Results 17,241-17,260 of 21,096 for speaker:Charles Flanagan

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Expenditure (2 Dec 2014)

Charles Flanagan: The Department of Foreign Affairs Group’s profiled budget to end of October 2014 is €609,378m and the actual spend to end of October 2014 is €560,575m resulting in a period variance of €48,803m. These variances in the main arise in Vote 27 and are due to timing differences between the planned or profiled draw down of funding by implementing partners and the actual...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland Issues (2 Dec 2014)

Charles Flanagan: Since 16 October I have been in Belfast each week for political talks on a range of issues with a view to advancing reconciliation and the economic recovery agenda in Northern Ireland. Minister of State Seán Sherlock, T.D. has accompanied me most weeks. During that period work has been done across the four streams of discussions of the talks: (1) financial and budgetary issues,...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights Issues (2 Dec 2014)

Charles Flanagan: The Government remains very concerned about this case, especially following the decision to uphold this conviction by the High Court of Lahore.The Irish Ambassador accredited to Pakistan (from Ankara, Turkey) has conveyed our concern at this conviction on a number of occasions to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad, most recently in early November 2014. In the course of his meetings...

Seanad: Situation in Middle East and Ukraine: Statements (27 Nov 2014)

Charles Flanagan: There are a range of issues on which the European Union needs to clarify its position and it needs to intensify its hand in the negotiations. Undoubtedly, the Middle East peace process is important to the European Union because the countries of the region are our neighbours. I acknowledge that over recent years, the matter has not been as high on the agenda as it could have been. Following...

Seanad: Situation in Middle East and Ukraine: Statements (27 Nov 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I acknowledge with thanks the contribution of Members to this debate. If time will allow, I will conclude with some remarks on the issues and questions raised. If the House will agree, I will deal with the matter of Ukraine first, then the issue of Syria and I will retain the bulk of my commentary for the Middle East peace process, which Members will acknowledge did form the majority of the...

Seanad: Situation in Middle East and Ukraine: Statements (27 Nov 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I am pleased to be before the Seanad to report further by way of update on developments in the Middle East and Ukraine, following on the specially-convened emergency debate held here in July. I will commence by addressing the Middle East peace process. Three months after the end of the latest Gaza conflict, the humanitarian situation remains dire. A total of 24,000 people are still...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights Issues (27 Nov 2014)

Charles Flanagan: Ireland and the other member states of the European Union are firmly of the view that the lifting of the embargo would facilitate an opening of the island’s economy to the benefit of its people. In addition, we and our EU partners are not persuaded that the continued embargo is contributing in a positive way to the democratic transition in Cuba. Ireland’s concerns about...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights Issues (27 Nov 2014)

Charles Flanagan: The Government remains very concerned about this case, particularly following the recent decision of the High Court of Lahore to uphold this person’s conviction. Our concern at the conviction and sentence was first conveyed by the Irish Ambassador accredited to Pakistan (from Ankara, Turkey) to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad in 2013. Most recently, the Ambassador...

Other Questions: Election Monitoring Missions (26 Nov 2014)

Charles Flanagan: Deputy Wallace has been very patient. He has been in the House since we started.

Other Questions: Foreign Conflicts (26 Nov 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I acknowledge that the Deputy has been in the House since the start of Question Time. It is unfortunate that time will not allow for a more detailed reply to his question. Ireland as a state has always looked forward to being in a position to recognise a state of Palestine but in reality and not only as a symbolic gesture. I refer the Deputy to the statements and stances of successive...

Other Questions: Human Rights Issues (26 Nov 2014)

Charles Flanagan: In terms of the Irish Government support, as well as at political level, in the context of our participation at the UN and the passing of resolutions and the need to ensure that the resolutions are implemented, we also have expressed our support for members of the Rohingya community here in Ireland, and 82 members of the community were settled in Carlow and five others were settled in Dublin...

Other Questions: Human Rights Issues (26 Nov 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I will provide the balance of the reply to Deputy O'Sullivan on the outline of our funding to the region.

Other Questions: Commemorative Events (26 Nov 2014)

Charles Flanagan: The centenary of the Easter Rising in 2016 will be the centrepiece of the Government’s decade of commemorations programme. The Taoiseach launched the outline plans for the commemoration of the Easter Rising 1916 on Wednesday, 12 November last. These outline plans are now subject to a period of consultation to enable members of the public to comment and to submit ideas in regard to...

Other Questions: Commemorative Events (26 Nov 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I would like to reignite the Deputy's confidence in the commemoration process by inviting her to participate. We are now in the process of consultation which is important in the context of any plan. If this Government were to present a plan without any form of consultation, not only with Members of this House but with the wider community, I am sure we would be subject to the type of...

Other Questions: Commemorative Events (26 Nov 2014)

Charles Flanagan: Let me repeat that all these issues are under active consideration during the course of the consultation period, which is now under way. Members of the Irish diaspora will have an opportunity also to present their ideas and plans to the 1916 project team in the Department of the Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. As Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, I will be keeping in close contact...

Other Questions: Undocumented Irish in the USA (26 Nov 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I want to confirm to the House that there are a number of Irish immigrant centres across the USA which receive funding from the Government and are providing the information and advice on the changes as we speak. Information on who to contact is available on my Department's website, www.dfa.ie, and on the websites of Irish embassies and consulates in the USA. I agree with Deputy Naughten....

Other Questions: Undocumented Irish in the USA (26 Nov 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I wish to assure the House that the funding will continue. I agree that further action will be needed to resolve immigration reform in the USA. While President Obama's action is of course welcome and is a major step forward, it does not end the debate on further immigration reform. He has made it clear that he considers that there is a need for further legislation in this area and that...

Other Questions: Human Rights Issues (26 Nov 2014)

Charles Flanagan: The Government continues to follow closely the situation of the Rohingya people in Myanmar-Burma. I believe strongly that the underlying root causes of ethnic tensions in Rakhine State between the ethnically distinct Muslim population and the Buddhist population must be addressed as a matter of urgency. I also strongly believe that it is imperative that there should be a guarantee of...

Other Questions: Human Rights Issues (26 Nov 2014)

Charles Flanagan: The Irish Embassy in Vietnam, which is accredited to Myanmar, as the Deputy will be aware, is closely monitoring the situation. In September 2013, the ambassador travelled to Rakhine State to assess the situation. Most recently, the ambassador visited the area on 23 May 2014 and met the Minister for Foreign Affairs in the region. At that meeting he expressed Ireland’s concerns about...

Other Questions: Undocumented Irish in the USA (26 Nov 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I want to acknowledge the comments of the Deputy, with which I agree fully. During my visit to the US in September, I had a wide range of meetings on this important issue across a range of Irish community groups in Washington, New York and Boston, and with high level government contacts, including Vice President Joe Biden, White House Chief of Staff, Denis McDonough, and Secretary of State...