Results 14,521-14,540 of 21,096 for speaker:Charles Flanagan

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Issues (28 Feb 2017)

Charles Flanagan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 464, 465, 470 and 471 together. The Bedouin community of Khan al Ahmar has been under demolition orders for some years, although there has also been an injunction on execution of these orders. The issuing of 42 new Stop Work orders, and military activity in the area, has given rise to fears that a mass eviction and demolition action against the village was...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Living Wage (28 Feb 2017)

Charles Flanagan: The remuneration of the staff of my Department is as sanctioned by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in line with Government policy. It is difficult to estimate the potential cost of introducing an hourly rate of €11.50 per hour for all employees of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade as the Department recruits a large number of temporary clerical staff on a...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Issues (28 Feb 2017)

Charles Flanagan: I refer the Deputy to my reply to Question No. 29 on 22 February, which was as follows:The two state solution to the conflict between Israel and its Palestinian and Arab neighbours has been espoused by a consensus of the international community, and been supported by public opinion and responsible leaders in both Israeli and Palestinian society, for many years. This support has been based on...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Legal Proceedings (28 Feb 2017)

Charles Flanagan: US President Donald Trump has been publicly quoted since his inauguration in January 2017 as intending to undertake a comprehensive review of the US tax code. However, as yet, no details of a potential reform package have been formally announced by the US Administration. Any reform would have to be agreed by the Administration with both Houses of the US Congress. In the absence of any...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Diaspora Issues (28 Feb 2017)

Charles Flanagan: The Interdepartmental Committee on the Irish Abroad was set up following the publication of Global Irish – Ireland’s Diaspora Policy, in March 2015. The Committee, with participation from external stakeholders and Irish embassies and consulates as required, seeks to ensure that Government works in a joined-up way to realise the objectives of the diaspora strategy. The...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (23 Feb 2017)

Charles Flanagan: The Passport Service issued 733,060 passports in 2016. This represented an increase of over 9% on the previous year. We expect the number of passport applications to continue increasing throughout 2017. The increase in demand is driven by a number of factors including a general increase in the number of Irish residents travelling abroad, a growing population, as well as a significant rise...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Israeli Settlements (23 Feb 2017)

Charles Flanagan: I have consistently argued at EU and international level that, in addition to the obvious priority of encouraging negotiations to reach a peace agreement, there needs to be a strong international focus on the unjust and damaging policies being carried out by the Israeli occupation administration, which are deeply provocative and threaten to make impossible any future negotiations. Ireland...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (23 Feb 2017)

Charles Flanagan: I refer the Deputy to my replies to Questions 29 and 33 in the oral Parliamentary Question session yesterday, which dealt with the position of the US Government and the issue of recognition. Ireland and our EU partners have made clear, and will continue to make clear, our continuing full support for a two state solution in the Middle East. The strong international consensus in favour of this...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: International Agreements (23 Feb 2017)

Charles Flanagan: In the margins of the Foreign affairs Council on 12 December 2016 I joined my fellow EU foreign ministers and the Cuban Minister for Foreign Affairs in signing the EU-Cuba Agreement on Political Dialogue and Cooperation. This is the first such agreement between the EU and Cuba. Its signature marks a further positive step forward in relations between Cuba and the EU, which have improved...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Records (23 Feb 2017)

Charles Flanagan: The main file store and Departmental Archive is located in premises in North Co. Dublin. Part of the duties of staff based there is the retrieval and return of hardcopy files stored at that premises. The related costs are set out below: Year Cost 2014 €2,850 2015 €2,610 2016 €2,860 As part of the phased implementation of the 20 Year Rule in relation to the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Records (23 Feb 2017)

Charles Flanagan: My Department has not incurred costs on the storage of corporate data on third party or cloud servers. I am aware of the benefits offered by cloud computing and any future activity in this area will be guided by the Public Service ICT Strategy.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Regulatory Impact Assessment Data (23 Feb 2017)

Charles Flanagan: The Regulatory Impact Assessment in relation to the Diplomatic Relations (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill is available on my Department’s website at . The other recent relevant legislation originating from my Department is the Protection of Cultural Property in the event of Armed Conflict (Hague Convention) Bill. As the purpose of this Bill is to enable adherence by the State to...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Staff Data (23 Feb 2017)

Charles Flanagan: There is one such case in my Department. There are no State agencies under the aegis of my Department.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Other Questions (Resumed): Undocumented Irish in the USA (22 Feb 2017)

Charles Flanagan: I assure Deputy Darragh O'Brien that the Government continues to offer active and comprehensive support to Irish communities abroad, particularly in the United States of America, where many emigrant support groups provide assistance to the large Irish community there. Issues relating to Irish people who are undocumented and whose status has not been regularised feature strongly in our...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Other Questions (Resumed): Israeli Settlements (22 Feb 2017)

Charles Flanagan: There are several issues on which we can continue to engage but working with our partners in the EU is the most direct and important way to exercise real and lasting influence. The EU has taken several actions to differentiate clearly between Israel and the illegal Israeli settlements. I point to a ban on EU research funding going to settlements, to not accepting Israeli certification for...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Other Questions (Resumed): Israeli Settlements (22 Feb 2017)

Charles Flanagan: I have to be frank and say no, I do not envisage a situation in the near future where the EU will introduce the type of ban the Deputy speaks about. It is not possible to reach agreement on that. There are other areas upon which we can reach agreement with particular reference to the settlements. We will continue to engage at EU and international conference level, and I refer to the Paris...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Other Questions (Resumed): Undocumented Irish in the USA (22 Feb 2017)

Charles Flanagan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 31, 40, 41, 58 and 61 together. As I made clear in my statement of 29 January 2017 concerning the executive order signed by President Trump on 27 January last, while US immigration policy is a matter for the US authorities, it is clear that this decision could have far-reaching implications – both on humanitarian grounds and on relations between the...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Other Questions (Resumed): Middle East Peace Process (22 Feb 2017)

Charles Flanagan: The two-state solution to the conflict between Israel and its Palestinian and Arab neighbours has been espoused by a consensus of the international community and supported by public opinion and responsible leaders in both Israeli and Palestinian society for many years. This support has been based on clear reasoning and analysis of the various options and alternatives, and these reasons...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Other Questions (Resumed): Middle East Peace Process (22 Feb 2017)

Charles Flanagan: The new US Administration of President Trump is very much in its infancy. It has not yet made clear its intentions on the matter of the Middle East peace process. There seems to be a degree of thinking aloud going on, which, in the circumstances, can hardly be regarded as greatly helpful. There are concerns in this regard. However, with every new US Administration, one must wait and see...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Other Questions (Resumed): Middle East Peace Process (22 Feb 2017)

Charles Flanagan: Deputy Paul Murphy wants it both ways - he wants to have his cake and eat it. He has already stated on numerous occasions that he does not want Ireland to be represented on St. Patrick's Day-----