Results 16,281-16,300 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern

Leaders' Questions. (8 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The Green Party Deputies just do not like its decisions.

Order of Business. (8 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The Deputy's party started that piracy.

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (3 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The Department has no record of any payment made to the person referred to by the Deputy for consultancy or other work for the period in question.

Written Answers — Colombia Three Case: Colombia Three Case (2 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The current position is that the three men in question each received sentences and fines as part of the appeal decision made by the Colombian courts on 16 December 2004. I understand that the legal process is not yet exhausted and that a possibility exists for a further appeal by the defence. My Department will continue to monitor this case. However, I have no knowledge of the present...

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (2 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: More than five years since the end of the conflict in 1999, the unresolved fate of missing persons is a continuing tragedy for many families in Kosovo. This is, above all, a serious humanitarian issue. It is also an obstacle to the reconciliation between communities which is essential for the creation of a democratic, multi-ethnic society in Kosovo. The International Committee of the Red...

Written Answers — Passport Applications: Passport Applications (1 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The Irish Embassy in Hungary has responsibility for Irish interests in Kosovo. Where families who have returned to Kosovo wish to renew passports for their children who were born in Ireland, they should contact the Irish Embassy in Budapest which will be happy to assist them. The embassy can provide them with the necessary application forms and any other advice they may seek. The contact...

Written Answers — Official Engagements: Official Engagements (1 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: Arrangements for attendance at St. Patrick's Day celebrations are not yet fully finalised. However, I am scheduled to represent the Government at events promoting Ireland in Boston before travelling to Washington with the Taoiseach for a number of high level meetings on St. Patrick's Day, including with President Bush. The Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Conor...

Written Answers — Overseas Prisoners: Overseas Prisoners (1 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The Irish Commission for Prisoners Overseas, ICPO, has not made a formal recommendation to me for the payment of a stipend to Irish citizens held in prison overseas. However, I am aware that it favours such a scheme and that some European countries make such payments to some of their prisoners overseas. My Department provides an annual grant to ICPO to support its services to Irish prisoners...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (1 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: Kosovo has been under UN administration since the end of the conflict in June 1999, in accordance with Security Council Resolution 1244. At the request of the Security Council, the UN Secretary General reports at regular intervals on the implementation of the mandate of the UN Interim Administration in Kosovo, UNMIK. His latest report, which was issued on 14 February 2005, covers the...

Northern Ireland Issues: Motion. (1 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I am delighted to be able to participate in this debate. The case of Robert McCartney is one of collusion. The purpose of the collusion is to avoid justice, to escape the truth and to protect the killers. Like all collusion cases before it, the Irish Government will incessantly press for truth and justice for the family and for the wider society. Like the cases of Rosemary Nelson, Patrick...

Northern Ireland Issues: Motion. (1 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I wish to share time with the Minister of State, Deputy Brendan Smith.

Written Answers — Diplomatic Representation: Diplomatic Representation (24 Feb 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The Government approved the opening of an embassy of Lesotho in Dublin in January 2003. The embassy was formally opened on Wednesday, 16 February 2005, by Prime Minister Mosisili of Lesotho. My colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Conor Lenihan, represented the Government at the opening ceremony. Ireland has had resident diplomatic representation in Lesotho since an aid office was opened...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (22 Feb 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The information I have is that the circumstances of the death in question were investigated under the supervision of the Police Complaints Authority in Britain. The resulting report was sent to the Crown Prosecution Service which concluded that there was insufficient evidence on which to base a prosecution of the police officer involved. The subsequent inquest concluded with a verdict by the...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (17 Feb 2005)

Dermot Ahern: This matter has not previously been drawn to my attention. Policy in relation to immigration in this jurisdiction is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. There are a wide variety of circumstances in which a visitor to one jurisdiction within the common travel area may be required to transit the territory of the other. In certain cases there may be a...

Written Answers — Waste Management: Waste Management (17 Feb 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The Department's records show that in 2004, 223,890 kg. of waste was produced, of which 12.23%, 27,390 kg. was recycled. No breakdown of either figure is available but the recycled portion comprised paper and an amount of aluminium cans. My Department does not produce significant amounts of hazardous or organic waste or of waste textiles, plastic or glass. It is the Department's policy to...

Written Answers — Irish Prisoners Abroad: Irish Prisoners Abroad (17 Feb 2005)

Dermot Ahern: It is the right of every Irish citizen who is arrested or imprisoned abroad, under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, to seek consular assistance from the Department of Foreign Affairs. However, not all Irish citizens who are so arrested or imprisoned avail of this right. In addition, the number of Irish prisoners abroad is constantly changing as some are released and others newly...

Written Answers — Departmental Credit Cards: Departmental Credit Cards (17 Feb 2005)

Dermot Ahern: Further to my reply of 27 January 2005, I would like to inform the Deputy that expenditure of €327,142.13 was incurred on the Department's 21 official credit cards during the period in question. In the time available, it was not possible to provide all the information requested by the Deputy. I have, however, asked that a breakdown of these costs be made available to the Deputy as quickly...

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (17 Feb 2005)

Dermot Ahern: There was no expenditure on public relations in 2002 by the Department of Foreign Affairs. While no public relations consultants or companies were employed by the Department of Foreign Affairs in 2003 and 2004, Red Dog Design Consultants were employed, following a tendering process, by Development Co-operation Ireland, a division of the Department of Foreign Affairs. The company was paid...

Written Answers — Criminal Convictions: Criminal Convictions (17 Feb 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I understand that on 10 February 2005 in New York city Ms Lynne Stewart, a civil rights lawyer, was found guilty on two counts of conspiring to provide material aid to terrorists and three counts of perjury and defrauding the US Government. Ms Stewart will be sentenced at a further hearing on 15 July 2005 and remains free on bail in the interim. I have not raised this case with the US authorities.

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (17 Feb 2005)

Dermot Ahern: On 21 January 2005 the Government of Nepal ordered the closure of the offices of the Tibetan Refugee Welfare Office, TRWO, and the Office of the Dalai Lama. The Nepalese authorities have explained that the two offices are not legally registered and are, therefore, in violation of Nepalese law. The apparent difficulty in this regard is that Tibetan refugees do not have the right to register...