
<rss version="2.0">
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		<title>About DFA</title>
		<link>http://www.dfa.ie/home/index.aspx?id=57</link>
		<description></description>
		<language>en</language>
		<pubDate>Wed, 22 May 2013 04:46:34 UTC</pubDate>
		
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					<title><![CDATA[Prompt Payment Procedures]]></title>
					<link>http://www.dfa.ie/home/index.aspx?id=83290</link>
					<description><![CDATA[
Prompt Payment Procedures.


The Department is committed to making every effort to pay its
suppliers promptly. In this regard suppliers can help by ensuring
that they provide correct invoices, accurate bank account details
and by ensuring that their Tax Clearance status with the Irish
Revenue Commissioners is up to date.


(In the case of all public sector contracts of a value of €10,000
(inclusive of VAT) or more within any 12-month period, the
contractor (and agent or sub-contractor as appropriate) will be
required to produce either a valid tax clearance certificate or a
C2 certificate. This is a mandatory requirement. Full details on
tax clearance procedures may be found on the Revenue Commissioners
website)


Prompt Payment of Accounts Legislation.


Payment of invoices by the Department is governed by the Prompt
Payment of Accounts Act, 1997 as amended by the European
Communities (Late Payment in Commercial Transactions) Regulations
2002. The legislation provides for the payment of interest on valid
invoices which are unpaid after 30 days from the date of receipt.
Interest is calculated in respect of the period
starting on the date after the due date and ending on the date when
payment is made.


Payment of interest cannot be waived by the supplier and must be
included with the amount payable for the goods or services without
demand for its payment being made by the supplier.


From the 1st July 2010, the late payment interest rate is 8% per
annum (that is based on the ECB rate of 1% plus the margin of 7%).
That rate equates to a daily rate of 0.022%. Penalty interest due
for late payments should be calculated on a daily basis. The ECB
rate can be checked on the Central Bank and Financial Services Authority
of Ireland websiteor on the European Central Bank website.


Invoice Queries


The Department has ten working days to return an incorrect invoice
which must be accompanied by a written statement identifying the
alleged defects that prevent payment being made. Following
acceptance by the Department of the corrected invoice, the
Department will endeavour to issue payment within 15 days.


The legislation does not oblige payment to be made to a supplier
who has failed or refused to comply with a request to produce a tax
clearance certificate and it expressly extends the statutory time
limit for payment where there are delays in furnishing a tax
clearance certificate. Also the Act does not affect the
deduction of withholding tax from any payment to a supplier.


New 15-Day Payment Requirement, June 2009


The Government introduced a further non-statutory requirement in
June 2009 to reduce the payment period by Central Government
Departments to their suppliers from 30 to 15 days. Every effort,
consistent with proper financial
procedures,is being made to ensure that all
suppliers are paid within this timeframe. The links below show the
Department's performance with regard to the 15 day payment
requirement since its introduction.





Revised Late Payment Legislation affective from 16 March
2013.



S.I. 580 of 2012 transposes EU Directive 2011/7/EU on Combating
Late Payment in Commercial Transactions. This new SI revokes
the previous Regulation S.I 388 of 2002.


Link to the SI on the Irish Statute Book.  http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2012/en/si/0580.html


The main provisions of the new Legislation for Public Authorities
are;

If the date or period for payment is not fixed in the contract, the
creditor is entitled to interest for late payment upon the expiry
of any of the following time-limits:



30 calendar days following the date of receipt of the invoice
or an equivalent request for payment;


If the date of the receipt of the invoice or the equivalent request
for payment is uncertain, 30 calendar days after the date of
receipt of the goods or services.


Public Authorities will have to pay as a general rule, within 30
days



In addition;

Acceptance and Verification procedure in Public Authorities to
Business (PA2B)
-    Must be provided by the contract
-    Maximum duration does not exceed 30
calendar days from the date of receipt of the goods/services
unless
-    Otherwise expressly agreed in the
contract AND tender doc and provided it is not grossly
unfair to the creditor

Government Departments and State Bodies should take
particularnote ofthe following:



Rate of interest on Late Payment changes to&quot;The applicable
reference rate (rate applied by the ECB) + statutory Interest for
Late Payments of 8%&quot; The new rates will be posted on the Late
Payment webpage on the Departments website.


The €5 minimum interest payment has been abolished.  Small
amounts of interest for late payment can be charged. There is
no minimum interest payment applicable


In addition to receiving Interest on Late Payment the
supplier is also entitled to Automatic compensation (without
the need to issue a reminder) of a minimum of €40
if the Invoice is less than €1,000. There is a scale of
compensation detailed in the Schedule to the S.I. 
Automatic payment of Compensation costs was
confirmed by the Attorney General’s Office and the European
Commission.



The Scheduleprovides for the Amount of compensation payable
under Regulation 9 as follows;
Not exceeding €1000      
        
    €40
Exceeding €1,000 but not exceeding
€10.000€70
Exceeding €10,000       
       

€100



It is also important to note that the 15 day Prompt Payment
administration requirement still applies and all public bodies are
encouraged to pay their creditors within 15 days.





2009


Period: 1 July to 31 September 2009 (PDF
   70kb)
Period: 1 October to 31 December 2009 (PDF
   50kb)


2010


Period: 1 January 2010 to 31 March 2010 (PDF
   91kb)
Period : 1 April 2010 to 30 June 2010 (PDF
   91kb)
Period: 1 July 2010 to 30 September 2010 (PDF
   29kb)
Period: 1 October 2010 to 31 December 2010 (PDF
   163kb)


2011


Period: 1 January 2011 to 31 March 2011 (PDF
   163kb)
Period: 1 April 2011 to 30 June 2011 (PDF
   164kb)
Period: 1 July to 30 September 2011 (PDF
   163kb)
Period: 1 October 2011 to 31 December 2011 (PDF
   163kb)


2012


Period: 1 January 2012 to 31 March 2012 (PDF
   254kb)

Period: 1 April to 30 June 2012 (PDF 179kb)

Period :1 July to 30 September (PDF 174kb)



Period :1 October 2012 to December (PDF 163kb)


2013



Period: 1 January to 31 March 2013 (PDF 248kb)

]]></description>
					<pubDate>Tue, 21 May 2013 10:15:05 UTC</pubDate>
		
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					<title><![CDATA[Twitter Policy]]></title>
					<link>http://www.dfa.ie/home/index.aspx?id=87103</link>
					<description><![CDATA[   
Twitter Policy – Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade,
Ireland


Who we are:
@dfatirl is
the official Twitter account of the Department of Foreign Affairs
and Trade. It is managed by the Department’s Press Office.


