Results 15,181-15,200 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (26 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: Under the Government's decentralisation programme, the development co-operation directorate of the Department of Foreign Affairs, currently based in Dublin, will decentralise to Limerick. This is scheduled to take place during the first quarter of 2007. Already 24 posts in the directorate, including that of director general, are filled by officers who have signalled their intention to...

Written Answers — International Agreements: International Agreements (26 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: Romania, together with Bulgaria, has signed a treaty of accession with the European Union, which is currently in the process of being ratified by EU member states. Ireland has traditionally been supportive of EU enlargement and we look forward to welcoming Romania into the European Union once the ratification and pre-accession procedures have been completed. The European Commission is...

Written Answers — International Agreements: International Agreements (25 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 677 and 680 together. It should be noted that the rights of migrant workers and their families, while they need to be kept under active review, are already protected under existing national legislation and under the Constitution, as well as under EU law. In addition, the rights of migrant workers and their families are also addressed by Ireland's commitments...

Written Answers — Northern Ireland Issues: Northern Ireland Issues (25 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: The Government fully supports the holding of a public inquiry into the murder of Mr. Pat Finucane on 12 February 1989 as recommended by Judge Peter Cory in his report of 1 April 2004. The British Government has proposed establishing an inquiry under the Inquiries Act 2005. Since the Inquiries Bill was first published, the Government has had concerns that the legislation would not allow an...

Written Answers — Diplomatic Representation: Diplomatic Representation (25 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: This Department, through the Irish Embassy in Pretoria, became aware of the arrest of the person mentioned by the Deputy in April 2002 in South Africa on charges of fraud, corruption and contravention of the Aliens Act. I understand that the three counts arose from his alleged illegal residence in South Africa. The embassy provided consular assistance to him and his family, including raising...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (25 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: I share the concerns of the Deputy on the reported killing of 22 people in the Curumani region of Colombia, near the border with Venezuela. Investigations by the Organisation of American States and the Colombian authorities indicate that the number killed was in fact lower, at eight dead and one person missing. The reports suggest that the killings took place in the context of a territorial...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (25 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: In India, other than the consular jurisdictions of Mumbai and Bangalore, the embassy has an arrangement with an outsourcing company, Visa Facilitation Services, VFS, for initial receipt and checking of visa applications. VFS receives most of the visa applications which are handled by the embassy and ensures the forms are properly completed, the documentation complete and the correct fees...

Written Answers — Asylum Applications: Asylum Applications (25 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: I am aware that several men of Uighur origin are being held in the United States detention facility in Guantanamo Bay and are awaiting release. While we have not received any specific request to grant political asylum to the two men indicated in the Deputy's question, the US authorities have in general terms raised with us and with other EU member states the possibility of our offering...

Written Answers — Passport Applications: Passport Applications (25 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: I am pleased to confirm to the Deputy that the application for Irish citizenship, through entry in the Foreign Births Register, by the person to whom he has referred has been approved by the Consulate General in Chicago. The application was initially incomplete as the applicant did not submit all of the required documents. However, the missing documents were subsequently received by the...

Written Answers — Irish Soldiers Memorial: Irish Soldiers Memorial (25 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: I am delighted to be in a position to inform the House that, with the assistance of our Consulate in New York, the Irish in Korea War Memorial Committee has been granted permission by the Board of Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn to erect a memorial to the Irish-born citizens who died in the Korean War. This historic cemetery, the final resting place of many Irish-born generals who died in the...

Written Answers — Departmental Appointments: Departmental Appointments (25 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 686 and 687 together. Since 1997, I or my predecessors have made the following appointments to bodies under the aegis of this Department. The Advisory Board of Ireland Aid was established in August 2002 and the following were appointed to the board: Name Relevant Qualifications/Background Mr. Desmond O'Malley Former Government Minister and...

Written Answers — Diplomatic Representation: Diplomatic Representation (25 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 688, 689, 692 and 694 together. Consular assistance is provided by my Department in a wide variety of circumstances and cases, which require different responses. In certain cases, the Department of Foreign Affairs is prepared to advance funds, based on an assurance of prompt repayment, to assist Irish citizens where this is judged to be urgent and necessary,...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (25 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 690 and 693 together. Persons holding Venezuelan passports are not required to have visas to enter Ireland. In applications from citizens of Ecuador and Columbia, the Department's central records relate to the numbers of applications from all nationalities processed by our individual missions and the visa office in Dublin. They are not disaggregated by the...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (25 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: One member of staff is currently undertaking a full-time, 18-month study course at the Ecole Nationale d'Administration, ENA, in Paris, under a scheme administered by the Department of Finance and the French Embassy. The course provides an opportunity to gain first-hand experience of the work of the French public sector and to make contacts with civil servants from France and from over 20...

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (25 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: The Department of Foreign Affairs is responsible for two Votes, Vote 28 — Foreign Affairs and Vote 29 — International Co-operation. The Department commissions consultancies and external advice where specialised knowledge and/or skills are not available within the Department and, particularly in the case of the Development Co-operation Ireland, DCI, programme, where an independent...

Written Answers — Departmental Records: Departmental Records (25 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: The amounts deducted from the salary of employees in my Department in respect of superannuation and social insurance in each of the years 2003, 2004 and 2005 are outlined in the following table: Superannuation Deductions from employees 2005 2004 2003 Superannuation 1,251,095.53 1,204,103.14 971,546.24 Purchase of Notional service 86,360.40 88,656.14 72,516.26 Pay Related...

Written Answers — Departmental Programmes: Departmental Programmes (25 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: The Department of Foreign Affairs attaches the highest priority to supporting, promoting and fully implementing the Civil Service policy on harassment, sexual harassment and bullying introduced by the Department of Finance in 2000. A revised version of the policy, entitled A Positive Working Environment, came into effect in September 2005 and was, as with the earlier version, brought to the...

Written Answers — Departmental Records: Departmental Records (25 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: I do not have any role whatsoever in the process or decision making in this matter. This is a matter for the Accounting Officer of my Department. Two schemes involving annual performance-related pay and bi-annual merit awards are in operation in the Department of Foreign Affairs. These are the scheme of performance-related pay awards for officers at the level of deputy secretary and assistant...

Written Answers — Departmental Procurement: Departmental Procurement (25 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: The adoption of annual corporate public procurement plans by Departments is one of the recommendations of the National Public Procurement Policy Framework document issued by the Department of Finance in May 2005. The development of such a corporate plan by each Department involves the evaluation of existing approaches to procurement, the setting of targets for value for money improvements in...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (25 Jan 2006)

Dermot Ahern: There are currently four bodies under the aegis of my Department: the Advisory Board for Development Co-operation Ireland; the Development Education Advisory Committee, DEAC; the Díon committee; and the Ireland — United States Commission for Educational Exchange, known as the Fulbright Commission. The Advisory Board for Development Co-operation Ireland published its annual report for 2004...