Results 1,401-1,420 of 1,981 for speaker:Conor Lenihan

Europe and the Developing World: Statements. (10 May 2006)

Conor Lenihan: A suspension does not provide a resolution to this issue but humanitarian and poverty focused assistance can now be delivered to the people. That is the key point rather than the theology of the issue.

Europe and the Developing World: Statements. (10 May 2006)

Conor Lenihan: I will respond to Deputy Allen's question but first I must conclude my response to Deputy O'Donnell's serious question.

Europe and the Developing World: Statements. (10 May 2006)

Conor Lenihan: Deputy Allen chose to ask questions as part of his speech. The question session has just begun and Deputy O'Donnell has posed questions in a legitimate fashion.

Europe and the Developing World: Statements. (10 May 2006)

Conor Lenihan: In fairness to her, I must respond. I can elongate my response to include a response to Deputy Allen.

Europe and the Developing World: Statements. (10 May 2006)

Conor Lenihan: I refer to Deputy O'Donnell's question about Self Help, a Carlow-based NGO that receives multi-annual funding from my Department. Some issues have been raised regarding the charity and, from my investigations, it appears the matter is a power control issue within the charity. Different members of the board have differing views and I have asked my officials to investigate and produce a report....

Europe and the Developing World: Statements. (10 May 2006)

Conor Lenihan: No, I am trying to answer a serious question.

Europe and the Developing World: Statements. (10 May 2006)

Conor Lenihan: Officials from my Department will investigate this.

Europe and the Developing World: Statements. (10 May 2006)

Conor Lenihan: The most senior official in the Irish Aid section will speak to officials from Self Help next week. The money we deploy cannot be misused for administrative costs because we control the amount that can be apportioned to such costs.

Europe and the Developing World: Statements. (10 May 2006)

Conor Lenihan: Deputy Quinn's suggestion is a fine one and I challenge the Members to devise a mechanism to exploit the undoubted talent within the Oireachtas. I refer to Deputies, Senators and those who work for political parties. These people have skills that could be used to in our aid programme. I would like a foundation entitled "The Oireachtas Foundation" to facilitate this and seek contributions from...

Europe and the Developing World: Statements. (10 May 2006)

Conor Lenihan: I will be brief.

Europe and the Developing World: Statements. (10 May 2006)

Conor Lenihan: Deputy Kitt was my predecessor as Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs. There is now much more co-ordination between agriculture, trade and development Ministers in the EU. That was very evident at Hong Kong in the private meetings, and also in some more public pronouncements. Obviously, one would hope there would be more and that we in Ireland could be more coherent. We...

Europe and the Developing World: Statements. (10 May 2006)

Conor Lenihan: Deputy Allen should feel free to break out of it.

Europe and the Developing World: Statements. (10 May 2006)

Conor Lenihan: I can give a straight answer now. There was no vote on the matter.

Europe and the Developing World: Statements. (10 May 2006)

Conor Lenihan: I admire and totally applaud the idealism from which the Deputy's concern for the people of Palestine springs. The Irish position could not be clearer. We are in favour of engagement and continue to disperse our development aid in the country. The European decision was taken for good, well-argued reasons.

Europe and the Developing World: Statements. (10 May 2006)

Conor Lenihan: The key point, as Deputies Allen and Quinn are aware, is that there was no vote. Matters at European level are generally pursued by way of consensus. I have only been in this post for two years, but I have never been in a situation where there has been a vote at a gathering of European Ministers. Deputy Allen posed some serious questions and while I wanted to respond earlier, the procedure...

Europe and the Developing World: Statements. (10 May 2006)

Conor Lenihan: I believe that refers to other donors and not to the Irish aid money. I reassure the Deputy that none of our money has been tampered with in the context of what we do on a humanitarian basis in Iraq.

Europe and the Developing World: Statements. (10 May 2006)

Conor Lenihan: I will revert to the Deputy with a detailed note on the matter so that he can be more reassured on the matter. The economic partnership agreements have, to a large extent, been misconstrued by many people in civil society and in the Dáil. The EPAs are development instruments designed to help these countries. They have not yet reached the deadline by which they are to be finished and...

Europe and the Developing World: Statements. (10 May 2006)

Conor Lenihan: To a large extent, it is not remarked upon in the literature. Our access to the Common Market allowed us to become one of the greatest and biggest trading nations on earth. Some 90% of what we produce is now exported.

Europe and the Developing World: Statements. (10 May 2006)

Conor Lenihan: Deputy Carey referred to his recent visit to Ethiopia. We will continue our operation in Tigré and will consider the regional presence of our programme in that country. We are actively considering how we can spread our aid more regionally. Tigré is our only regional involvement. As the Deputy correctly stated, the safety net project saves up to 6 million people from dying as a result of...

Europe and the Developing World: Statements. (10 May 2006)

Conor Lenihan: I do not know. It has perplexed us all that the European Union does not seem to make people aware that the money is there, or have it drawn down and disbursed. We have a good reputation in this regard but not all donors do. The European Union has been slow and we have put as much pressure as we can on the Commissioner, Mr. Michel, to disburse that money in a timely and efficient fashion....