Other DFAT accounts:
@dfatravel - Information
relating to Consular and Passport matters
@Irish_Aid - Irish Aid,
Ireland’s overseas aid programme


Ireland’s Diplomatic Missions on Twitter:


Europe
@irlembberlin-
Embassy of Ireland, Berlin
@IrelandRepBru-
Permanent Representation of Ireland to the European Union,
Brussels
@IrelandEmbGB – Embassy of
Ireland, London
@IrishEmbBelgium
– Embassy of Ireland, Belgium
@IrishEmbVilnius
- Embassy of Ireland, Lithuania
@IrlEmbMadrid – Embassy of
Ireland, Madrid
@IrlEmbParis – Embassy of
Ireland, Paris
@IrlEmbRome -
Embassy of Ireland, Rome
@IrishEmbFinland
– Embassy of Ireland, Helsinki
@IrishEmbSweden-
Embassy of Ireland, Stockholm
@IrishEmbMalta-
Embassy of Ireland, Valletta


The Americas@IrelandEmbUSA – Embassy of
Ireland, Washington D.C.
@IrelandAtlanta-
Consulate General of Ireland, Atlanta
@IrelandBoston –
Consulate General of Ireland, Boston
@IrelandChicago –
Consulate General of Ireland, Chicago
@IrelandinNY –
Consulate General of Ireland, New York
@IrelandSanFran -
Consulate of Ireland, San Francisco
@IrishEmbMexico-
Embassy of Ireland, Mexico


Asia-Pacific
@IrishEmbJapan – Embassy of
Ireland, Tokyo
@IrishEmbKorea –
Embassy of Ireland, Seoul
@irlembaustralia
- Embassy of Ireland, Canberra
@IrelandSydney –
Consulate General of Ireland, Sydney


Africa@IrelandinZambia-
Embassy of Ireland, Lusaka


DFAT Ministers on Twitter


@EamonGilmore–
T&#225;naiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade
@JoeCostelloTD–
Minister for Trade and Development
@LCreighton – Minister
for European Affairs


If you follow us, you can expect tweets covering some or all of the
following:


&#183; Press Releases on
the Departments activities and Ministerial speeches


&#183; Event information
and occasional live coverage of events


&#183; Alerts about new
content on our website


&#183; Emergency
communications – for example changes to the Department’s Travel
Advice


&#183; Other practical
information on services available through the Department


RTs ≠ Endorsement


Who we follow:
If you follow us, we will not automatically follow you
back. This is to help our followers identify
other Twitter accounts that we are following such as other DFAT
Twitter accounts, other Government Departments, Houses of the
Oireachtas, relevant European institutions and accounts of
particular relevance to Ireland.


@Replies and Direct Messages:
We welcome feedback from our followers and will try to join the
conversation where possible. However, we may not be able to reply
individually to all the messages we receive via Twitter. The
best means of communicating a query to the Department of Foreign
Affairs and Trade is by using the Submit Query link
on our website.


Please do not include personal/private information in your tweets
to us.


Availability:
Twitter may occasionally be unavailable and we accept no
responsibility for lack of service due to Twitter downtime.


Press Office 2013

]]></description>
					<pubDate>Wed, 15 May 2013 15:55:01 UTC</pubDate>
		
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					<title><![CDATA[Tánaiste's remarks at Global Diaspora Forum]]></title>
					<link>http://www.dfa.ie/home/index.aspx?id=89597</link>
					<description><![CDATA[   
Chairman, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,


It is a great pleasure to be here with you this afternoon. In
my role as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs
and Trade, I am delighted to welcome you all to Dublin.
However, as the TD or Member of Parliament for Dun Laoghaire, I am
also delighted to welcome you all to my constituency.


Given its role as a place of entry into and departure from Ireland,
it is particularly fitting that the Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company
has been centrally involved in the planning of this Forum. I
would like to acknowledge the great work undertaken by Gerry and
Kingsley and all their team in the Irish International Diaspora
Centre Trust on organising what I have no doubt will be a
productive and engaging discussion.


I would also like to welcome our colleagues who are joining us from
Washington DC.


It is fitting that my participation coincides with the opening of
your Forum in Washington as our gathering in Dublin was the subject
of discussions I had with the former Secretary of State, Hilary
Clinton in Dublin last November.


Secretary Clinton has for many years been a strong advocate of
embracing the enormous potential of our diaspora communities.
Having witnessed firsthand the work undertaken by groups such as
the Ireland Funds and the Silicon Valley based Irish Technology
Leadership Group, she supported Ireland’s hosting of the inaugural
European strand of the Global Diaspora Forum which she convened in
Washington in 2011 and 2012. Given the great depth of
experience that Ireland has to offer in this area, I was only too
delighted to indicate my support for such a Forum.


So why are we here today? Why is diaspora engagement so important?


Three simple statistics highlight the vital importance of engaging
with Diasporas


Today, 1 out of every 33 people in the world are migrants, at
current rates, there could be 405 million international migrants by
2050 and in 2009 remittances were 3 times the amount of official
development aid.


These numbers are vast and the economic impact is so highly
significant that Governments and the business sector ignore them
and their potential at their peril. I am pleased to say that over
recent years there has been a significant increase around the world
in this enormous source of soft power. Gatherings such as
this demonstrate how much we can learn from each other. 


Before discussing Ireland’s approach to diaspora engagement it is
worth looking quickly at the story of Irish emigration. While
the subject could take up a conference in its own right, a few
points are worth noting.


Ireland is a small island on edge of Western Europe. The
current population on the island is 6.4 million - the highest in
over a century. As an island nation, emigration has always
been a facet of our lives. However in the period following
the famine in the late 1840s up to the 1920s, our population fell
from 8 million down to 3million.


This repeated pattern of emigration which continues up to this day
has created a global Irish diaspora of some 70 million with some 44
million people in the US describing themselves as being of Irish
descent. Such a vast pool of people spread throughout the
world who embrace a connection to this island constitutes an
invaluable resource. 


It is therefore fair to say that the emigrant experience is very
much part of who we are as a people and how we define ourselves and
interact with the world. It is ingrained in our national Irish
psyche. Every generation, every community and almost every
family has been affected.


Like so many emigrant communities, previous generations of Irish
often experienced discrimination and exclusion upon their arrival.
In the United States in the 19th Century, the Irish were
shut out of many established education and business circles and ‘no
Irish need apply’ signs were common features in the larger
cities. But demonstrating great resilience, they organised,
overcame such obstacles and played an enormously positive role in
the development of the US.


There were few areas at which the Irish excelled better than
politics. By the early 20th century many of the largest
cities in the US had Mayors with close Irish connections and a
growing number of Senators and members of Congress were of Irish
extraction. This process reached a climax with the
election of President Kennedy in 1960 and his emotional and
historic visit to Ireland in 1963. Here was a President whose
eight great grandparents had come from Ireland and whose personal
political success seemed to validate the experience of generations
of Irish emigrants.


In many ways this visit proved the catalyst- in both practical and
symbolic terms- for a new more forward looking relationship between
Ireland and its Diaspora. At a time of growing international
interest in diaspora policy, it is fitting that we will celebrate
the 50th anniversary of this visit in June when we
welcome Caroline Kennedy and other members of the Kennedy family to
Ireland.


Throughout this conference you will no doubt hear a wide range of
examples of the practical way in which diasporas can contribute to
their homelands. The contribution that emigrant communities can
play in resolving conflict and political challenges at home is
often cited.


Indeed, the role that the Irish Diaspora, particularly in the
United States, played in the peace process in Northern Ireland is a
particularly significant example. The support of the
Clinton Administration for the process was vital to its success and
the Irish American community was central to ensuring this
engagement.


There are countless specific examples at business, community and
political level of how the Irish in America and elsewhere helped to
nudge this island towards peace. One particularly significant
example occurred in New York in 1992 when the candidates for the
Democratic Presidential nomination were invited by a group of
Irish-Americans to a Forum in Manhattan to discuss the
situation in Northern Ireland. Those who turned up were asked
for an undertaking that they would assist with the on-going efforts
to reach a solution in the North. One of those candidates who
participated struck a real chord with those present and made a
number of specific and significant commitments. That
candidate was the then Governor of Arkansas, Bill Clinton.


It is fair to say that President Clinton kept his word and played a
vital role in the peace process that culminated in April 1998 with
the signing of the Good Friday Agreement. That Agreement was
an historic breakthrough that committed all participants to
exclusively democratic and peaceful means of resolving
differences.


Ladies and Gentlemen,


We are all here today because we believe in the advantages of
building mutually beneficial relationships and partnerships with
our Diaspora.


Ireland’s relationship with its diaspora is enshrined in our
Constitution which states that “the Irish nation cherishes its
special affinity with people of Irish ancestry living abroad who
share its cultural identity and heritage.”


