Results 15,001-15,020 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern

Written Answers — State Visits: State Visits (7 Mar 2006)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 315 to 317, inclusive, and 321 together. A request for the aircraft carrying the President of the United States, George W. Bush, to land at Shannon Airport was applied for several days in advance by the US embassy and permission was granted in accordance with the normal procedures. It is entirely normal and appropriate to extend such courtesies to visiting...

Written Answers — Illegal Immigrants: Illegal Immigrants (7 Mar 2006)

Dermot Ahern: In my reply of 28 February to the Deputy's question I emphasised that a particular priority of the Taoiseach's and my own visit to Washington over the St. Patrick's Day period would be to convey to President Bush and his Administration and key players in Congress the Government's strong support for measures to address the position of our undocumented. I am certain our undocumented citizens...

Written Answers — Presidential Visit: Presidential Visit (7 Mar 2006)

Dermot Ahern: There was no meeting between a representative of the Government and President Bush on this occasion.

Written Answers — Presidential Visit: Presidential Visit (7 Mar 2006)

Dermot Ahern: Permission for President Bush's aircraft to land was granted by my Department in accordance with the normal procedures. However, operational issues with respect to landing an aircraft in the State and the security of visiting Heads of State are not matters for my Department. Queries on these matters are more appropriately addressed to the civil aviation authorities and the Garda Síochána....

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (2 Mar 2006)

Dermot Ahern: Since my appointment as Minister for Foreign Affairs on 29 September 2004, I made the following board appointments. The advisory board of Ireland Aid was established in August 2002. The name of the board was subsequently changed to the Advisory Board for Development Co-operation Ireland in September 2003. In November 2005, the board was reconstituted and the following people were appointed. ...

Order of Business. (2 Mar 2006)

Dermot Ahern: The Deputy was renowned for interfering when he was in the then Department of Social Welfare.

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (1 Mar 2006)

Dermot Ahern: The two issues raised by the Deputy are separate and need to be considered on their merits, as the Government has done. On Guantanamo Bay, the Government's position on the condition and status of detainees is clear and has been consistently conveyed to the United States authorities. The United States has set out its general approach to the issue on many occasions. The Government's position,...

Written Answers — Emigrant Support Services: Emigrant Support Services (1 Mar 2006)

Dermot Ahern: In pursuit of the Government's strong commitment to the Irish abroad, some €12 million is available for emigrant services in 2006. This figure represents an increase of 45% on 2005. The needs of the Irish community in Britain is a particular priority for the Government. In 2005, more than 100 groups in Britain received grants from my Department amounting to €7.06 million. These included a...

Written Answers — Illegal Immigrants: Illegal Immigrants (28 Feb 2006)

Dermot Ahern: I am acutely aware of the stressful burden which their undocumented status places on many of our citizens in the United States and on their families at home. On all my visits to the United States I have met a wide range of Irish community groups and interests and have heard first-hand of the difficulties being faced by the undocumented. In this regard officials of our embassy in Washington...

Written Answers — Northern Ireland Issues: Northern Ireland Issues (28 Feb 2006)

Dermot Ahern: The allegations referred to by the Deputy, concerning one of the individuals who carried out the Greysteel murders, are a serious matter. The Government has raised this issue with the British Government through the British-Irish Intergovernmental Secretariat in Belfast, and my officials will continue to monitor developments closely.

Written Answers — Departmental Advertising: Departmental Advertising (28 Feb 2006)

Dermot Ahern: The total expenditure on print advertising at the Department of Foreign Affairs in 2005, including Vote 28, Foreign Affairs, and Vote 29, International Cooperation, was €242,675. This amount includes advertising in national newspapers, as well as in other print media. In the timeframe available, it is not possible to provide the Deputy with a detailed breakdown of the amounts paid to...

Written Answers — Justice and Reconciliation Commission: Justice and Reconciliation Commission (28 Feb 2006)

Dermot Ahern: The establishment by King Mohammed VI in January 2004 of the Commission of Justice and Reconciliation was a courageous initiative, unprecedented in the region, to investigate human rights abuses in the period from 1956 to 1999. The commission successfully initiated a vigorous public debate in Morocco on the difficult legacy of that era. It presented a very substantial report to the King in...

Written Answers — Irish Overseas: Irish Overseas (28 Feb 2006)

Dermot Ahern: In the consular case referred to by the Deputy, the court judgment permitted the Irish citizens to be released from prison under "conditional freedom", on payment of a bond. My Department, at the request of the defence team and given the ongoing consular concerns of the Department about the safety of the persons concerned, advanced the funds to facilitate the payment of this bond, on the...

Written Answers — Illegal Immigrants: Illegal Immigrants (28 Feb 2006)

Dermot Ahern: There is a range of non-immigrant visa categories under which eligible foreign nationals can apply for permission to work in the United States. In 2004, for example, over 18,000 Irish citizens obtained temporary working visas. Many of these were sponsored by their employers. Young people availing of the J1 visa programme are also included in this number. In addition to these general visa...

Written Answers — Passport Applications: Passport Applications (28 Feb 2006)

Dermot Ahern: I refer the Deputy to the answer which I provided to Deputy Gilmore on 21 February last. The waiving of the passport fee for senior citizens, which I introduced with effect from 1 August last, was to further recognise the life-long contribution to society of our senior citizens. It builds upon the existing free public transport, TV licence, phone and electricity schemes for older people. All...

Written Answers — PAN African Parliament: PAN African Parliament (28 Feb 2006)

Dermot Ahern: The Pan-African Parliament, PAP, was established under Article 5 of the Constitutive Act of the African Union as one of the key organs of the union. It was inaugurated in Addis Ababa on 18 March 2004. It will initially function as a consultative and advisory body with the eventual aim of exercising full legislative powers. Promotion of good governance and the principles of human rights and...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (28 Feb 2006)

Dermot Ahern: There is a total of three officers on the payroll of the Department of Foreign Affairs who are currently working with outside bodies. Details are set out in the following table. However, the information does not include officers on sick leave, for instance. Grade Location Assignment First Secretary Vienna Temporary secondment to the Austrian Foreign Ministry in connection with the...

Written Answers — Emigrant Support Services: Emigrant Support Services (23 Feb 2006)

Dermot Ahern: The current legislative debate on immigration reform in the US Congress involves differing approaches and strongly held opinions. Some members of Congress, for example, are strongly opposed to any proposals which would allow undocumented people the opportunity to regularise their status. Another point of divergence surrounds discussion of the length of time which bearers of a new category of...

Written Answers — Nuclear Programmes: Nuclear Programmes (22 Feb 2006)

Dermot Ahern: Ireland, along with our EU colleagues, is deeply concerned about the ongoing proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, considering it to be a major threat to international peace and security. The European Council in December 2003 adopted a strategy against the proliferation of such weapons. Under this strategy, the EU will use all political and diplomatic instruments at its disposal and...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (22 Feb 2006)

Dermot Ahern: The EU-Israel association agreement was signed on 20 November 1995. It entered into force on 1 June 2000. This agreement replaced an earlier EU-Israel co-operation agreement which dated from 1975. The EU-Israel association agreement is a mixed competence agreement. This means that in addition to economic, trade and trade related matters, it also covers areas such as political dialogue and...