Results 16,041-16,060 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (28 Apr 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The United Nations has the lead role in the search for a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem. However, the EU enlargement process provided the impetus for the most recent efforts towards a settlement, which were undertaken by the UN Secretary General last year, during Ireland's EU Presidency. The Government gave its full support to the Secretary General in his mission of good...

Written Answers — UN Programmes: UN Programmes (28 Apr 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The Independent Inquiry Commission, established by the United Nations and chaired by Mr. Paul Volcker, is charged with investigating alleged irregularities in the administration of the oil for food programme. The commission is also expected, in its final report, to provide authoritative estimates of the revenues earned by the former Iraqi regime from sales of oil in contravention of Security...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (28 Apr 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 15, 75 and 78 together. In a statement issued on 1 April 2005, I outlined the serious concerns of the Government regarding the conduct of the parliamentary elections in Zimbabwe on 31 March 2005. In particular, the high percentage of people turned away because their names did not appear on the electoral register, estimated at between 10% and 15% of voters, as...

Written Answers — Diplomatic Representation: Diplomatic Representation (28 Apr 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The privileges and immunities granted to diplomats posted in Ireland are laid out in the Diplomatic Relations and Immunities Act 1967, which incorporates the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations into Irish law. Article 34 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations provides for the exemption of diplomatic personnel from local taxation. These exemptions from local taxes are enjoyed...

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (28 Apr 2005)

Dermot Ahern: In reply to parliamentary questions on 24 November and 2 February last, I outlined my views on the parliamentary elections in Belarus on 17 October 2004 and described Ireland's relationship with Belarus. I also informed the House about the EU Council conclusions on Belarus of 22 November 2004. I made it clear that the continuing lack of any democratic reform in Belarus, and the self isolating...

Written Answers — EU Enlargement: EU Enlargement (28 Apr 2005)

Dermot Ahern: Turkey has been a candidate for membership of the EU since the Helsinki European Council in December 1999, which agreed that it was destined to join the Union on the basis of the same criteria applied to the other candidate states. The European Council in Brussels on 16 to 17 December 2004 decided, on the basis of the Commission's report and recommendation, that Turkey sufficiently fulfils...

Written Answers — International Bodies: International Bodies (28 Apr 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The appointment of a permanent representative to the United Nations in New York is a matter for the member in question and the United Nations as the host authority. It is not the practice of the Government to comment on diplomatic appointments of other states.

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (28 Apr 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 22, 44, 57, 62, 64 and 138 together. The political, human rights and humanitarian situation in the Darfur region of Sudan remains a matter of the deepest concern for Ireland. The Government continues to use all avenues open to it to urge action in addressing the urgent humanitarian, security and political challenges which exist there. The conflict in Darfur...

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (28 Apr 2005)

Dermot Ahern: On 18 March 2005, the UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, reported on the situation in Afghanistan. The Secretary General said that the overall security situation had been relatively calm in recent months. He cautioned, however, that the international community should not become complacent and noted that there had been several recent cases of improvised explosive devices and landmines used to...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (28 Apr 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I am aware of the case to which the Deputy refers and I share the widely held concerns about it. My understanding is that the person has been charged with violation of the restrictions imposed as a condition of his release from prison in 2004 at the end of the prison sentence which he had served. These restrictions include a prohibition on him leaving Israel and on contacting the media. The...

Written Answers — Illegal Emigrants: Illegal Emigrants (28 Apr 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 27, 77, 136 and 137 together. The number of Irish people who may be resident in the United States without the appropriate authorisation is difficult to estimate. While the US authorities have estimated that the number may have declined to 3,000 in the year 2000, many of the organisations working on the ground with our emigrants would regard this figure as a...

Written Answers — Border Controls: Border Controls (28 Apr 2005)

Dermot Ahern: On receiving notification of this case, I asked the Embassy of Ireland, London, to raise the matter with the British authorities. The reply received from the British Home Office was that immigration officers at Holyhead carry out this type of spot check on travellers to try and identify suspected or failed asylum seekers. Immigration officers use equipment which scans a single fingerprint....

Written Answers — Nuclear Disarmament Initiative: Nuclear Disarmament Initiative (28 Apr 2005)

Dermot Ahern: A progress report on implementation of the December 2003 EU strategy on non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction was adopted by the General Affairs and External Relations Council, GAERC, and endorsed by the European Council last December. On that occasion, the Council also reaffirmed its commitment to use all instruments at its disposal to counter the threat of proliferation of WMD...

Written Answers — Nuclear Disarmament Initiative: Nuclear Disarmament Initiative (28 Apr 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The issue of Iran and its nuclear development programme has been followed closely at European level over the past two years since Iran's undeclared nuclear programme was first brought to the attention of the International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA. Negotiations in Paris between Iran and France, Germany and the UK, supported by the High Representative for the common foreign and security...

Written Answers — Common Foreign and Security Policy: Common Foreign and Security Policy (28 Apr 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 36 and 54 together. As I reported to the House in February, I have already undertaken consultations with the Foreign Ministers of Sweden and Finland on the issue of the ongoing development of the European security and defence policy and the role that battlegroups-rapid response elements can play in enhancing the EU's crisis management capabilities. I discussed...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (28 Apr 2005)

Dermot Ahern: Eleven projects were allocated funding under the Communicating Europe initiative in 2004. I am circulating a table setting out the details. Three of the projects funded or part-funded related to the European constitution specifically. These were: an explanatory guide to the European constitution and accompanying leaflet produced by the Department of Foreign Affairs and widely circulated to...

Written Answers — United Nations Reform: United Nations Reform (28 Apr 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 39, 60 and 73 together. Deputies will be aware that a central element of Ireland's foreign policy has been the promotion of an effective multilateral system and the strengthening of the rules based international order, with the United Nations at its centre. The Government believes that it is essential that the members of the United Nations take action to...

Written Answers — Official Travel: Official Travel (28 Apr 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I am currently engaged in an intensive series of visits to European capitals in discharge of my mandate as envoy of the UN Secretary General. As envoy, I am tasked with presenting the key elements of the Secretary General's report, In Larger Freedom, and conveying to the Secretary General, in confidence, the views and concerns expressed by UN members. This is being done to prepare for the...

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (28 Apr 2005)

Dermot Ahern: While Liberia has made remarkable progress since the comprehensive peace agreement of August 2003, it still faces the major challenges of a successful return to democracy and sustaining the peace process. Liberia is currently administered by a transitional government, under the chairmanship of Mr. Gyude Bryant, until parliamentary and presidential elections are held on 11 October 2005. This...

Written Answers — Trade Embargoes: Trade Embargoes (28 Apr 2005)

Dermot Ahern: At present, there are EU arms embargoes in place against the following countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burma — Myanmar, China, the Democratic Republic of Congo — formerly Zaire, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan and Zimbabwe. This list is publicly available on the EU's official website. The EU revises its list of sanctions and other restrictive measures against...