This constitutional commitment has underpinned an active Diaspora
support and engagement policy by Government in Ireland over recent
years. The Government is committed to implementing policies which
will in the future ensure that no Irish citizen has to endure
emigration by economic necessity. At the same time, we have been
extremely robust in ensuring that those who are emigrating today
receive assistance from the Government and Government supported
organisations at home and abroad. This year alone, €11.6 million is
being provided to Irish organisations that provided direct support
to Irish emigrants, both longstanding and new. Indeed, we
provide extensive funding to organisations that act as first port
of call for new emigrants, including the GAA, the London Irish
Centre, the Irish Canadian Immigration Centre in Toronto and
several similar groups in Australia. We also support a wide range
of business and graduate networks around the world.


Diversity is the hallmark of most diasporas. The Irish abroad
includes well assimilated communities in Britain, North America
where we have fourth and fifth generation Irish, to new communities
in the Middle East and Asia, to recently departed graduates and
professionals who are mobile and quite capable of living anywhere
in the world.


A successful diaspora policy must reflect this diversity and avoid
the temptation to apply a one size fits all. Ireland
has deliberately adopted an inclusive approach to defining the
parameters of our diaspora. Our starting point is
groups and individuals who consider “being Irish” as a central part
of their personal and cultural identity. To them, “being Irish” is
a powerful identity that they are proud of and want to
retain.


The consequence of this broad definition means that you cannot have
a homogeneous diaspora engagement policy. Diasporas
differ. Therefore policies must be informed by a number of
factors: geography; demographics; focus and interests. It
must be cross generational and multi-faceted.


At a government level, diaspora engagement is coordinated by the
Irish Abroad Unit of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Today, our active diaspora engagement policy has two key
strands.


Firstly, through the Emigrant Support Programme, we work to support
the most vulnerable of our emigrants. Since 2004, over
€100million in grants has been allocated in support of over 200
voluntary and community organisations in some 25 countries who
provide frontline services to our communities


Highlighting the widespread political commitment to the process,
there has been no significant reduction in the annual budget
despite our current financial situation.


Approx 75% has gone to Britain where the emphasis has been on
supporting sensitive, frontline welfare services, targeted at the
most vulnerable members of our overseas communities.
Independent reports have demonstrated that such services have
made a substantive difference to the lives of Irish people in
Britain, reducing homelessness, tackling social isolation, and
enabling Irish emigrants to access their local, statutory
entitlements.


We strive to ensure that the programme is as flexible as possible
so we can react to the changing needs of our emigrants. Today
in addition to Britain and the US, we are supporting projects in
Australia, Canada, Argentina, South Africa, Zimbabwe, China,
Singapore, Japan, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and across Western
Europe.


A key element of discussions at this Forum will be how we can
engage with our diasporas in support of economic development.


In 2009, we added a new element to our diaspora engagement by
hosting the first Global Irish Economic Forum. We brought
together 180 senior Irish business people based overseas and sought
to leverage the advice and expertise of these key influencers in
support of our economic renewal. We followed this up with a
second forum in 2011 and I will convene the third forum in Dublin
Castle later this year.


One of the key outcomes of this engagement was the establishment of
the Global Irish Network. Based in almost 40 countries, the
Global Irish Network consists of some 350 of the most influential
Irish and Irish-connected individuals abroad and provides Ireland
with an invaluable resource of international expertise.


The Network has given far greater strategic direction and coherence
to the manner in which the Government engages with our most senior
Irish contacts around the world. Over the past three
years, the Network has proved to be particularly
effective


&#183; as a
source of structured advice from key players in priority markets,
sectors and within multinational companies. This advice has
fed directly into the formation of Government policy and action
plans;


&#183; in
the facilitation of high level access to decision makers in major
corporations for the Government and Irish companies.


&#183;
formal involvement in developing trade missions;


&#183; a
direct role in job creation through high level FDI Forums, Connect
Ireland, and the Global Irish Contacts Programme;


&#183;
support and assistance with our work to build a strong
international reputation;


&#183;
participation in a number of new initiatives, including in the
tourism, education and agri-food sector.


Ladies and gentlemen,


The theme of this Forum is “Where Ideas Meet Action”. Over
the last number of years, the Government has enhanced its
interaction with our diaspora and undertaken a number of concrete
that initiatives that benefit all. In doing this, we have
been fortunate that we have a diaspora willing to be our partners.


We are all here today to learn from one another and we all agree
that Diaspora engagement is a positive thing- but it is not a
simple thing. Let me leave you with some lessons learned from
our experiences.


First, diaspora engagement is a process not an outcome. Engagement
does not automatically happen and we must work at it. You can
never take your people abroad for granted or assume their goodwill.


Second, once you have engaged with your diaspora, it is essential
to maintain and build structured and multi-layered
connections. We do so on a regular basis through our
Embassies and Ministerial visits, and newsletters.


As has been said many times today, our diasporas are not
homogeneous groups; a range of different strategies is required. It
is essential that governments be attentive and responsive to the
concerns and issues that impact on our communities
abroad. It is critical that the debate is not framed
around what can the diaspora do for us - it should be a two way
partnership.


Finally, Government should be a facilitator rather than sole
implementer. It is vital to identify leaders and organisers
within the diaspora and connect them to similar people in the home
country.


I would like to thank you for listening this afternoon and wish all
of you here in Dublin and in Washington every success in your
future endeavours.


Ends

]]></description>
					<pubDate>Tue, 14 May 2013 15:58:07 UTC</pubDate>
		
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					<title><![CDATA[Minister Creighton addresses the Oireachtas Joint Committee for Foreign Affairs and Trade]]></title>
					<link>http://www.dfa.ie/home/index.aspx?id=89595</link>
					<description><![CDATA[   
The twenty seven, soon to be twenty eight, countries of the
European Union have led the way in creating a framework for close
cooperation between nations, in establishing a basis for friendly
relations in our neighbourhood. 

As you will know, Ireland currently holds the Presidency of that
Union, an opportunity the Irish Government and people have always
valued.

The Presidency has allowed Ireland to demonstrate that we are a
constructive and committed Member State that belongs at the very
heart of the European decision-making process. 

We are now over halfway through our term and we remain firmly
committed to ensuring that our seventh Presidency leaves a
positive, strong and lasting legacy both for the EU and for
Ireland.

Enlargement
The Presidency, as expected, is turning out to be eventful for the
EU's enlargement policy. Croatia is due to join the Union on the
1st of July.

We have been working hard at reinvigorating the accession
negotiations with Turkey.

The pace is picking up with Montenegro.

Last month we received the Commission and EEAS reports on Serbia,
Kosovo, and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. At
this point in time in the Irish Presidency, I am hopeful of the
prospects for the EU enlargement policy in the months and, indeed,
years ahead.

The last monitoring report on Croatia, issued by the
Commission on 26 March, was positive, confirming that Croatia is
generally meeting the commitments and requirements arising from the
accession negotiations.

The General Affairs Council on 22 April adopted Conclusions
commending Croatia for the results achieved and looking forward to
welcoming her as the 28th member of the European Union on 1
July.

Croatia held its first European Parliament elections on 14 April to
elect the 12 MEPs who will represent its citizens in the Parliament
for the 12 months leading up to the European elections in
2014.

The process of ratifying the Accession Treaty for Croatia is
advancing well, and I am confident that it will be completed on
time. This will allow us very soon to conclude what has been a long
journey, starting ten years ago.

GAC Discussions
The agreement reached last month between Serbia and
Kosovo allowed the Commission and High Representative Ashton
to issue positive reports which were considered by the General
Affairs Council on 22 April.

