined by my Department in conjunction with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, which has lead responsibility on the issue. As previously indicated, the rights of migrant workers and their families are already protected under existing national legislation and...