Results 21-40 of 4,928 for speaker:Neale Richmond

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid (18 Nov 2025)

Neale Richmond: Ireland's international development programme provides support for countries and communities most acutely in need, with a particular focus on sub-Saharan Africa. The Government's policy for international development, A Better World, provides the framework, with the objective of reaching the furthest behind first and addressing the needs of those living in some of the world’s poorest or...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid (18 Nov 2025)

Neale Richmond: The Government delivers our international development programme through several channels: our Embassies in developing countries, civil society and humanitarian organisations, and multilateral organisations, including the United Nations and its agencies. The key criterion to determine which channel to use is the ability of the partner to reach those in need in the most effective way possible....

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid (18 Nov 2025)

Neale Richmond: Gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls is a key priority for Ireland’s foreign policy. A Better World, Ireland’s policy for international development, commits to the provision of direct funding to gender equality programmes as well as to ensuring the integration of the needs and interests of women and girls across all of our work. Ireland has consistently...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Humanitarian Aid (18 Nov 2025)

Neale Richmond: The increase in Ireland's ODA announced in Budget 2026 will enable us to further strengthen Ireland’s humanitarian assistance for the people of Palestine and Sudan. Last month, we announced an additional €6 million in humanitarian aid for Gaza as UN and humanitarian agencies worked to scale up assistance following the ceasefire. This new assistance is being provided through...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid (18 Nov 2025)

Neale Richmond: Ireland was represented at the Second World Summit for Social Development, with a delegation led by Minister of State for Community and Rural Development, Gaeltacht and Rural Transport, Jerry Buttimer, T.D. The delegation also included Ireland’s Ambassador accredited to Qatar, and officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The objective of the summit was to agree...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid (18 Nov 2025)

Neale Richmond: The Government's international development programme is delivered through Irish Embassies in developing countries, through civil society and humanitarian organisations, and through multilateral organisations, including the United Nations. Under the Department’s Counter-Fraud Policy, and as required by the terms and conditions of grant agreements signed, our funding partners are...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Climate Change Policy (13 Nov 2025)

Neale Richmond: I propose to take Questions Nos. 159, 160 and 161 together. International climate finance is a key priority for the Government and for Ireland’s foreign policy. The Government has made significant progress in scaling up Ireland's international climate finance in recent years. Ireland’s International Climate Finance Roadmap, published in 2022, sets out how we will...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Policy (13 Nov 2025)

Neale Richmond: I propose to take Questions Nos. 165 and 167 together. The Government is very concerned at the violence and deaths in Tanzania following the Presidential and parliamentary elections held on 28 and 29 October. For several days after the elections, demonstrations took place in major cities leading to outbreaks of violence, destruction of property and road closures. There are credible...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Religious Persecution (12 Nov 2025)

Neale Richmond: The Government strongly condemns persecution on religious or ethnic grounds, irrespective of where it occurs, or who the victims are. This includes where Christians face persecution for exercising the right to practice their faith. Promotion and protection of freedom of religion or belief is a priority for Ireland, both nationally and in our international engagements. The right to freedom of...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid (12 Nov 2025)

Neale Richmond: Ireland’s Official Development Assistance consists of funding from various sources, notably Irish Aid, Ireland’s development assistance programme, which is managed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. It also includes contributions from other Government Departments, Ireland's share of the EU Development Cooperation Budget and eligible supports for refugees in their...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid (12 Nov 2025)

Neale Richmond: Gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls is a key priority for Ireland’s foreign policy. A Better World, Ireland’s policy for international development, commits to the provision of direct funding to gender equality programmes as well as to ensuring the integration of the needs and interests of women and girls across all our interventions and partnerships. ...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid (12 Nov 2025)

Neale Richmond: There are no conditions or stipulations attached to Ireland’s Official Development Assistance obliging recipient states to change laws or practices in support of abortion as an element of sexual and reproductive health. Ireland’s policy for international development cooperation, A Better World, reflects a long-standing commitment to delivering high quality, untied,...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (12 Nov 2025)

Neale Richmond: The Government is very concerned at the violence and deaths in Tanzania following the Presidential and parliamentary elections held in Tanzania on 28 and 29 October. On 3 November, Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan was sworn in for her second term as the President of the United Republic of Tanzania. On the election day and in the days afterwards, demonstrations took place in major cities, resulting in...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Humanitarian Aid (12 Nov 2025)

Neale Richmond: The Government has consistently condemned the gross and systematic human rights abuses by the Taliban across Afghanistan, particularly against women, girls and individuals from marginalised communities. When he addressed the UN General Assembly in September, the Taoiseach condemned the denial of the most fundamental rights of Afghanistan's women and girls. In line with the commitment in...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid (12 Nov 2025)

Neale Richmond: I propose to take Questions Nos. 220 and 221 together. In Budget 2026, the provision for the international development assistance programme managed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Irish Aid, was increased by $30 million bringing the total allocation to €840.3 million, the highest level ever. This is a clear sign of Ireland’s absolute commitment to working in...

Seanad: International Development and the Diaspora: Statements (6 Nov 2025)

Neale Richmond: While I will focus my remarks primarily on the international development side of my brief, it is fitting that I commence by paying tribute to our late dear friend and colleague, Senator Billy Lawless. I was lucky to be in Chicago at the weekend and I spent some time with his son, Billy Jnr. I spent something else in The Gage, but we will leave that between me and him. It was brilliant to...

Seanad: International Development and the Diaspora: Statements (6 Nov 2025)

Neale Richmond: I am extremely grateful to all the Senators for their thoughtful and extremely supportive contributions on a range of matters. I will go back to my opening contribution where I said that our overseas development assistance and international development programme, first and foremost, was an investment. It is a solid investment that generates a real return for Ireland and it goes exactly to...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Driver Test (5 Nov 2025)

Neale Richmond: I am very grateful to Deputy Murphy for raising this issue. The Minister of State, Deputy Canney, would also like to thank him for raising this matter and he looks forward to continuing a very close working relationship, given the Deputy's role as Chair of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport. The Department of Transport is committed, under action 7B of the road safety strategy...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Driver Test (5 Nov 2025)

Neale Richmond: I am very grateful to Deputy Murphy for raising this. From a road safety perspective, it is vital that learners are encouraged to complete the learning-to-drive process and become fully qualified drivers, and that people do not hold learner permits without ever taking a driving test. The RSA has a communication plan to engage with multiple learner permit holders. This will provide clear,...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Water Services (5 Nov 2025)

Neale Richmond: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister. The Deputy will appreciate that the supply of public water and the provision of water services in general are matters for Uisce Éireann in the first instance. Uisce Éireann has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and...