Discussions are only just beginning among EU Member States, but I
would hope that come the end of June, we may be in a position to
agree to proceed to the next step in the accession process for each
country.

For Serbia, that would be opening accession negotiations; for
Kosovo, opening negotiations on a Stabilisation and Association
Agreement.
Implementation of the agreement will be key to ensuring a positive
decision by the Council.
I welcome the fact that High Representative Ashton will continue to
facilitate discussions on implementation over the coming
weeks.

The General Affairs Council also gave consideration to the
Commission’s report on the Former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia.

The report was relatively positive, though recognising that more
work is required. Again we plan to return to this in June.

As well as the name issue, the political situation will be a
consideration. Following the events of 24 December, I welcomed the
agreement the political parties eventually came to which allowed
the municipal elections to proceed.

Further engagement with and respect for the political and
democratic process is required. It is important that all leaders of
the country demonstrate the political courage required to put the
country’s strategic priorities ahead of narrow party political
interests. 

Current Candidates
For the countries in negotiations, we are hopeful of being able to
open a negotiation Chapter with Turkey during our
Presidency, which would inject new momentum into that country’s
accession process.

While the EU-Turkey relationship goes back a long way, it has not
yet achieved its full potential. We are therefore working hard to
encourage further progress, though this will also require
significant effort from the Turkish side.

Negotiations with Montenegro are at an early stage, but we
were pleased to be able to open a negotiation Chapter last month,
and hope to open another in June.

Attention is also being paid to the rule of law Chapters. The
negotiating framework for Montenegro puts into effect the “new
approach” which sees progress achieved on the rule of law chapters
linked to overall progress in the accession negotiations.

Iceland is already well advanced in the accession
negotiations. In advance of the elections, which took place last
month, the Icelandic government took a decision to slow down the
accession negotiations.

All EU candidates have, of course, the right to pursue the
negotiations at a pace which they deem appropriate to their
particular situation.

The Icelandic government has throughout this process acted with the
upmost transparency in all its dealings on the accession
process.

I would hope to see the new Icelandic government decide to continue
with the negotiations. However, it will be for this new government
to decide how they wish to proceed.

Prospective Candidates
Turning to the prospective candidates, there are three countries
that have a European perspective but are not yet official
candidates.

I have already mentioned Kosovo. For Albania, the Council
stands ready to consider granting candidate status when the
Commission reports that necessary progress has been achieved.

Progress has been patchy, in recent months, and it is unlikely the
Commission will be in a position to deliver its report during our
Presidency. The elections due on 23 June are a factor in this. It
is of crucial importance that these are free, fair and
transparent.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is now lagging behind its neighbours,
and this is an issue of concern. The Bosnian government and
political leaders must make real and sustained progress in order to
realise the country’s EU perspective.

What is required is clearly laid out in the December Council
Conclusions, and in the June 2012 roadmap agreed by the Commission
and Bosnia and Herzegovina’s leaders.

Unfortunately, the timetable for implementing the roadmap has
slipped.

This lack of progress is frustrating. While we will do everything
in our power to encourage movement on the path to EU integration,
this is ultimately a matter for the political leaders of Bosnia and
Herzegovina.

European Neighbourhood Policy
I turn now to the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP).

The ENP was developed in 2004 with the objective of avoiding the
emergence of new dividing lines between the enlarged EU and sixteen
neighbouring countries to the south and the east.

The aims of the policy are to strengthen prosperity, stability and
security in the EU’s neighbourhood.

The policy covers 22 of the EU's closest neighbours; 6 to the east
- the Eastern Partnership ( Armenia, Azerbaijan,
Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine) and the 16 countries of the
Mediterranean and North Africa which form the Union for
the Mediterranean ( Algeria, Bosnia, Croatia, Egypt, Israel,
Jordan, Lebanon, Mauritania, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco,
Palestine, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey and the Arab League.)


Libya, which has observer status, has recently been asked to join
also. The Union for the Mediterranean is the only forum which
brings together both Israel and the Arab states.

The ENP is based on individual partnerships between the EU and each
individual neighbour through a single policy based on mutual
accountability and a shared commitment to the universal values of
human rights, democracy and the rule of law.

Eastern Partnership
The Eastern Partnership covers the EU’s relationship with the six
countries which lie beyond its Eastern periphery. They are all
former constituent Republics of the Soviet Union, whose hopes and
futures will affect all EU Member States.

While this is true of both the Eastern and Southern Neighbourhood
the economic potential of the Eastern Neighbourhood countries give
them a particular importance to us in Ireland, looking for new
markets to fuel export led growth.

For Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, the
EU has an interest in offering them a form of integration with
Europe which will transform the lives of its citizens.

The Lisbon Treaty recognised this by committing the EU to the
development of a special relationship with neighbouring countries
aimed at establishing an area of prosperity and good
neighbourliness.

This resulted in the launching of the Eastern Partnership in May
2009 at the Prague summit meeting of the EU and its Eastern
European partners.

Since the Prague Summit, the Eastern Partnership has established
itself as a long term EU policy for bringing the six Eastern
European partners closer to the European Union.

In practice this has involved the negotiation of Association
Agreements with all the Eastern Partner counties.

Association Agreements lay out for each country a road map of
reforms, tailored to the situation in each country, in such areas
as democratic values, good governance, and rule of law.

EU financial support is available for the reform efforts of each
country according to the principle of “more for more”. The more
progress they make in reform the more support they get.

In addition to the Association Agreements, each Eastern Partner
country is in the process of negotiating a Deep and Comprehensive
Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA) which will give them access to the EU
and provide opportunities for EU, including Irish businesses, to
export goods and services, and invest in a safe legal
environment.

Negotiations on the Association Agreements with Armenia,
Georgia, and Moldova are nearing completion. Much of
the more recent work has been done during our EU Presidency.

It is intended that the final draft of the Association Agreements
with these three will be initialled at the next Eastern Partnership
Summit to take place in Vilnius in November under the Lithuanian EU
Presidency.

Negotiations for the Association Agreement with Azerbaijan
began later and are moving at a somewhat slower pace. If the
Association Agreement is ready by November, however, it, too, will
be initialled in Vilnius.

Negotiations for the Association Agreement for Ukraine are
complete and it will hopefully be signed in Vilnius. This is
a critically important year for EU-Ukraine relations,
however.

The December Foreign Affairs Council set out, in its Conclusions,
the three issues that Ukraine would need to address convincingly to
enable signature of the Association Agreement in Vilnius. These
issues are: the ending of selective justice; legal and judicial
reform; and the holding of free and fair parliamentary
elections.

There have been some positive developments recently, including the
pardon of former Interior Minister Yuri Lutsenko and former
Environmental Protection Minister Heorhiy Filipchuk by President
Yanukovych.

Mr. Lutsenko’s release represents an important step by the
Ukrainian authorities towards addressing the EU’s concerns about
selective justice.

However, Deputies may be aware of last week’s judgment of the
European Court of Human Rights, which found that former Prime
Minister Yulia Tymoshenko’s pre-trial detention was arbitrary and
unlawful.

In the light of this judgment, I would call on Ukraine to
reconsider carefully Ms Tymoshenko’s ongoing imprisonment.

I would also like to commend the important contribution made by the
European Parliament's monitoring mission to Ukraine headed by Pat
Cox and former Polish President Alexander Kwaśniewski in this
context.

Last month the European Parliament extended the mandate of the
monitoring mission and President Schulz praised its important work,
which has steered EU-Ukraine relations in a positive
direction.

The one Eastern Partner that is not part of the Eastern Partnership
process is Belarus. As the Committee will be aware relations
between the EU and Belarus are problematic due to the country’s
human rights record. 

