Results 17,581-17,600 of 21,096 for speaker:Charles Flanagan

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (17 Sep 2014)

Charles Flanagan: The Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has recently confirmed that it does not, at present, have jurisdiction in relation to Gaza. Neither of the relevant parties has taken the necessary steps under the Rome Statute to allow the ICC to have jurisdiction in regard to this situation, nor has the UN Security Council chosen to refer this situation to the ICC. The UN...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (17 Sep 2014)

Charles Flanagan: In February 2014, following the departure from office of President Yanukovych, the Ukrainian Parliament appointed an interim President. At the same time, the Parliament duly approved a new interim coalition Government, headed by Prime Minister Yatsenyuk. The government took office on 27 February 2014. On 25 May 2014, Petro Poroschenko was elected President of Ukraine with an absolute...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: UN Committees (17 Sep 2014)

Charles Flanagan: Ms Frances Fitzgerald TD., Minister for Justice and Equality, represented the Government at a meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Committee on 14–15 July 2014 in Geneva. The purpose of the meeting was to examine Ireland’s Fourth Periodic Report under the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) which Ireland submitted in July 2012. The hearing...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: European Council Meetings (17 Sep 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I have attended two European Union Foreign Affairs Council meetings since mid-July, as follows: 22 July, Brussels – scheduled Foreign Affairs Council meeting; and 15 August, Brussels – extraordinary meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council. Discussions at both meetings were dominated by the ongoing crises in the EU’s Southern and Eastern Neighbourhoods. At the July...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: European Council Meetings (17 Sep 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1214 and 1231 together. I attended a regularly scheduled meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council on 22 July, as well as an extraordinary Foreign Affairs Council on 15 August, where the crisis in Ukraine was discussed. Conclusions were adopted at both meetings. The July meeting took place in the aftermath of the tragic downing of Malaysian Airlines flight...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (17 Sep 2014)

Charles Flanagan: Applications submitted through the public counters incur an additional fee of €15, which is €5.50 more expensive than those applications submitted through Passport Express, allowing for the Post Office charge of €9.50. The new fee was brought into effect by the Statutory Instrument 47 of 2011, which was advertised in the national press before its implementation on 11...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (17 Sep 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I can confirm that there has been no reconfiguration of services in the Cork Passport Office. Accordingly, all services which had been available in that office at the start of the year continue to be provided. However, earlier this year, the Passport Service introduced an appointment system for quick turnaround at the Passport Office in Cork. This system, which had already been running...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Dublin-Monaghan Bombings (17 Sep 2014)

Charles Flanagan: The 40th anniversary of the Dublin-Monaghan bombings on 17 May this year was a reminder to us all of the painful legacy of that terrible day, and of the questions that remain unanswered. This year, in support of the families of the Dublin Monaghan families and of other victims of the Troubles in this jurisdiction, my Department will provide €48,000 for Justice for the Forgotten. The...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland Issues (17 Sep 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1222, 1223 and 1225 to 1227, inclusive, together. On the evening of my appointment as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, I spoke by telephone with Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Theresa Villiers. Our conversation largely focused on the prospects for the 12 July parades, which were taking place the following day, but also touched upon the need...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland Issues (17 Sep 2014)

Charles Flanagan: The meeting of the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) in plenary format which was scheduled to take place in Dublin Castle on Friday, 4 July 2014 was postponed on account of political developments in Northern Ireland. A date for the rescheduled Plenary meeting has been proposed; discussions about the matter are continuing and we hope that it will be confirmed in the near future. In the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: European Council Meetings (17 Sep 2014)

Charles Flanagan: Recent Foreign Affairs Council discussions on the Middle East have been focussed on the concurrent crises in Iraq and Gaza. In relation to Gaza, the Council principally emphasised, as did Ireland nationally, the urgent need to end the fighting and restore the ceasefire, so as to bring an end to the dreadful violence being suffered by the population. However the Council also emphasised, in...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Appointments (17 Sep 2014)

Charles Flanagan: The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the table below. New appointments in the Department during the period March - December 2011 Number of staff Grade 17 Ministerial Appointee 1 Professional Accountant 6 Clerical Officer TOTAL24 New appointments in the Department during 2012 Number of staff Grade 2 Principal Officer 2 Ministerial Appointee 2 Assistant...

Seanad: Situation in Gaza and Ukraine: Statements (31 Jul 2014)

Charles Flanagan: There was absolutely no silence, as the Senator knows. To have to resort to a narrow partisan political point does no service to the very constructive and wide-ranging debate that we had this afternoon.

Seanad: Situation in Gaza and Ukraine: Statements (31 Jul 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I assure the House that Ireland will continue to play a full and active part in the EU efforts to that end. I thank you, a Chathaoirleach, for facilitating the debate and the Leader for instituting it and giving me an opportunity to outline the current Government position which is not silence, far from it, as I have demonstrated today to very good effect. I also thank the Senators for...

Seanad: Situation in Gaza and Ukraine: Statements (31 Jul 2014)

Charles Flanagan: Is Senator Jim Walsh is going to deny me an opportunity------

Seanad: Situation in Gaza and Ukraine: Statements (31 Jul 2014)

Charles Flanagan: -----of replying to the debate that has lasted for over four hours?

Seanad: Situation in Gaza and Ukraine: Statements (31 Jul 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I expected a little more from the Senator in this democratic forum.

Seanad: Situation in Gaza and Ukraine: Statements (31 Jul 2014)

Charles Flanagan: Especially when we are talking about the fundamentals of democracy. Such events in Europe - the killing of hundreds of EU citizens and many others - obviously calls for a very strong response from within the European Union. Senators have rightly mentioned the events in Gaza in the context of the ongoing blockade, the need to end the occupation of Palestinian territory, and that settlements...

Seanad: Situation in Gaza and Ukraine: Statements (31 Jul 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I was asked about the matter of sanctions. Again, this is not for the first time the issue was aired in this debate. Senators will be aware that, as a small trading nation, Ireland will only consider sanctions as part of UN or EU measures. While we would like to think otherwise, the reality is we are too small to affect matters on our own as far as the imposition of economic or social...

Seanad: Situation in Gaza and Ukraine: Statements (31 Jul 2014)

Charles Flanagan: As a member of a common trading area, we could not exclude goods lawfully on sale in the European Union; therefore, any sanction would have to be at EU level.