Results 501-520 of 2,477 for speaker:Colm Brophy

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid (23 Jun 2022)

Colm Brophy: The priorities for the Government’s investments in international development are set out in A Better World, the white paper on international development published in 2019.  The focus is on reaching the furthest behind first, through working with those living in some of the world’s poorest or most climate-exposed countries and those living in conflict settings, with a...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (23 Jun 2022)

Colm Brophy: Front Line Defenders (FLD) is an Irish based international Non-Governmental Organisation that works exclusively for the protection of human rights defenders at risk globally. Headquartered in Dublin, with staff in all regions of the world, it provides rapid and practical support to human rights defenders, particularly in fragile and conflict-affected countries. In 2021, the organisation...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Policy (23 Jun 2022)

Colm Brophy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 145 and 149 together. The Horn of Africa is experiencing one of the most severe droughts in at least forty years, pushing the region close to the brink of catastrophe. Food prices are rising as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.  Responding, my Department through the Irish Aid programme has contributed over €48 million in direct...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: International Terrorism (23 Jun 2022)

Colm Brophy: Ireland strongly condemns the continued violence perpetrated by Boko Haram and al-Shabaab. Ireland supports the European Union (EU), United Nations (UN), and other international efforts to reduce the influence of Boko Haram and al-Shabaab, and to prevent their attacks, especially against civilians and humanitarian workers and facilities. Ireland continues to monitor the activities of these...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (23 Jun 2022)

Colm Brophy: The United Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the United Nations’ core Human Rights Treaties set the framework for Ireland’s foreign policy and our international aid programme. A Better World, Ireland's international development policy, focuses Irish Aid’s work on the advancement of universal access to human rights; including the right to...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Irish Aid (21 Jun 2022)

Colm Brophy: The Horn of Africa is experiencing one of the most severe droughts in at least forty years, pushing the region close to the brink of catastrophe. Food prices are rising as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.  Responding, my Department through the Irish Aid programme has contributed over €48 million in direct humanitarian support to drought-affected Kenya, Somalia and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Irish Aid (21 Jun 2022)

Colm Brophy: The Rapid Response Corps is an important element of my Department's humanitarian response capacity, complementing the support to humanitarian agencies which my Department provides through the Irish Aid programme and our diplomacy, including on the Security Council.  The Corps is a roster of dedicated experts drawn from a range of professional backgrounds applicable in humanitarian...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Religious Discrimination (16 Jun 2022)

Colm Brophy: I condemn the 5 June attack on innocent civilians attending St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Nigeria, in a diocese with links to Irish missionaries. This atrocious attack resulted in multiple deaths, reportedly at least 40, and many others wounded. I would like to express my deepest condolences to all of the families affected. The Embassy of Ireland in Abuja, Nigeria, is monitoring...

Energy Security: Motion [Private Members] (15 Jun 2022)

Colm Brophy: I am happy to confirm the Government's position in response to the motion proposed. The Government has moved a countermotion that affirms its policy position on reducing our reliance on fossil fuels. The programme for Government indicated clearly how we can achieve that, including by committing to ending the issuing of new licences for the exploration and extraction of gas. This mirrors...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Climate Change Policy (14 Jun 2022)

Colm Brophy: International climate action, including climate finance, is a key priority for the Irish Government. Ireland’s Annual Climate Finance Reports, available on the Irish Aid website, illustrate the Government’s continued support to countries that are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. To calculate Ireland’s contribution to international climate...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Strategies (14 Jun 2022)

Colm Brophy: The Global Ireland: Ireland's Strategy for Africa to 2025 was published on 28 November 2019. My Department reports annually to Government on implementation of the strategy, with the reports for 2020 and 2021 available on www.gov.ie. The 2021 progress report was brought to Government last month to mark Africa Day. The 2021 report shows that Ireland’s trade in goods with Africa...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Policy (14 Jun 2022)

Colm Brophy: Global food insecurity is at record level. By the end of last year, nearly 193 million people were experiencing crisis levels of food insecurity, an increase of almost 40 million over the previous record in 2020. This situation has continued to worsen in 2022. The Russian invasion of Ukraine, including its effective blockade on shipping from Ukraine's Black Sea ports, has restricted...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Policy (14 Jun 2022)

Colm Brophy: With over 14 million people inside Syria requiring assistance, Syria has been one of the most complex humanitarian crises in the world since the conflict there began over a decade ago. In addition to those affected within the country, millions more Syrians have left the country as refugees, the majority to neighbouring countries. This is the context within which the wider impacts of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Overseas Development Aid (10 May 2022)

Colm Brophy: It is important to note as a member of the Security Council we are now dealing with a situation where there are, say, 30 files in this area compared to, say, 13 when we were last on the Security Council. As I noted in my response to the Deputy, we are a very strong contributor in terms of the United Nations, and particularly in human rights. That, I believe, is strengthened through our...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Overseas Development Aid (10 May 2022)

Colm Brophy: Specifically, to come back to the Deputy on that particular point, that is a key part of my work within Irish Aid. We fully recognise that. A key emphasis of what we do with our aid programme is tackling gender inequality. In promoting gender equality, particularly for young girls in access to education, one of the key aspects is to put in place systems that enable things such as the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Ukraine War (10 May 2022)

Colm Brophy: Russia's invasion of Ukraine has had a devastating impact on Ukraine and the Ukrainians. With both countries together producing 12% of the world's traded calories, the invasion has also driven global food, fuel and fertiliser prices to record highs. This has particularly affected some of the most vulnerable countries in the world, which are reliant on food and fertiliser imports. The...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Ukraine War (10 May 2022)

Colm Brophy: In a number of areas, we continue our commitment to address directly things such as the price impacts. The Department is encouraging our international partners to adjust programmes rapidly in response to the crisis. It is also important that the international response focuses on the need to prevent a further deterioration of food security. As the Deputy and I both acknowledged, it is...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Ukraine War (10 May 2022)

Colm Brophy: We continue to highlight the importance of the World Food Programme and support for it. It issued a terrifying warning, I believe, that an additional 47 million people could fall into the grip of acute hunger in 2022. That is from a pre-war baseline of 276 million people. That means that up to 323 million people could become acutely food-insecure in 2022. That is increasing for men,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Overseas Development Aid (10 May 2022)

Colm Brophy: A Better World, Ireland's international development policy, focuses Irish Aid's work on meeting the needs of the furthest behind first, with an emphasis on those in the world's poorest or most climate-exposed countries, especially women and girls. Delivering on the ambition of A Better World includes a focus on food security and on upholding the rights of those we support. The allocation to...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Ukraine War (10 May 2022)

Colm Brophy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 84, 91, 107 and 145 together. Moldova’s response to the Ukraine crisis, in particular its hosting of large numbers of refugees, is remarkable. Minister Coveney discussed Ireland’s assistance to Moldova on several occasions, including at the Support Conference for Moldova on 5 April and in his meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Popescu in the...