Results 641-660 of 6,679 for speaker:Eamon Gilmore in 'Written Answers'

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Undocumented Irish in the USA (19 Nov 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: I propose to take Questions Nos. 99, 118, 132, 133 and 151 together. This is an issue to which I accord very high priority, being conscious of the acute difficulties experienced by Irish undocumented in the United States, many of whom I have met on my visits there. I have maintained contact, both directly and through our Embassy in Washington, with many key players in Congress including...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland Issues (19 Nov 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: The Minister for Justice David Ford MLA and I have regular discussions about the situation in Northern Ireland. Since the 2010 agreement at Hillsborough, Minister Ford has responsibility for policing and criminal justice policy in Northern Ireland. In the post Hillsborough period, co-operation on Justice issues has gone from strength to strength and co-operation between the PSNI and an...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Diplomatic Representation Expenditure (19 Nov 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: In 1987, the Government formulated a policy to bring together, where feasible, our diplomatic and consular missions abroad and the offices of state agencies in a single location, designated as Ireland House. The precise model for implementing such an arrangement would, of course, vary and have to reflect local conditions and other factors. In all cases, the arrangement is one designed to...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Diplomatic Representation (19 Nov 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: The Consul General of Ireland to Atlanta visited the citizen referred to by the Deputy at the Land O'Lakes County Jail in Florida on 24th October 2013. Unfortunately, I cannot disclose further information to the Deputy as Consular visits are by their nature private and it would not be appropriate for me to make public any details of such a visit. I can assure the Deputy that the Consul...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights Issues (19 Nov 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: I propose to take Questions Nos. 104 and 135 together. The Government of Ireland monitors the human rights situation in Sri Lanka closely. All allegations of human rights abuses reported by international organisations, non-governmental organizations, and through the media are taken seriously. I am deeply concerned by the accounts of human rights abuses in connection with the conflict in...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland Issues (19 Nov 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: I propose to take Questions Nos. 105 and 122 together. In recent weeks there have been several sharp reminders of the devastation that the conflict in Northern Ireland had on families and communities. The allegations of collusion and the murders described in Anne Cadwallader’s book Lethal Allies, and the BBC and RTÉ documentary on "The Disappeared" this week, remind us that...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights Issues (19 Nov 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: Policy on the placement and treatment of a country's nationals in prison in the European Union is a matter for the democratically elected government and the relevant competent authorities in each Member State in accordance with domestic, European and international law, and, as such, it would be inappropriate for me to become involved in the matter in question. As I have stated previously,...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Global Economic Forum (19 Nov 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: The 3rd Global Irish Economic Forum took place on the 4th and 5th of October and brought together members of the Global Irish Network and the Government, along with heads of third level institutions and semi-state bodies. The Forum discussion was very focussed on this occasion, with attendees being asked to consider the contribution that the Forum and the Global Irish Network could make to...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Global Economic Forum (19 Nov 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: The first and second meetings of the Global Irish Economic Forum, in 2009 and 2011 respectively, transformed the way in which the Government does business with leading international figures who are connected to Ireland. A number of initiatives emerged from both of these events which have achieved considerable success.Perhaps the best known of these is the Gathering, which is the largest...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Cross-Border Enterprise Initiatives (19 Nov 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: My ambition for the all-island economy is for well-educated, highly-trained and confident people North and South working cooperatively and successfully together for the economic benefit of this island. The Comprehensive Study on the All-Island Economy, launched in October 2006, set out an ambitious range of strategies and collaborative actions aimed at maximising the competitive advantages...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland Issues (19 Nov 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: I regularly meet with the First Minister and deputy First Ministers for discussions on a range of issues. The Taoiseach and I met with both the First Minister and the deputy First Minister most recently en marge of the North South Ministerial Council in Armagh on 9 November. I also met with deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness in Derry on 19 October and with First Minister Peter Robinson...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Good Friday Agreement (19 Nov 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: The implementation of the Good Friday Agreement is a matter of the highest priority for this Government. I value the contribution made by the Houses of the Oireachtas in this regard, as shown by the motion adopted last May by Dáil Éireann to coincide with the Agreement's fifteenth anniversary. The valuable work of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Peace Process (19 Nov 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: I propose to take Questions Nos. 123 and 146 together. The Israeli and Palestinian sides are negotiating directly, with the United States as the only outside observer. The role of Ireland and our EU partners is therefore to support and encourage both parties in their engagement together, and work on how EU policies can help this, including by addressing issues which are damaging to...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Common Foreign and Security Policy (19 Nov 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: The December European Council will hold a thematic discussion on security and defence issues, in accordance with the mandate received from the December 2012 European Council. The discussions will be informed by a Report on the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) by High Representative Ashton and a Commission Communication entitled “Towards a more competitive and efficient defence...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Defence Forces Deployment (19 Nov 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: I propose to take Questions Nos. 126 and 127 together. The decision-making process in relation to the participation of the Defence Forces in EU Training Missions, such as EUTM Somalia, is the same as the process involved in all deployments to UN-authorised peacekeeping and crisis management operations overseas. Possible participation by the Defence Forces is considered in the first...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Trade Missions Numbers (19 Nov 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: St. Patrick’s Day offers a unique opportunity to promote Ireland’s economic and political interests overseas, with levels of publicity and media attention unmatched by the national day of any other country. Ministerial visits around the St. Patrick’s Day period are organised to ensure that we use this exposure to maximise the promotion of Ireland’s trade, tourism...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Trade Missions Numbers (19 Nov 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: Trade promotion and economic messaging are key elements in all visits abroad undertaken by myself and the Minister of State for Trade and Development. My visit to China in July of this year, organised by my Department and the Embassy of Ireland in Beijing, in close cooperation with the state agencies, had a strong trade and investment focus including targeted meetings with Chinese companies...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Diplomatic Representation (19 Nov 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: In November 2011, the Government announced its decision to close Ireland’s Embassy to the Holy See. This decision was driven by economic factors deriving from our need to cut public expenditure and focus the modest resources of our diplomatic service on economic recovery. As the Deputy is aware, the Government decided to appoint the Secretary General of my Department as non-resident...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Budgets (19 Nov 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: The figures in the table includes expenditure charged to the Anglo-Irish Division’s budget. Salary and related costs of staff are not included as they are a charge on the overall budget of the Department rather than on a specific Division. Capital expenditure is not included as such expenditure does not form part of the Division’s budget. The budget allocation for 2014 is...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (19 Nov 2013)

Eamon Gilmore: I strongly support the Colombian peace process and hope that the negotiations underway will bring an end to the long conflict which has caused much suffering.In May, negotiators reached agreement on the land reform element of their discussions. In a positive development earlier this month, agreement was reached on the issue of political participation. The timetable for the talks is a matter...