Results 15,561-15,580 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern

Written Answers — Passports for Investment Scheme: Passports for Investment Scheme (2 Nov 2005)

Dermot Ahern: It is important to state that the person in question holds only one valid Irish passport. His first passport was issued in 1995 following the granting of citizenship through naturalisation to him by the then Minister for Justice, Deputy Nora Owen. His passport history is set out as follows: Place of Issue Date of Issue Status Passport 1 Dublin 26/04/1995 Cancelled Passport 2...

Written Answers — Northern Ireland Issues: Northern Ireland Issues (2 Nov 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The importance of building trust and improving community relations, tackling sectarianism and addressing segregation in Northern Ireland was specifically acknowledged in the rights, identity and community section of the joint declaration published by the two Governments in 2003. Accordingly, the British Government was mandated to review good community relations and bring forward a strategic...

Written Answers — Ministerial Representations: Ministerial Representations (2 Nov 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I understand the person concerned was found guilty by a Danish court in November 2004 of the unauthorised disclosure of confidential official information. He was sentenced to six months imprisonment, under the Danish penal code. On appeal to the High Court in Denmark in September this year, the sentence was reduced to four months. This is a matter for the Danish legal system, and I have not...

Written Answers — Public Relations Contracts: Public Relations Contracts (2 Nov 2005)

Dermot Ahern: No public relations contracts have been awarded by my Department since December 2004. In the interest of completion, I mention that in November 2004, following an open tender process, Development Co-operation Ireland employed the Cork based company, Real Event Solutions, to design, organise and manage a primary school competition around the theme of international development and the UN...

Written Answers — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (2 Nov 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The following table sets out the number of personnel in my constituency office, their positions and salary scales: Grade/Position Number Salary scale Personal Assistant (non-established) 1 Higher Executive Officer scale €40,543-€51,463 Executive Officer 1 Executive Officer scale €28,021-€44,458 Clerical Officer 2 Clerical Officer scale...

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (2 Nov 2005)

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 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 evaluation of programmes and...

Written Answers — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (2 Nov 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The following table sets out the number of personnel in the Department's press office, their grades and pay scales: Grade/Position Number Salary Scale â'¬ Press Adviser (non-established) 1 Principal Officer scale 75,036-92,813 Press Officer (First Secretary) 1 First Secretary scale 57,630-71,859 Third Secretary 2 Third Secretary scale 30,593-54,173 Clerical Officer 2...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (2 Nov 2005)

Dermot Ahern: Under the Government's decentralisation programme the development co-operation directorate of the Department of Foreign Affairs, based in Dublin, is scheduled to decentralise to Limerick. This will involve the relocation to Limerick of 123 posts and is scheduled to take place during the first quarter of 2007. The decentralisation of the Development Co-operation Directorate will take place...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (27 Oct 2005)

Dermot Ahern: Non-nationals who are legally resident in Ireland but are here on the basis of a visa require a re-entry visa in order to re-enter the State following a visit abroad. If the individuals mentioned by the Deputy are not in possession of re-entry visas then they should make an application, either by post or in person to the Department of Foreign Affair's visa office, 13-14 Burgh Quay, Dublin 2....

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (27 Oct 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The Department of Foreign Affairs does not currently have any outstanding EU directives to be transposed into Irish law.

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (27 Oct 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I am aware of a news agency report to the effect that an Irish citizen is being detained in Iraq by US forces. However, the Department has been unable so far, despite best efforts, to establish the facts of the situation and-or to identify the individual. The Department is actively continuing to make inquiries, and I will communicate with the Deputy when I have further information.

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (27 Oct 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 185 and 186 together. Ireland has committed €390,000 over a three-year period to the Organisation of American States, OAS, peace and verification mission in Colombia. Sweden and the Netherlands are also funding the mission, the mandate of which is to provide comprehensive support to the Colombian peace process, with a focus both on demobilisation and on the...

Written Answers — Northern Ireland Issues: Northern Ireland Issues (26 Oct 2005)

Dermot Ahern: Mr Seán Garland was arrested by the PSNI in Belfast on 7 October. At the time of his arrest, Irish officials at the British-Irish Intergovernmental Secretariat in Belfast were asked to seek clarification from the British authorities as to the basis for his arrest. It was indicated that Mr. Garland was provisionally arrested on foot of a request from the United States Government for his...

Written Answers — Foreign Travel: Foreign Travel (26 Oct 2005)

Dermot Ahern: From 1 June 2002 until 29 September 2004, my predecessor Deputy Cowen, attended the following foreign conferences: Conference Venue Date Regional EU Conference on Conflict Prevention Helsingborg, Sweden 29-30 August 2002 Meeting of the Conference on Disarmament Geneva 16 March 2004 OSCE Conference on Anti-Semitism Berlin 28-29 April 2004 In addition, the Intergovernmental...

Written Answers — Northern Ireland Issues: Northern Ireland Issues (26 Oct 2005)

Dermot Ahern: Members of the British Armed Forces, including members of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, are currently involved in an extensive programme of demilitarisation in south Armagh. This programme includes the removal of the army base at Forkhill, the removal of the super-sangar at Newtownhamilton and the progressive removal of army surveillance posts and army bases. Officials from my Department visited...

Written Answers — Northern Ireland Issues: Northern Ireland Issues (26 Oct 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I met the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Mr. Peter Hain, in Dublin on 19 October when we jointly chaired a meeting of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference. This was the first meeting of the conference since June, when it met at summit level. We had a useful and constructive meeting. I was accompanied by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy McDowell....

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (26 Oct 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I am aware of the situation in Maluku, known to many as the Moluccas, in eastern Indonesia. Violence erupted between Christian and Muslim communities in 1999, resulting in the deaths of as many as 5,000 people since then and the displacement of many more. A peace agreement brokered in 2002 by the current Indonesian Vice-President, Jusuf Kalla, substantially reduced the violence and reports...

Order of Business. (26 Oct 2005)

Dermot Ahern: It will be a small bus.

Order of Business. (26 Oct 2005)

Dermot Ahern: We got double-deckers instead.

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (25 Oct 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 352 and 353 together. In commissioning outside expertise, my Department is guided by a number of publications and circulars issued by the Department of Finance. These include Guidelines for Engagement of Consultants in the Civil Service, March 1999; Public Procurement Guidelines — Competitive Process, 2004; Ethics in Public Procurement, June 2005; and...