Results 16,961-16,980 of 21,096 for speaker:Charles Flanagan

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland Issues (26 Feb 2015)

Charles Flanagan: On 11 February, I met the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Theresa Villiers during her visit to Dublin, as part of our regular consultations. We discussed a broad range of issues including ongoing work on the implementation of the Stormont House Agreement, the justice and security situation in Northern Ireland, and a number of specific legacy cases. In relation to the Stormont...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (26 Feb 2015)

Charles Flanagan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 201 and 207 together. The EU has been at the forefront of international efforts to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, which has claimed over 5,500 lives, left many thousands more injured and forced almost a million people to flee their homes. The conflict has had a devastating impact on local civilian populations in eastern Ukraine who have endured...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (26 Feb 2015)

Charles Flanagan: I have strongly condemned the appalling acts of violence being perpetrated in Nigeria and its neighbouring countries by Boko Haram. These include the abduction of more than 200 young girls by Boko Haram from a school in the Nigerian town of Chibok in April 2014 and the appalling use of children as suicide-bombers, recently including a girl thought to be as young as seven. I have given...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (26 Feb 2015)

Charles Flanagan: I am very concerned about the situation in South Sudan, which achieved its independence in 2011 but has been in turmoil since the outbreak of conflict in December 2013. Continuing violence and threats have forced almost two million people to flee their homes. The country’s warring parties signed another ceasefire agreement in February following regional talks led by the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid (26 Feb 2015)

Charles Flanagan: The ten lowest ranked countries in Africa in the UN’s Human Development Index are Niger, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, Chad, Sierra Leone, Eritrea, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Guinea and Mozambique. Two of these, Mozambique and Sierra Leone, are key partner countries for Ireland’s aid programme.The Government’s approach to Africa is...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights Issues (26 Feb 2015)

Charles Flanagan: I remain deeply concerned at this individual’s continued detention as well as the recent further postponement of his trial. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade officials in both Dublin and in our Embassy in Cairo remain in ongoing contact with the Egyptian authorities on this case. From my first day in office, I have taken an active role in this case and indeed in my first...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights Issues (26 Feb 2015)

Charles Flanagan: The promotion and protection of human rights is a central objective of our foreign policy. Together with our EU partners, Ireland closely monitors the human rights situations in many countries throughout the world. We do this on the basis of information obtained from a variety of sources including both official channels and non-governmental/civil society organisations. Where and when the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Undocumented Irish in the USA (26 Feb 2015)

Charles Flanagan: Achieving relief for undocumented Irish migrants in the US is a priority for the Government in our bilateral relationship with the United States. Through our Embassy in Washington and our Consulates throughout the U.S., we continue to work closely with our high level Government contacts and with many other individuals and groups across Irish America and beyond towards achieving some relief...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (26 Feb 2015)

Charles Flanagan: The primary objective of the TTIP is to promote growth and jobs, greater compatibility in regulation, high standards, and common rules to facilitate trade and investment.The EU Commission’s mandate to negotiate with the United States on a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership on behalf of the EU states that the Agreement will exclusively contain provisions on trade and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Diplomatic Representation (25 Feb 2015)

Charles Flanagan: The Embassy of Ireland in London accepted a letter of protest on the afternoon 11 February, having agreed to do so by telephone earlier that day. The Embassy also brought the letter to the attention of the Department in Dublin. On this occasion, the letter was accepted inside the Embassy premises. While media may freely cover any such presentations when they are made outside the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Trade Relations (25 Feb 2015)

Charles Flanagan: Ireland’s positive links with Cuba have grown steadily, in particular since the establishment of diplomatic relations between our two countries in 1999. As I have stated before, I would wish to see our bilateral relations develop further. In 2014, bilateral trade in goods was valued at €1.35 million, consolidating the increase of the previous year. We hope that, as the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights Issues (25 Feb 2015)

Charles Flanagan: A deterioration in the crisis in Yemen precipitated a discussion at the EU Foreign Affairs Council which I attended and participated in on 9 February 2015. This meeting was an opportunity for the EU to discuss collectively how best to respond to the deepening political and security crisis in Yemen. The Foreign Affairs Council adopted conclusions on Yemen at this meeting which reflect...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Official Engagements (25 Feb 2015)

Charles Flanagan: From 15thto 19thFebruary, I visited Lebanon, Israel and the Palestinian territory. I had also intended to visit Jordan but it was not possible to visit on this occasion due to deteriorating weather conditions. I hope to reschedule that visit in the near future. In Lebanon, I had the opportunity to meet with the UNIFIL Force Commander, Lieutenant General Portolano, who briefed me on...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Peace Process (25 Feb 2015)

Charles Flanagan: The most recent round of negotiations between the parties was suspended last April, having effectively come to a halt some weeks earlier. It is clearly important to bring about a return to serious negotiations, and I encouraged this in my political meetings during my visit to the region last week. However, there is a widespread view among EU Ministers, which I share, that neither party is...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (24 Feb 2015)

Charles Flanagan: I have repeatedly condemned the abduction of more than 200 young girls by Boko Haram from a school in the Nigerian town of Chibok in April 2014. I have also condemned other appalling acts of violence being perpetrated in Nigeria and its neighbouring countries by Boko Haram. These include the killing in January of a large number of civilians in an attack by militants in the north-eastern...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (24 Feb 2015)

Charles Flanagan: These terrible events continue to overshadow relations between Armenia and Turkey and the two sides maintain sharply different historical interpretations of these events. Ireland has not taken a position on the issue of the recognition as genocide.As we in Ireland know well, the process of reconciliation and coming to terms with the past is never easy. In this year of centenary...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Consular Services Provision (24 Feb 2015)

Charles Flanagan: I remain deeply concerned at this individual’s continued detention as well as the recent further postponement of his trial. From my first day in office, I have taken a strong interest, and an active role, in this case and indeed in my first week in office I spoke to Egyptian Foreign Minister Shoukry setting out my concerns.I have spoken to FM Shoukry on a number of further occasions,...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Election Monitoring Missions (24 Feb 2015)

Charles Flanagan: The ongoing situation in Venezuela is a cause of great concern. It is apparent that tensions are growing and the country is suffering an increasing degree of political polarisation. As I have indicated before, the deaths, casualties and detentions arising from the unrest there require full, impartial investigation in accordance with due legal process. The apparently high levels of impunity...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Easter Rising Commemorations (24 Feb 2015)

Charles Flanagan: The centenary of the Easter Rising in 2016 will be the centre-piece of the Government’s Decade of Centenaries programme. The Taoiseach launched the outline plans for the Ireland 2016 commemorations on 21stNovember 2014. These outline plans are currently being developed and the public are being consulted for their views.My colleague, the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht,...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Emigrant Support Services (24 Feb 2015)

Charles Flanagan: In the context of preparing a new Diaspora Policy, the Government is considering initiatives along the lines of the Deputy’s question. I expect the Diaspora Policy to be launched very soon, after which, I would be happy to provide the Deputy with more detailed information.