A particular concern relates to political prisoners and continued
use of the death penalty, after a brief moratorium. 
A list of Belarusian officials who have been active in
implementing harassment of opposition of civil society groups or
business figures who are profiting from their closeness to
the regime of President Lukashenka are subject to EU
sanctions.

These include a visa ban on visits to EU Member States and a freeze
on assets held in the EU.

Other countries, including the US, have implemented similar
sanctions. Release and rehabilitation of political prisoners must
take place for sanctions to be relaxed.

All EU member States regard it as important to support civil
society in the country. EU Member States represented in Minsk, and
our own Ambassador resident in Vilnius, have good contact with
opposition and civil society groups.

In spite of our differences with Belarus, we believe that we need
to maintain a critical dialogue with the authorities also. We
therefore continue to regard it as an Eastern Partner.

Foreign Minister Makei, although subject to the visa ban, will
continue to be invited to Eastern Partner meetings on a
case-by-case basis. We hope that in time the Belarus
authorities it will come to see the advantages of closer relations
with the EU.

Southern Neighbourhood
I turn now to the Southern Neighbourhood. The dramatic events of
2011 led to a major review of the European Union’s relations with
the region and forced a reappraisal of the policies and programmes
it had pursued up to then.

Over the past couple of years, the issue which has undoubtedly
received the closest and most sustained attention from Ireland and
the EU has been the political transformations in the Middle East
and North Africa linked to the Arab Spring.

While the crisis in Syria has understandably taken up much of our
time, we have also addressed other issues in the region.
 
A little over two years on from the popular uprisings which first
took hold in Tunisia and Egypt in early 2011, any
reasonable assessment must conclude that the process of change we
are witnessing has been largely positive in its consequences for
the region.

Of course, there have been many challenges and setbacks, with the
conflict in Syria clearly presenting a major threat to peace and
stability in the region.

But this should not be allowed to overshadow the very real and
positive changes we have seen, such as the holding of democratic
elections in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Yemen, effectively for the
first time in most cases.

The EU, for its part, is committed to upholding key values, such as
respect for human rights and the rule of law, in the efforts it is
making to provide support and partnership to the countries
undergoing transition.

The scale of the humanitarian crisis now raging in Syria and
across the neighbouring region was brought home vividly to the
T&#225;naiste when he visited a Syrian refugee camp on the
Turkish-Syrian border during his visit to Turkey on 7/8 April.


Well over 70,000 dead; more than 1.4 million refugees;
and over 4 million within Syria who are in need of
humanitarian assistance. Ireland and the EU have been to the fore
in responding to this major humanitarian crisis. 

The T&#225;naiste was able to announce a further €1 million in
assistance from Ireland for ICRC and UNHCR operations within Turkey
during his recent visit. This brings our total aid over the
past year to €8.15 million.   


The generous and humane manner in which Syria’s neighbours -- in
particular Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq -- have dealt with the
huge outflow of refugees from Syria has to be repeatedly
acknowledged.  

The crisis is imposing major strain on hard-pressed resources and
on the ability of these countries to cope.

It underlines the urgent need for progress in ending the violence
and putting in place some form of political process which can set
Syria on the path to political transition.

Discussions are continuing within the Foreign Affairs Council on
how the EU can most effectively promote a political solution and
use its not inconsiderable influence in that direction.

In February we renewed the full range of EU sanctions in place
against the Assad regime in Syria for a period of three months.
 A further decision on their renewal will be taken at the
Council on 27 May.

We have already made clear on a number of occasions that Ireland
does not favour any actions which could contribute to greater
militarisation of the conflict.
This will continue to be our position. There can be little doubt
about the growing influence of extremist groups on the ground in
Syria.

It is in all of our interests that the capacity which already
exists in Syria for armed violence should not be augmented. Rather,
we should work to promote the earliest possible end to the conflict
and the initiation of a political transition.

The UN Security Council can still play a decisive role in
supporting Special Representative Brahimi’s efforts and promoting a
political settlement.

I urge all Council members, accordingly, to exercise responsibility
and leadership by adopting a strong new resolution addressing
issues such as a comprehensive arms embargo and the need for
accountability.

I should add that Ireland firmly supports Secretary General Ban in
the efforts he is making to comprehensively investigate any
possible use of chemical weapons in Syria. 

The threat which the conflict in Syria poses to overall regional
stability and security is also abundantly clear.

Lebanon has already been hugely affected through the influx
of some 400,000 Syrian refugees and outbursts of related violence
in northern Lebanon.

The April FAC meeting reviewed developments in that country
following the resignation of former Prime Minister Mikati and the
appointment of a new Prime Minister, Tamaan Salam. We must ensure
that Lebanon, a country which has suffered too long from being in
Syria’s shadow, can avoid being drawn directly into the
conflict

Our continent’s history left the EU uniquely positioned to fully
understand what drove the citizens of Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Syria,
and elsewhere to challenge the continued denial of their basic
rights and to demand a say in the decisions that shape their
future.

A key feature of the European Neighbourhood Policy strategy is the
adoption of an incentive- based approach.

This promises closer political association, increased economic
integration, improved mobility and additional financial support to
those partner countries genuinely committed to political and
democratic reforms. 

New funding streams to the tune of almost €700 million have been
made available to Southern Mediterranean countries for this
purpose.

During 2011 and 2012 Task Forces, involving all EU institutions and
the private sector, were set up for Tunisia, Jordan and Egypt to
act as a focal point for assistance to these countries.


In 2011, an EU Special Representative for the Southern
Mediterranean, Bernardino Leon (who was in Dublin this week), was
appointed, tasked with enhancing the EU’s political dialogue with
the countries in the region engaged in transition.

There is ample evidence that the ENP works best when a political
willingness to reform exists and when civil society, including the
media, is allowed to play an active role in the national reform
process. 

We all appreciate the key role that civil society plays in social
and economic policy reform, in promoting women’s rights, in
supporting freedom of expression, in pressing for media freedom, in
striving for greater social justice and in holding governments to
account.

We have also intensified trade relations with countries in the
south. Negotiations with Morocco on a Deep and Comprehensive Free
Trade Area Agreement have recently commenced, while similar talks
with Tunisia and Jordan are expected to start shortly. 
Politically, the situation remains positive with clear
democratic progress in Libya, Tunisia and Egypt, while basic
freedoms have been advanced in many other countries. 

Ireland and its EU partners have had a clear and consistent message
of support for these democratic changes while respecting that the
countries concerned are best placed to determine their own pace of
reform. 

The Arab transformation will remain a major priority for the EU and
Ireland at all levels of our international engagement. 

We will certainly use whatever influence we have in our current EU
Presidency role to support and promote European and UN efforts and
initiatives towards promoting democratic progress and equitable
economic development among the countries in transition in the
region and a peaceful resolution of the Syrian conflict. 

]]></description>
					<pubDate>Wed, 08 May 2013 15:46:24 UTC</pubDate>
		
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				<item>
					<title><![CDATA[Minister Costello emphasises Irish support for Somalia at London Conference]]></title>
					<link>http://www.dfa.ie/home/index.aspx?id=89593</link>
					<description><![CDATA[   
Minister Costello emphasises Irish support for Somalia at London Conference


Minister for Trade and Development Joe Costello is today (Tuesday 7
May) representing Ireland at a major international conference on
Somalia in London.


The conference, jointly hosted by British Prime Minister David
Cameron and the President of Somalia, Ahmed Sheikh Mohamoud,
involves representatives of more than 50 countries. It aims to
strengthen international political support for the efforts of the
Somali Government and people to rebuild their country after more
than 20 years of conflict and instability.


