Results 1,161-1,180 of 1,981 for speaker:Conor Lenihan

Sentencing Policy. (28 Nov 2006)

Conor Lenihan: I thank Deputy Kelleher for raising this important topic. It is not the first time he has done so in this House. He has been steadfast and committed on this matter on behalf of his constituents and out of a strong personal interest on a moral and political level. Mandatory sentences for drug trafficking offences were first introduced by then Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform,...

Tax Code. (28 Nov 2006)

Conor Lenihan: As the Minister of State with responsibility for Irish aid and human rights, I am impressed by the arguments the former Minister, Deputy Walsh, has marshalled on this topic. The Minister for Finance is sympathetic to his point of view and I urge the Deputy to discuss these matters with him at the earliest possible date because he will find the Minister to be receptive. I am pleased to take...

Hospital Staff. (28 Nov 2006)

Conor Lenihan: From the outset, I personally wish the Deputy and his party well in terms of the re-establishment of both an Executive and an Assembly in the North. I will take this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney. The strategy for cancer control, launched by the Minister in June, makes recommendations on the organisation, governance, quality...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (28 Nov 2006)

Conor Lenihan: There are three Principal Development Specialist posts at Irish Aid headquarters in Dublin. No Principal Development Specialists have applied to decentralise to Limerick. There are twelve Senior Development Specialist posts at Irish Aid headquarters. Two originally applied to decentralise, but subsequently withdrew their applications. Finally, there are nine Development Specialist posts at...

Crisis in Darfur: Motion (28 Nov 2006)

Conor Lenihan: I welcome many of the contributions that have been made to this debate. Members of the House will be aware that tomorrow is a landmark day when the UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, will hopefully see something through in terms of this hybrid force that has been spoken about. I do not wish to minimise the situation or say things that may be inappropriate, but Ireland has contributed €16...

Graffiti Removal Operation. (23 Nov 2006)

Conor Lenihan: I thank the Deputy for his public-spirited involvement in this issue. I am standing in for my colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Roche. I am pleased to have the opportunity to outline the position on this issue. Graffiti is still a problem in and a blight on our society and our urban landscape. There is plenty of anecdotal evidence to...

Care of the Elderly. (23 Nov 2006)

Conor Lenihan: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. It is good to see that she is in full voice again.

Care of the Elderly. (23 Nov 2006)

Conor Lenihan: On foot of the way in which our pensions system is organised, surveys such as those presented by the OECD in, for instance, its publication Pensions at a Glance can provide a distorted picture of the economic position of older people in Ireland. The survey focuses on the cash income provided through state pension systems and, in our case, makes no allowance for the role played by private...

Schools Building Projects. (23 Nov 2006)

Conor Lenihan: I thank the Deputy for affording me the opportunity to outline the proposals of the Department of Education and Science regarding the provision of a new community school in Ballinamore, County Leitrim, and also the need for a new school in Dromore. Modernising facilities in our 3,200 primary and 750 post-primary schools is not an easy task, given the legacy of decades of under investment in...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (23 Nov 2006)

Conor Lenihan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 13, 82 and 117 together. Three Principal Development Specialists serve in Irish Aid headquarters in Dublin. None of the three has applied to decentralise to Limerick. There are twelve Senior Development Specialists at Irish Aid headquarters. None of the twelve is applying to decentralise to Limerick, though two originally did so, but subsequently withdrew...

Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (23 Nov 2006)

Conor Lenihan: HIV/AIDS is one of the foremost challenges in development, especially in Africa. The recently- launched White Paper on Irish Aid reaffirms the priority attached by the Government to addressing the global HIV/AIDS pandemic. The Clinton Foundation HIV/AIDS Initiative provides assistance to countries to implement care, treatment and prevention programmes that can reverse the course of the...

Written Answers — Debt Relief: Debt Relief (23 Nov 2006)

Conor Lenihan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 24 and 205 together. The IMF and World Bank have made increasing efforts to tackle the problem of debt in developing countries, since the launch of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative in 1996. The HIPC Initiative, which was strengthened and enhanced in 1999, sought to reduce the debt burden of qualifying countries to sustainable levels but...

Written Answers — Overseas Humanitarian Aid: Overseas Humanitarian Aid (23 Nov 2006)

Conor Lenihan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 43, 98 and 112 together. A number of humanitarian crises in recent years have highlighted some shortcomings in the response mechanisms currently in use by the international community. This applies to both the response mechanisms of the European Union and of the United Nations. Efforts are underway to improve emergency responses internationally, which I fully...

Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (23 Nov 2006)

Conor Lenihan: As announced during the recent debate on the White Paper on Irish Aid in the Dáil on 2 November 2006, the Department of Foreign Affairs will distribute a booklet on the aid programme to each household in the country in January 2007. The contents of the booklet will include a short overview of the White Paper on Irish Aid, information on the priority areas of work for Irish Aid and details...

Written Answers — Humanitarian Aid: Humanitarian Aid (23 Nov 2006)

Conor Lenihan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 61 and 200 together. The humanitarian situation across West Africa remains a matter of the deepest concern. A number of countries, such as Sierra Leone and Liberia, are only now emerging from a bitter and destructive civil war, while conflict persists in some other states in the region such as the Ivory Coast. At the same time, the countries of the Sahel,...

Written Answers — Humanitarian Aid: Humanitarian Aid (23 Nov 2006)

Conor Lenihan: I am aware of the strong historical and cultural links between Ireland and the island of Montserrat. In 1997, a major volcanic eruption affected the British Territory of Montserrat causing the evacuation of the population to neighbouring islands, or to the safer northern part of the island. Due to the existing damage and the ongoing threat of further eruptions, the southern part of the...

Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (23 Nov 2006)

Conor Lenihan: Improving access to medicine is one of the critical challenges to improving health in the developing world. Many poor people do not have access to essential medicines due to a range of factors, including lack of drugs at health facilities, lack of trained staff to provide treatment and the high cost of medicine to poor people. Lack of access to medicine causes the deaths of many people each...

Written Answers — Task Force on Hunger: Task Force on Hunger (23 Nov 2006)

Conor Lenihan: The Government has decided, in line with the recommendation in the White Paper on Irish Aid, to establish a Task Force on Hunger. The aim of the Task Force will be to identify the additional, appropriate and effective contributions that Ireland can make to international efforts to reduce hunger and thus achieve the first Millennium Development Goal of halving poverty and hunger by 2015....

Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (23 Nov 2006)

Conor Lenihan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 109 and 208 together. Programmes and projects supported by Irish Aid are subject to detailed planning and preparation to ensure they are designed to meet the needs of the poor. Poverty reduction is at the heart of the aid programme and this focus has been endorsed by the White Paper on Irish Aid, published in September. Irish Aid constantly monitors and...

Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (23 Nov 2006)

Conor Lenihan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 111 and 201 together. This year Irish Aid has delivered significant development and humanitarian funding in the Middle East. The bulk of Ireland's assistance this year — over €8.5 million — has been allocated to Palestine, Lebanon and Iraq. Depending on the emergency and development needs of the region, I expect that our assistance would remain at a...