Results 14,141-14,160 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (31 Jan 2007)

Dermot Ahern: Officials of the Chinese Embassy, in common with all diplomats accredited to Ireland, are under the Vienna Conventions obliged to respect the laws of Ireland. I am not aware of any reason to believe that the conduct of officials at the Chinese Embassy is not fully in conformity with their obligations. The Government takes seriously concerns about human rights in China, including the...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (31 Jan 2007)

Dermot Ahern: Any decision by the Canadian Government to end its annual human rights dialogue with China is a matter for the Canadian authorities and it would not be appropriate for me to comment. The EU cooperates closely with Canada in seeking to promote respect for human rights throughout the world. The EU-China Human Rights Dialogue (HRD), which was established in 1996, has served as the main forum for...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (31 Jan 2007)

Dermot Ahern: The Government has made its position very clear on this issue, both publicly and directly to the Iranian authorities. As the Deputy will be aware, I have strongly condemned a series of statements by President Ahmadinejad calling for the destruction of the State of Israel and claiming that the Holocaust is a historical fabrication. The Government, together with our EU partners, unreservedly...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (31 Jan 2007)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1032, 1041, 1042 and 1044 together. The case to which the Deputy refers relates to five Cuban citizens who were convicted in the US in 2001 on charges ranging from espionage to first degree murder. A panel of three judges from the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta overturned the 2001 convictions on 9 August 2005 and ordered a retrial based on new...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (31 Jan 2007)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1033 and 1045 together. I have consistently set out very clearly the Government's firm opposition to the use of the death penalty in all circumstances. Far from failing to condemn the execution of Saddam Hussein, I actually strongly condemned both the fact and the manner of his execution, and the subsequent grotesque posting of images on the internet....

Written Answers — Passport Applications: Passport Applications (31 Jan 2007)

Dermot Ahern: Perhaps I should first set out the background. In 2005, the Government decided that, building on the existing free transport, television licence, phone and electricity schemes for older people, passports should also be available free to persons aged 65 and over. This was warmly welcomed at the time. The reality now is that, if this attractive scheme is to work satisfactorily, there clearly...

Written Answers — Passport Applications: Passport Applications (31 Jan 2007)

Dermot Ahern: Perhaps I should first set out the background. In 2005, the Government decided that, building on the existing free transport, television licence, phone and electricity schemes for older people, passports should also be available free to persons aged 65 and over. This was warmly welcomed at the time. The reality now is that, if this attractive scheme is to work satisfactorily, there clearly...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (31 Jan 2007)

Dermot Ahern: I am deeply concerned by the situation of Falun Gong practitioners in China, including the number of documented cases of deaths in custody. Ireland, with our EU partners, takes this matter very seriously, and the situation of the Falun Gong, within our wider concerns about human rights in China, is a constant and important point of dialogue with the Chinese authorities at both bilateral and...

Written Answers — Departmental Records: Departmental Records (31 Jan 2007)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1037 and 1040 together. Under the National Archives Act, the Minister for Foreign Affairs has no involvement in determining which files should be withheld; that is entirely a matter for the authorised officer of the Department of Foreign Affairs. The Department is committed to meeting its statutory obligations in regard to its historic files under the...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (31 Jan 2007)

Dermot Ahern: The following table sets out the number of personnel in my constituency office, their grades and remuneration: 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 Officer (based in...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (31 Jan 2007)

Dermot Ahern: Press relations in the Department of Foreign Affairs generally are handled by 6 staff, as set out in the table below. I do not have a separate Ministerial press office. Grade / Position Number Remuneration Press Adviser (Non-established) 1 Principal Officer Standard Scale €80,408–€99,457 First Secretary 1 First Secretary Standard Scale €61,755–€77,003 Third Secretary 2 Third...

Written Answers — Diplomatic Representation: Diplomatic Representation (31 Jan 2007)

Dermot Ahern: Ireland was not represented at the funeral of General Pinochet.

Written Answers — Passport Applications: Passport Applications (31 Jan 2007)

Dermot Ahern: I am pleased to say that there are already effective measures in place to deal with such situations. The Passport Office in Molesworth Street, Dublin and at South Mall in Cork provide an Emergency Service whereby members of the public, who upon arrival at the airport have mislaid their passports, whose passports have been lost or stolen or who find at the last minute that they are out of...

Written Answers — Northern Ireland Issues: Northern Ireland Issues (31 Jan 2007)

Dermot Ahern: The Government has made the issue of collusion a constant theme of our discussions with the British Government. It is consistently raised by both the Taoiseach and myself, and in meetings at official level. As recently as last evening, the Taoiseach discussed the issue with Prime Minister Blair at their meeting in London. It has also been raised in all recent meetings which I have had with...

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (31 Jan 2007)

Dermot Ahern: The video the Deputy refers to was filmed by a member of a group of Irish citizens who travelled on a fact-finding visit to the Occupied Palestinian Territories in October 2006. The group was in contact with officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Representative Office in Ramallah and the Embassy in Tel Aviv during and after the visit. They have maintained contact with the...

Written Answers — Chomhfhreagras Roinne: Chomhfhreagras Roinne (31 Jan 2007)

Dermot Ahern: Braitheann an fhad a thógann sé chun freagra a thabhairt ar litir atá faighte agam ar (i) ábhar na litreach agus (ii) an méid oibre atá i gceist chun gach eolas a bhaineann leis an ábhar a fháil. Is í mo bharúil gur cuma cé acu Gaeilge nó Béarla ina n-eisítear an freagra. Deinim iarracht i gcónaí freagra a thabhairt ar chuile litir chomh tapaidh agus is féidir. Tá mé cinnte...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (31 Jan 2007)

Dermot Ahern: The Embassy in Madrid and the Consular Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs has been monitoring developments in the case of the person mentioned by the Deputy since August, 2004. The Embassy has provided consular assistance and support to him since becoming aware of his case. Subsequent to the decision of the Tribunal Constitutional court in Spain (equivalent to our Supreme Court)...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (31 Jan 2007)

Dermot Ahern: The Government has consistently been a strong supporter of the right to self-determination of the people of the territory of Western Sahara. Ireland played a prominent role in seeking a solution to the Western Sahara dispute during its term on the UN Security Council. The Government has remained closely engaged on the issue, at the United Nations and in discussions at EU level. Ireland played...

Written Answers — Irish Citizens Abroad: Irish Citizens Abroad (31 Jan 2007)

Dermot Ahern: I am very satisfied with the assurances given to us by the Bosnian authorities, including those in Medjugorje and the surrounding districts, that everything possible was done to locate the body of the person mentioned by the Deputy. A number of large scale searches were undertaken since the deceased person went missing while on a pilgrimage to Medjugorje in early September. The last such...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (31 Jan 2007)

Dermot Ahern: Within Vote 28 (Foreign Affairs) of my Department, there are no projects of sufficient size underway at present to require the engagement of personnel with formal project management qualifications. As regards Vote 29 (International Cooperation), there is a substantial number of bilateral aid programmes in operation under the aegis of Irish Aid. To help with the implementation of these...