Underlining the commitment of Ireland and the EU to efforts to
ensure security and stability in Somalia, Minister Costello said:


“Ireland is proud to have provided the Mission Commander of the
EU Training Mission in Somalia since 2011. This mission has played
an important role in creating a core of troops for the Somali
National Security Force. Through this training mission the soldiers
receive training in topics including human rights, gender and
international humanitarian law.”


While the main focus of the Conference is on security in Somalia,
the Irish Government believes it is vitally important that we
remember those who continue to suffer because of the consequences
of insecurity and conflict.


Minister Costello pointed out that “hundreds of thousands of
Somalis continue to live in conflict-affected areas, including
those areas that are still occupied or contested by Al
Shabaab.More than two million more are in refugee
camps. There must continue to be a strong focus on
humanitarian needs.”


The Government, through Irish Aid, has contributed more than €40
million to aid agencies operating in Somalia since 2007. Our
partners on the ground are providing life saving humanitarian
assistance to the most vulnerable populations while at the same
time working to build livelihoods and strengthen the resilience of
communities across the country.


The Government’s new Policy for International Development which was
launched last week places an even stronger focus on our engagement
in promoting stability and development in countries that are
experiencing fragility. This will provide a solid platform for
Ireland to deepen and strengthen its partnership with countries
such as Somalia.


Minister Costello stressed that “Ireland will maintain its
strong support for Somalia’s people and political leaders as they
strive to build a better, more peaceful and prosperous future, and
a country that is democratic and inclusive, and where human
rights and especially the rights of women and minorities are fully
respected.”

]]></description>
					<pubDate>Tue, 07 May 2013 08:15:49 UTC</pubDate>
		
				</item>			
			
				<item>
					<title><![CDATA[Publications]]></title>
					<link>http://www.dfa.ie/home/index.aspx?id=383</link>
					<description><![CDATA[
Developments in the European Union January - June
2009


Developments in the European Union January -
   June 2009


The Irish Aid Management Review


Please find the Irish Aid Managaement Review - Final Report
   and 
background note which was completedby FGS
Consultants.


Report of the Value for Money Review of the Passport
Service


Please find theNovember Report 
here .


Post Lisbon Treaty Referendum Research Findings


Please find the September Report 
here .


Official Consolidated EU Treaties as amended by the Reform
Treaty


This is available in 
English and in 
Irish.


Audit Committee Annual Report 2011



Click here to access the Annual Report of the Audit Committee for
2011



Clice&#225;il anseo chun an Tuarasc&#225;il Bhliamt&#250;il a fh&#225;il as
Gaeilge



Audit Committee Annual Report 2010



Click here to access the Annual Report of the Audit Committee for
2010



Clice&#225;il anseo chun an Tuarasc&#225;il Bhliamt&#250;il a fh&#225;il as Gaeilge


Audit Committee Annual Report 2009



Click here to access the Annual Report of the Audit Committee for
2009. (PDF 364kb)



Clice&#225;il anseo chun an Tuarasc&#225;il Bhliamt&#250;il a fh&#225;il as Gaeilge.
(PDF 297kb)


Audit Committee Annual Report 2008


Click here to access The Annual Report of the
   Audit Committee for 2008.


Clice&#225;il anseo chun an Tuarasc&#225;il Bhliant&#250;il a
   fh&#225;il as Gaeilge


Audit Committee Annual Report 2007


Click here to access The Annual Report of the
   Audit Committee for 2007.


Clice&#225;il anseo chun an Tuarasc&#225;il Bhliant&#250;il a
   fh&#225;il as Gaeilge.


Audit Committee Annual Report 2006


Click here to access The Annual Report of the
   Audit Committee for 2006.



Clice&#225;il anseo chun an Tuarasc&#225;il Bhliant&#250;il a fh&#225;il as
Gaeilge.


Statement of Strategy 2008-2010



The Statement of Strategy of the Department of Foreign
Affairs sets out the foreign policy objectives, as
defined by the Governement, to be pursued in the period 2008-2010.



Clice&#225;il anseo chun an R&#225;iteas Strait&#233;ise a fh&#225;il as Gaeilge.


Annual Output Statement 2010



Click here to access the Department of Foreign Affairs Annual
output Statement 2010 (PDF 447kb)


Annual Output Statement 2009



Click here to access the Department of Foreign Affairs Annual
output Statement 2009 (PDF 17kb)


Annual Report 2008


The2008 Annual Report of the Department of
   Foreign Affairsdescribes the progress made by the
   Department towards achieving the policy goals and objectives set
   down in the Department’s Strategy Statement 2008 – 2010.


A decade of the Asia Strategy 1999-2009


The first phase of the Strategy ran from 1999 to 2004. It saw the
opening of new missions in Shanghai, Singapore and Sydney, as well
as an increase in staff in our Beijing and Tokyo embassies. Over
the period, there was a marked increase in high-level political and
trade-related visits to and from the region. An awareness campaign
was funded to improve our understanding of Asian business culture
in Ireland and to raise Ireland’s profile in Asia.


Over a period of several months an interdepartmental committee
chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach has reviewed the outcome
of the first phase of the Strategy and considered ideas for its
next phase to the end of 2009. Their assessment and
recommendations were contained in a document'A decade of the Asia Strategy 1999-2009' (PDF
   251kb) , published in 2005.


The second phase of the Strategy retains those elements which have
proved successful, including annual programmes of high level
visits, internships for government officials and media visits. The
second phase also covers areas such as tourism, agriculture and
food, education and science, investment and twinning.


A High Level Group to oversee the implementation of the next phase
of the Asia Strategy has been appointed by the Minister for
Enterprise, Trade and Employment. The implementation of the
second phase is kept under continuing review by this high level
steering group which was established in 2005. The Group is
chaired by the Secretary General of that Department in cooperation
with the Secretary General of the Department of Foreign
Affairs.


Report of the Asia Strategy Group


Following his visit to China in 1998, the Taoiseach established a
group of experts, drawn from the private and public sectors, to
recommend a strategy for improving our economic relations with East
Asia.


The premise of their report was straightforward: Ireland knew too
little about the region and the countries of the region knew too
little about Ireland for the successful development of our economic
relations. They made a range of recommendations designed to improve
contact at official level, to strengthen our representation in the
region, and to raise mutual awareness and understanding.


These recommendations were contained in a report entitled,
A Strategy for Long-Term Development of Foreign
   Earnings in Asia (PDF 2954kb).


Report on Developments in the European Union in
2004


2004 proved to be a year of great historical and institutional
development for the European Union with the accession of ten new
Member States and the agreement on the European Constitution.

A Report on Development in the European Union in 2004 is available
here. (PDF 348kb)


White Paper on Irish Aid


Text of the White Paper


Report on Irish Prisoners Overseas



Text of the Report on Irish Prisoners Overseas, prepared by Chris
Flood for the Minister for Foreign Affairs (PDF 4126kb)


Report on the Review of the Special Passport Facility for
Oireachtas Members


This is available in English and in 
Irish.

]]></description>
					<pubDate>Fri, 03 May 2013 15:10:15 UTC</pubDate>
		
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				<item>
					<title><![CDATA[Tánaiste launches new Policy for International Development]]></title>
					<link>http://www.dfa.ie/home/index.aspx?id=89590</link>
					<description><![CDATA[   
The T&#225;naiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Eamon
Gilmore T.D., together with the Minister for Trade and Development,
Joe Costello T.D., today launched Ireland’s new policy for
international development.


One World, One Future: Ireland’s Policy for International
Development sets out the vision, goals and priorities for the
Government’s overseas aid programme over the coming four years.


The key elements include:


&#183;
Fostering sustainable economic growth in our partner countries to
support their exit from aid and bring increased trade opportunities
for Ireland.


