Results 15,721-15,740 of 21,096 for speaker:Charles Flanagan

EU-UK Relations: Statements (21 Apr 2016)

Charles Flanagan: I listened to the contribution of Deputy Eamon Ryan of the Green Party. It is on occasions such as this that we all welcome the Green Party back to the Parliament. I wish him and his colleagues success during the lifetime of the Thirty-second Dáil. I enjoyed the Deputy's comments. With nine weeks to go to polling in the UK, it is important that we have an opportunity to debate...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Prisoner Releases (21 Apr 2016)

Charles Flanagan: The case of this individual, who has been detained in Egypt for almost three years, continues to be of the highest priority for the Government and for my Department. The Government remains focused on its two core objectives in this case, to secure the citizen’s release and to provide consular support for his welfare while he remains in detention. The Government and my Department...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: EU Meetings (21 Apr 2016)

Charles Flanagan: I attended the most recent Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) meeting in Luxembourg on 18 April, where migration, Libya and the Eastern Partnership were on the agenda. Foreign Ministers also had an informal exchange with the Colombian Government’s High Commissioner for Peace, Dr Sergio Jaramillo. The Council had a wide-ranging discussion on the ongoing migration crisis, including a...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: North-South Ministerial Council (21 Apr 2016)

Charles Flanagan: The existing North South Bodies, particularly Tourism Ireland and InterTradeIreland, are making a considerable contribution towards economic growth right across the island and clearly demonstrate what can be achieved when we pool our resources in key strategic areas. At the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) meetings that I have attended the focus of Ministers has been on discussing...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Consular Services Provision (20 Apr 2016)

Charles Flanagan: My Department has been providing consular assistance to this Irish citizen and his family since his detention. The focus in such cases is to ensure that the Irish citizen has access to legal representation and is not discriminated against in any way in terms of the legal processes or treatment in the prisons system, as well as addressing any specific welfare concerns that arise. In all...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (20 Apr 2016)

Charles Flanagan: Passport printing and personalisation requires highly specialised machinery, auxiliary equipment and a temperature-controlled environment. The production equipment and suites need continual engineering support and trained staff to manage the sites. The purchase cost of a new passport printing machine alone is in excess of €1.5m. The printing capacity of production equipment...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: UK Referendum on EU Membership (20 Apr 2016)

Charles Flanagan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 377, 378, 387, 388, 391 and 397 together. While respecting that the question of the UK’s membership of the EU is for its electorate to decide, I continue to set out the Irish Government’s view on this matter during my contacts with political, business and community contacts here on the island of Ireland, in Britain and in the EU. Ireland...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications Data (20 Apr 2016)

Charles Flanagan: The processing time for a passport varies, depending on the service the customer chooses. An application may take longer to process for a number of reasons. For example if the application form is completed incorrectly, the required supporting documentation is not provided or if the level of demand is exceptionally high. Throughout this year the demand for passports has been...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Appointments to State Boards (20 Apr 2016)

Charles Flanagan: There are no State boards, agencies or bodies under the aegis of my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications (20 Apr 2016)

Charles Flanagan: When the child is born a passport application should be submitted by the parents to the Embassy of Ireland in Bangkok. Children cannot be included on the passports of parents. While issuing of a passport within days cannot be guaranteed, every effort will be made to ensure that the passport is issued within three weeks, providing all relevant documentation is submitted and in order. The...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: EU Migration Crisis (20 Apr 2016)

Charles Flanagan: Turkey has a key role to play in resolving the Migration crisis, as most of the migrants and refugees who have entered the EU since early 2015 have travelled via Turkey. The EU and Turkey have engaged deeply on developing joint approaches and the EU’s engagement with Turkey was the focus of the most recent European Council on 17 and 18 March 2016The core intention of the EU-Turkey...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: EU Migration Crisis (20 Apr 2016)

Charles Flanagan: The core intention of the EU-Turkey agreement which emerged from the March European Council is to break the business model of the people smugglers who are profiting from the suffering of the vulnerable. Critically, it should stop people getting into unsafe boats and risking their lives. Migrants arriving in the Greek islands will be registered and any application for asylum will be processed...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: EU Migration Crisis (20 Apr 2016)

Charles Flanagan: Migration to the European Union via the Western Balkans Route has been slowing for some time. Determining the precise factors leading to this decline is complex. It may be that weather and the progressive closing of border crossings along the migratory route north, are contributory factors. According to the UN High Commission for Refugees, the figure for average daily arrivals of refugees in...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Irish Prisoners Abroad (20 Apr 2016)

Charles Flanagan: The case of this individual, who has been detained in Egypt for almost three years, continues to be of the highest priority for the Government and for my Department. We are providing ongoing consular assistance to the individual including through regular prison visits and the monitoring of all trial hearings. I can confirm that the citizen was transferred between prisons last week without...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (20 Apr 2016)

Charles Flanagan: The murder, in the south-eastern Turkish city of Diyarbakýr on 28 November, of the Kurdish human rights lawyer, Tahir Elçi, as well as that of two policemen killed nearby, was another tragic and very worrying development following the breakdown in the ceasefire between the Turkish Government and the Kurdistan Workers Party - the PKK - in July. I condemned this brutal murder in the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights Issues (20 Apr 2016)

Charles Flanagan: I have consistently condemned the acts of violence being perpetrated by Boko Haram, which has resulted in thousands of deaths and the displacement of more than 2 million people. The brutal activities of Boko Haram continue to represent a serious threat to the peace and security of Nigeria, and to the wider region, including Cameroon, Chad and Niger. The abduction in April 2014 of the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (20 Apr 2016)

Charles Flanagan: The domestic situation in Turkey remains a matter of concern, both for Ireland and our European partners. I would like to reiterate the serious concern I have expressed several times already in this House at the escalation of violence since the breakdown of the ceasefire between the Turkish Government and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) last summer. This breakdown has been all the more...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Anti-Terrorism Measures (20 Apr 2016)

Charles Flanagan: A number of terrorist groups are linked to a brand of religious fundamentalism and claim that their actions are in pursuit of their religious beliefs. However, religious leaders have condemned such actions as not in accordance with religious beliefs. We must continue to make this distinction: the threat is posed not by religious belief, but by terrorist groups. The Minister for Justice and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid Expenditure (20 Apr 2016)

Charles Flanagan: As part of our response to the global challenge of climate change, Ireland is strongly committed to supporting developing countries to address its most serious and intense impact on some of the poorest communities in the world. Our policy commitments are reflected in The Global Island: Ireland’s Foreign Policy for a Changing World which recognises the impacts of climate change on...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Religious Persecution (20 Apr 2016)

Charles Flanagan: Ireland condemns all forms of persecution on the basis of religion or belief, irrespective of where they occur or who the victims are. We attach great importance to combatting all forms of discrimination and incitement to religious hatred. With our EU partners, we consistently press for effective action to counter the persecution of minorities in all relevant international fora, including at...