Results 14,301-14,320 of 21,096 for speaker:Charles Flanagan

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Israeli Settlements (2 May 2017)

Charles Flanagan: Ireland and our EU partners have consistently condemned the building of illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank, and the evictions, demolitions and land seizures from Palestinians which are an integral part of that project. In my view these actions are illegal under the Geneva Convention, both because the population under occupation should be protected from such actions, and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Issues (2 May 2017)

Charles Flanagan: The group in question is supported by funding from my Department, and their work naturally helps inform our views. I have not yet seen the report in question as it is not yet available in English. The statistics for the 2015/16 period are deeply concerning, although it should be recognised that a number of these fatalities relate to the wave of attacks by individual Palestinians which...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Diaspora Issues (2 May 2017)

Charles Flanagan: In my role as Minister for the Diaspora, and in particular through my role as Chair of the Inter-departmental Committee on the Irish Abroad, which was established in the Government’s 2015 ‘Global Irish – Ireland’s Diaspora Policy’ document, I work to facilitate the cross-Governmental effort to ensure coherence in Government policy, and to see that issues...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Diaspora Issues (2 May 2017)

Charles Flanagan: The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is currently considering strategic priorities around all aspects of our engagement with the global Irish as part of the review of the implementation of the 2015 Global Irish - Ireland's Diaspora Policy. Any decisions on the future of our engagement with diaspora communities will be made on the basis of that strategic review and will be announced...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (2 May 2017)

Charles Flanagan: The large majority of passport applications are currently submitted through the post office networks on this island. This includes more than seventy post offices in Northern Ireland and more than one thousand post offices in this state. With the availability of both the online passport renewal service for adults and the An Post Passport Express service, very few applicants in Ireland are...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications Data (2 May 2017)

Charles Flanagan: Historical statistics relating to the applications in progress for a particular date in the past are not available. However, as of 27 April, there were 83,560 passport applications on hand in the Passport Service. This figure includes applications submitted both in Ireland and abroad, as well as online applications.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (2 May 2017)

Charles Flanagan: As the Deputy will be aware, there has been a surge in passport applications in recent months. Between 1 January and mid-April, over 290,000 applications were received, representing an increase of 19% over the same period last year. The Passport Service has recruited 230 Temporary Clerical Officers to respond to the seasonal demand and the more general increase in passport applications. ...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: International Agreements (2 May 2017)

Charles Flanagan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 642 to 645, inclusive, together. The Air Navigation (Foreign Military Aircraft) Order 1952, made under the Air Navigation and Transport Act 1946, gives the Minister for Foreign Affairs primary responsibility for the regulation of activity by foreign military aircraft in Ireland. Successive Ministers for Foreign Affairs have put in place strict conditions...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (2 May 2017)

Charles Flanagan: As the Deputy will be aware, there has been a surge in passport applications in recent months. Between 1 January and mid-April, over 290,000 applications were received, representing an increase of 19% over the same period last year. The average processing time for renewal applications submitted through the An Post Passport Express service is 16 working days, one day over the target 15 working...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications Data (2 May 2017)

Charles Flanagan: The Passport Service does not compile data based on country of residence but rather on application channel. Details in this regard are as follows for the period 20 April 2016 to 20 April 2017. Application Channel Number of Applications Counter Applications (Dublin & Cork) 33,131 An Post Passport Express 528,320 Northern Ireland Passport Express 80,083 Great Britain...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (2 May 2017)

Charles Flanagan: The large majority of passport applications are currently submitted through the post office networks on this island. This includes more than seventy post offices in Northern Ireland and more than one thousand post offices in this state. With the availability of both the online passport renewal service for adults and the An Post Passport Express service, very few applicants in Ireland are...

Topical Issue Debate: Syrian Conflict (13 Apr 2017)

Charles Flanagan: Deputy Wallace and I disagree on a wide range of issues in regard to foreign policy and, indeed, domestic policy but there are two issues here with which I fully agree with him. The first is that there is not, in my view, any military solution to the situation in Syria and there must be a political and diplomatic solution. Second, I share Deputy Wallace's horror at the continuing conflict...

Topical Issue Debate: Christian Community in the Middle East (13 Apr 2017)

Charles Flanagan: I thank Deputies O'Keeffe, Michael Collins and Mattie McGrath for raising this important issue. Let me reiterate in the strongest possible terms that Ireland strongly condemns all forms of persecution on the basis of religion or belief, irrespective of where they occur or who the victims are or might be. We attach great importance to combatting all forms of discrimination based on religion...

Topical Issue Debate: Syrian Conflict (13 Apr 2017)

Charles Flanagan: I welcome the opportunity to address this House on the situation in Syria once again. It is beyond doubt the greatest challenge facing the international community at present. The situation continues to be a matter of gravest concern and efforts to resolve it reflect not only the challenges internal to Syria, but wider regional and global dynamics. I was horrified by the news of last...

Topical Issue Debate: Christian Community in the Middle East (13 Apr 2017)

Charles Flanagan: I thank the Deputies for raising this important issue. There is a grim timeliness about this Topical Issue debate. It is deeply dismaying that we should need to discuss continuing violence and persecution against Christians in the Middle East as we prepare to commemorate the Easter holidays. I must begin by expressing my horror at the attacks on two Coptic churches in Egypt on Sunday, and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Ministerial Travel (13 Apr 2017)

Charles Flanagan: St. Patrick’s Day offers a unique opportunity to promote Ireland’s economic and political interests overseas, with levels of publicity and media attention unmatched by the national day of any other country. Ministerial visits around this period are organised to ensure that we use this exposure to maximise the promotion of Ireland’s trade, tourism and investment interests...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: UN Conventions (13 Apr 2017)

Charles Flanagan: The international human rights framework exists to protect and promote the human rights of all people and its advancement is a key foreign policy priority for Ireland. Ireland was among a number of countries, including all EU Member States, that co-sponsored the resolution on the rights of older persons, adopted by the Human Rights Council on 29 September 2016. The resolution aims to...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: European Council Meetings (13 Apr 2017)

Charles Flanagan: Ireland is deeply concerned by the continued discrimination, intimidation and systematic harassment of people based on their religion or belief. Ireland strongly condemns all forms of persecution on the basis of religion or belief, irrespective of where they occur and who the victims are. Our commitment to promoting freedom of religion and belief is reaffirmed in the Global Island:...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland (13 Apr 2017)

Charles Flanagan: Following the Assembly election, I spoke on 5 March with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and the Taoiseach spoke with Prime Minister May. Both Governments agreed on the need for intensive engagement to address outstanding issues and commitments to ensure the early establishment of an Executive. As co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement, both Governments have a role to play...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Undocumented Irish in the USA (13 Apr 2017)

Charles Flanagan: The Government and Ireland’s diplomatic representatives in the United States of America continue to actively monitor the situation of the undocumented Irish in the United States. We also systematically avail of opportunities to raise their situation with the US Government and Congressional representatives, pressing our case that a solution to their plight will be found. I raised...