&#183; A new focus on
countries recovering from conflict and instability, including a
commitment to include Sierra Leone as one of Ireland’s nine Partner
Countries.


&#183; The launch of a
new Volunteering Initiative to harness the experience of Irish
people and institutions.


&#183; Responding to the
harmful impacts of climate change in poor countries becomes a core
priority; a commitment to build on Ireland’s leadership role in the
fight against global hunger.


&#183; Openness,
transparency and accountability – with all aid data to be published
under the internationally agreed format by 2015;


&#183; Promoting and
protecting human rights, and addressing inequality, including
gender inequality, becomes a key goal.


&#183; A
whole-of-government approach to international development.


Launching the policy today, T&#225;naiste Eamon Gilmore said:


“This is about Irish values. We have never been a people who
could look the other way, and the Irish people can be extremely
proud of the difference that we make to the lives of millions of
families who struggle to survive on less than €1.25 a
day.


“Although times are difficult at home, we stand by the
children struggling to reach their fifth birthday in a world where
7.5 milllion children die before this age every year. And we stand
in solidarity with the subsistence farmer, whose crops have failed
because of drought and whose family faces a perilous future.


“We do this because of our sense of justice and compassion, born
of a history of famine, supression and conflict. And we do it
because it is the right thing to do in an increasingly
inter-connected world.”


Under the new policy, One World, One Future, Ireland will
focus more on supporting sustainable economic growth in our partner
countries to assist them to exit from aid and to increase trade
opportunities for Ireland, the T&#225;naiste said.


“We need to seize this moment and build on the economic
opportunities in Africa and elsewhere. Many African
economies are growing at an average of 5% a year. Most
countries are at peace. Record numbers are going to school.
Consumer spending will almost double in the next ten years.


“We will use our strong partnerships to identify trade
opportunities and to stimulate mutually beneficial relationships.
This will be good for the countries that we are working with. And
it will be good for us.”


Speaking at the launch, Minister for Trade and Development, Joe
Costello TD said:


“The new policy, One World, One Future presents a clear
direction for Ireland’s development programme in the years ahead.
In it, we set out our three new goals: reduced hunger and stronger
resilience; sustainable development and inclusive economic growth;
and finally better governance, human rights and accountability.


“In striving to achieve these goals across Government, we will
not only tackle the effects of poverty, hunger and insecurity, but
work to address its root causes, so that people can lift themselves
out of poverty. We will put the values of
sustainability, effectiveness, equality – including gender
equality - human rights, accountability and partnership at the
heart of our aid programme.


“Today, I am calling on NGOs, missionaries, diaspora
organisations, the third level sector, the private sector,
volunteers and others to work with us in this pursuit of a more
just and sustainable world.”


Minister Costello thanked the Irish Aid Expert Advisory Group,
chaired by Nora Owen, for their independent oversight for the
Review of the White Paper on Irish Aid and policy-making
process.


This policy was informed by the Review of the White Paper last
year, one of the commitments contained in the Programme for
Government.

]]></description>
					<pubDate>Thu, 02 May 2013 11:00:38 UTC</pubDate>
		
				</item>			
			
				<item>
					<title><![CDATA[May]]></title>
					<link>http://www.dfa.ie/home/index.aspx?id=89586</link>
					<description><![CDATA[]]></description>
					<pubDate>Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:50:56 UTC</pubDate>
		
				</item>			
			
				<item>
					<title><![CDATA[July]]></title>
					<link>http://www.dfa.ie/home/index.aspx?id=89585</link>
					<description><![CDATA[]]></description>
					<pubDate>Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:35:50 UTC</pubDate>
		
				</item>			
			
				<item>
					<title><![CDATA[Joint Communiqué: North South Ministerial Council]]></title>
					<link>http://www.dfa.ie/home/index.aspx?id=89581</link>
					<description><![CDATA[   
1.
The eighth North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) Institutional
meeting was held in Stormont Castle, Belfast on 29 April 2013.


2.
The Northern Ireland Executive was represented by the First
Minister, the Rt Hon Peter Robinson MLA and the deputy First
Minister Martin McGuinness MLA. The Irish Government was
represented by the T&#225;naiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and
Trade, Eamon Gilmore TD. The First Minister and deputy First
Minister chaired the meeting.


3.
Ministers had a broad discussion on the economy particularly the
economic challenges faced within each jurisdiction and budgetary
actions being taken to address these. There were discussions on
Corporation Tax and NAMA. Ministers noted the importance of
building confidence in the economy and the tourism industry and
recognised the benefit of mutual cooperation in both. There
was also a discussion on the upcoming G8 summit to be held in
Enniskillen and on developments during the Irish EU
Presidency.


EU MATTERS


4.
The Council discussed the Irish Presidency of the EU in 2013 and
welcomed the co-operation that had taken place between Irish
Government and Executive Ministers. They noted progress on
various EU related matters and noted that while both the
Multi-Annual Financial Framework and a reform of the Common
Agriculture Policy have been agreed at European Governments’ level
negotiations are ongoing between the EU Council of Ministers and EU
Parliament. 


5.
Ministers also discussed the current situation with EU funds
particularly from PEACE III, INTERREG IV and FP7 research and
development programmes. The potential for future Programmes
was also discussed in particular a new PEACE Programme.


NORTH WEST GATEWAY INITIATIVE


6.
Ministers welcomed progress under the North West Gateway Initiative
and noted that there would be further engagement with key
stakeholders to seek their views on the future development of the
Initiative. The Council agreed to review progress on this
engagement at a future meeting.


NORTH SOUTH BODIES ISSUES


7.
The Council discussed matters relating to the North South Bodies
noting progress in respect of their Corporate and Business Plans
and the implementation of cumulative efficiency savings within the
Bodies.


8.
Ministers also discussed governance issues including the review of
the Financial Memoranda and changes to the North South Pension
Scheme. A further report on progress will be provided to the
next NSMC Institutional meeting.


9.
The Council noted changes to the Boards of the North South Bodies
and that an event for Board Chairs, Vice Chairs and Chief
Executives had been hosted by the Joint Secretaries in February
2013.


10. Ministers
thanked outgoing Chief Executives of Waterways Ireland, John
Martin, and the Loughs Agency, Derick Anderson, for their
contributions to the work of the North South Bodies and wished them
well in their retirements. Ministers noted that work is
underway to identify their successors.


ST ANDREWS AGREEMENT REVIEW


11. Ministers
discussed the St Andrews Agreement Review and looked forward to
further discussion at the next NSMC Plenary meeting.


DATE OF NEXT MEETING


12. Ministers
agreed to meet again in October 2013.




]]></description>
					<pubDate>Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:26:52 UTC</pubDate>
		
				</item>			
			
				<item>
					<title><![CDATA[June]]></title>
					<link>http://www.dfa.ie/home/index.aspx?id=89583</link>
					<description><![CDATA[]]></description>
					<pubDate>Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:23:49 UTC</pubDate>
		
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					<title><![CDATA[Ireland to provide €5 million in fight to eradicate Polio]]></title>
					<link>http://www.dfa.ie/home/index.aspx?id=89573</link>
					<description><![CDATA[   
IRELAND TO PROVIDE €5 MILLION IN FIGHT TO ERADICATE POLIO



The T&#225;naiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Eamon
Gilmore T.D., and the Minister for Trade and Development, Joe
Costello T.D, have announced new Irish support for the global
effort to end polio.


Speaking at the Global Vaccine Summit in Abu Dhabi today, Minister
Costello pledged that, through Irish Aid, the Government will
provide €5 million over the next five years to eradicate the
disease.


