Results 281-300 of 3,354 for in 'Written Answers' speaker:Joe Costello

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights Issues (26 Jun 2013)

Joe Costello: The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2000, focuses on the involvement of children in armed conflict in an effort to strengthen implementation of the Convention and increase the protection of children during armed conflicts. The Protocol became legally binding on 12 February 2002 and, to date, more than 100...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights Issues (26 Jun 2013)

Joe Costello: Sierra Leone’s protracted civil war, in which 50,000 people died, fostered widespread abuse of human rights. Women suffered the brunt of the conflict, and experienced some of the most horrific acts of violence during the war. While Sierra Leone has made considerable progress towards peace and sustainable development since the end of the war in 2002, the country continues to suffer from...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid Provision (26 Jun 2013)

Joe Costello: I propose to take Questions Nos. 28 and 45 together. The Africa Agri-food Development Fund is a joint initiative between the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine. The Fund was launched in April 2012. The fund is part of Ireland’s overseas development cooperation programme and is designed to support the development of new...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Children in Armed Conflict (26 Jun 2013)

Joe Costello: I propose to take Questions Nos. 32 and 77 together. I share the widespread concern at the continue involvement of children in armed conflict, and at the appalling suffering of children in wars and conflicts. The issues involved are highlighted in the most recent annual report of the UN Secretary General on children and armed conflict, which was issued on 15 May. The report notes that...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid Issues (26 Jun 2013)

Joe Costello: Strong progress has been made in improving access to education under the framework of the Millennium Development Goals, adopted internationally in 2000. Today, forty million more children are enrolled in primary school than at the start of the new century. However, this progress has been uneven. For instance, children from conflict-affected states and children from remote rural areas in...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Humanitarian Aid (26 Jun 2013)

Joe Costello: I propose to take Questions Nos. 43 and 49 together. The unprecedented humanitarian crisis that is taking place in Syria and in surrounding countries is of grave concern. As the Deputy will be aware, there are now almost 7 million people in need of emergency humanitarian assistance inside Syria, while the number of fatalities as a result of the widespread and indiscriminate violence is in...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Humanitarian Aid (26 Jun 2013)

Joe Costello: The humanitarian crisis in Syria and neighbouring countries is distressing. The number of fatalities as a result of the widespread and indiscriminate violence is in excess of 90,000 and there are now almost 7 million people in need of emergency humanitarian assistance inside Syria, many of whom are children. Fear and uncertainty have forced more than 1.6 million Syrians to flee to...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid Issues (26 Jun 2013)

Joe Costello: Ireland’s aid programme, Irish Aid, which is managed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, is strongly focused on the fight to end extreme poverty and hunger, especially in the countries of sub-Saharan Africa. In 2012, the Government provided a total of €639 million for Official Development Assistance. Ireland’s assistance is directed to development programmes...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights Issues (26 Jun 2013)

Joe Costello: Ireland’s programme of official development assistance continues to have a special focus on the continent of Africa. As the Deputy is aware, African countries have historically faced many difficulties, including food insecurity, poverty, protracted conflict, environmental degradation, weak government capacity, unequal global trading relationships, severe infrastructural weaknesses,...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid Issues (25 Jun 2013)

Joe Costello: Since the Millennium Development Goals were agreed by the global community in 2000, the number of people living in extreme poverty has fallen significantly – including in sub Saharan Africa where rates were highest. Since this time many more children have access to safe water; more girls and boys are attending school, and far fewer people are dying of preventable illness such as...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Africa Ireland Economic Forum (25 Jun 2013)

Joe Costello: The Third Africa Ireland Economic Forum will take place on the 3rd of October 2013. This date will coincide with the next meeting of the Global Irish Network. Both events involve the building and strengthening of networks and connections between Ireland and important trading partners, including Africa. The event is organised by my Department in close consultation with the African Embassies...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid Provision (19 Jun 2013)

Joe Costello: I propose to take Questions Nos. 68, 69 and 74 together. The Government is strongly committed to Ireland’s overseas aid programme. Our new Policy on International Development, “One World, One Future”, clearly sets out our vision for a sustainable and just world, and our goals and areas of focus for the coming years. It reaffirms the Government’s commitment to...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Millenium Development Goals (18 Jun 2013)

Joe Costello: I propose to take Questions Nos. 64 and 73 together. The Government is strongly committed to Ireland’s overseas aid programme. Our new international development policy, "One World, One Future", clearly sets out our vision for a sustainable and just world, and our goals and areas of focus for the coming years. It reaffirms the Government’s commitment to international...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Election Monitoring Missions (18 Jun 2013)

Joe Costello: The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has recently carried out a review of the election observation roster. Following a call for applications, which was issued by the Department, a total of 295 applications were received. 100 were from female applicants and 195 from male applicants. Applications were appraised against the four published criteria: language skills (in particular a...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid Issues (18 Jun 2013)

Joe Costello: The Government’s development cooperation programme, Irish Aid, reflects the values and experience of the Irish people and is dependent on their continued support. An important element of the programme is support for public information and engagement, including development education in Ireland. Ireland’s new Policy for International Development, One World, One Future, reflects...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights Issues (18 Jun 2013)

Joe Costello: Ethiopia has been a priority country for Ireland’s aid programme since 1994. Ireland has made a significant contribution to development and the fight against poverty and hunger in Ethiopia. In the past decade Ethiopia has recorded remarkable improvements in human development, as measured by the UN Human Development Index. This progress is a strong example of the success of...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Food Security (18 Jun 2013)

Joe Costello: Ireland and the United States have been working together towards the shared goal of ending extreme poverty and hunger in the world. Ireland has developed an important partnership with the United States on the 1,000 Days initiative to address the continuing crisis of maternal and child under-nutrition in some of the poorest countries and communities. The first thousand days, from pregnancy to...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid Issues (12 Jun 2013)

Joe Costello: Combating global hunger and under-nutrition is a key pillar of Ireland's overseas development assistance programme, which is a central element of our foreign policy. This commitment was renewed last month when we launched Ireland's new policy for international development, 'One World,One Future'. In 2008, Ireland's Hunger Task Force called on the Government to work towards an indicative...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid Issues (12 Jun 2013)

Joe Costello: I warmly welcome the report, “Models of Agricultural Investment”, published last November by Dóchas, the umbrella organisation for Irish development NGOs. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine contributed to the report's formulation. The report concludes that the local context is a crucial determinant of the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Issues (11 Jun 2013)

Joe Costello: I propose to take Questions Nos. 115 and 116 together. The Development segment of the Foreign Affairs Council, which I attended in Brussels on 28 May, adopted Conclusions on the 2013 Annual Report to the European Council on EU Development Aid Targets. The Conclusions note a decrease in collective EU Official Development Assistance (ODA) from €56.2 billion in 2011 to €55.2...