The Vaccine Summit is being co-hosted by Bill Gates of the Bill
&amp;amp; Melinda Gates Foundation, the United Nations Secretary
General, Ban Ki-moon and His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed bin
Zayad bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.


The Global Polio Eradication Initiative has prepared a new
strategic plan to capitalise on the unprecedented opportunity to
rid the world of polio. Ireland’s contribution of €5 million will
help fund the Initiative to implement this plan.


The T&#225;naiste said:


“Many of us in Ireland can recall the fear of polio in our own
country. In my lifetime polio destroyed the lives of many Irish
people, and it was not until a rigorous vaccination programme was
introduced in the 1950s and 1960s that we eliminated the scourge of
this terrible disease.


The Irish memory of polio is fresh. It is right and just that we
should now join the effort to finally eradicate polio from the rest
of the world too. I said to Bill Gates when he visited Dublin
in February that Ireland would play its part in this fight, and we
are now demonstrating that we will.”


In announcing Ireland’s pledge, Minister Costello said:


”Imagine a world without polio. A world in which no mother,
whoever she is or wherever she lives, fears that her children might
suffer from this disease. Every generation has a great moment to
seize. In the fight to eradicate disease, this must be ours. We can
do this, let’s just make it happen.”


After more than 20 years of hard work, the world is on the cusp of
the eradication of polio. Global polio cases are at an all-time
low, with the fewest cases in the fewest countries ever. There has
been a leveling-off of cases in previously very difficult settings.
For example, India has not recorded a single case for more than two
years and both Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo regained
polio-free status last year.


“Ending polio is a critical step in helping us
reach mothers and children with life-saving vaccines and additional
health services,” said Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill &amp;amp;
Melinda Gates Foundation. “I’m confident that with new partners
and a fully funded eradication plan we can achieve a polio-free
world.”


The plan will intensify activities to stop polio transmission in
the three remaining countries – Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria.
There will also be investment in extensive surveillance systems in
many countries to detect any single case of polio. The plan also
brings routine immunisation and polio eradication much closer
together than has been the case in the past.



In announcing this commitment, Ireland joins a number of other
donors and funders at the summit that similarly made public pledges
of support for vaccination and polio eradication. Estimates suggest
that by ending polio, the world could save between 40 and 50
billion US dollars, about a tenth of the cost of eradication.


The participants at the Global Vaccine Summit represent global
political and technical leaders in the field of vaccines who have
come together to continue momentum in this decade of vaccines and
to announce renewed commitment to have every child vaccinated and
to end polio.


Press Office
25 April 2013

]]></description>
					<pubDate>Thu, 25 Apr 2013 10:11:04 UTC</pubDate>
		
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					<title><![CDATA[Payments over €20,000]]></title>
					<link>http://www.dfa.ie/home/index.aspx?id=89565</link>
					<description><![CDATA[
In keeping with the commitment in the “More Effective Financial
Scrutiny” section of the Programme for Government, this Department
publishes details of payments made for goods and services valued at
€20,000 or more. This information will be published quarterly in
arrears and can be found by clicking on the links below

]]></description>
					<pubDate>Mon, 22 Apr 2013 13:10:29 UTC</pubDate>
		
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					<title><![CDATA[Tánaiste on behalf of Irish EU Presidency welcomes breakthrough in Serbia–Kosovo negotiations ]]></title>
					<link>http://www.dfa.ie/home/index.aspx?id=89563</link>
					<description><![CDATA[   
I warmly welcome the positive outcome of the Belgrade-Pristina
Dialogue today.


As we have learned from our own peace process it is at time
necessary to take risks for peace. I commend the political courage
and consistent efforts shown by both Prime Minister Dačić and Prime
Minister Thaci. I would also like to thank the High Representative
for her very active engagement as facilitator of the process.


With this agreement Serbia and Kosovo have gone a long way to
fulfilling the conditions for progress on their respective European
paths which the Council set for them back in December.


I look forward to hearing further details from High Representative
Ashton and Commissioner F&#252;le and considering their reports at the
General Affairs Council which I will chair in Luxembourg on Monday.


But I believe this is an important step forward and has the
potential, if fully implemented, to close a difficult period in
their shared history and to herald a new dawn for all of their
citizens.


I very much hope that this important opportunity to build a new and
more prosperous future will not only be welcomed but will be
strongly supported in Serbia and in Kosovo and in the broader
region and beyond.

]]></description>
					<pubDate>Fri, 19 Apr 2013 17:51:48 UTC</pubDate>
		
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					<title><![CDATA[Minister Creighton welcomes positive outcomes in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue; looks forward to visiting the region ]]></title>
					<link>http://www.dfa.ie/home/index.aspx?id=89562</link>
					<description><![CDATA[   
The Minister for European Affairs, Lucinda Creighton TD, has
welcomed the outcome of the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue today.

Speaking as the talks concluded, the Minister said:

“After many hours of difficult talks Serbia and Kosovo have gone
a long way to fulfilling the conditions for progress on their
respective European paths. It was the Council that set these tasks
for them in December and the progress today should be recognised be
recognised. The Irish Presidency stands ready to work with both
parties in the weeks ahead. This will begin when I meet the
Minister for European Integration of Kosovo, Vlora Citaku, in
Luxembourg on Monday. I met the Serbian Deputy Prime Minister in
charge of European Integration, Suzana Grubješi&#230;, in
Strasbourg earlier this week.”
She continued:

“I visited Belgrade and Pristina last September. During that
trip I saw the real potential for the two sides to come together
and I am very glad that we are moving towards the realisation of
this potential. The enlargement agenda is very close to my heart. I
look forward to visiting the region on behalf of the Irish
Presidency in June, ahead of the European Council at the end of
that month.”

 “This is a historic this step forward. The difficult recent
history in the region means that talks are emotive and often
difficult but will mean real progress in terms of lasting peace and
stability in the region and for the peoples of both Serbia and
Kosovo.”

]]></description>
					<pubDate>Fri, 19 Apr 2013 17:49:14 UTC</pubDate>
		
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					<title><![CDATA[Minister Costello co-hosts international nutrition event in Washington during World Bank meetings]]></title>
					<link>http://www.dfa.ie/home/index.aspx?id=89556</link>
					<description><![CDATA[   
Minister for Trade and Development Joe Costello T.D., will today
co-host a meeting of international leaders in Washington to
increase global efforts to tackle child hunger and improve
agricultural productivity.


The “Investing in Agriculture for Nutrition” event takes place
during the Spring Meetings of the World Bank in Washington, DC and
is co-hosted by Canada. Speaking ahead of the meeting, Minister
Costello highlighted the need for further investment in agriculture
to improve the nutrition and health of poor families who depend on
farming to survive.


Minister Costello will share the key messages from the Hunger –
Nutrition – Climate Justice conference which the Department of
Foreign Affairs and Trade co-hosted in Dublin earlier this week
under Ireland’s Presidency of the EU.


“Addressing the links between hunger, nutrition and
climate justice has been a clear development priority for Ireland’s
EU Presidency. We have taken important lessons from our
Dublin conference: It is clear that knowledge,
education and science must be prioritised if we are to successfully
adapt to climate change and that our response to these
inter-linked challenges must be based on the needs and views of
those who are most affected.


“I am committed to bringing the voices of the smallholder
farmers who shared their experiences of growing food in a world
impacted by climate change to international policy
discussions. Ireland will be their advocate at the European
Union, the UN and as we engage as EU Presidency in preparing for
the UN high-level meeting in September on the Millennium
Development Goals,” Minister Costello said.


During his visit to Washington to attend the the annual World Bank
Spring Meetings, Minister Costello will highlight Ireland’s
experience of supporting African countries to rebuild their
economies at a conference, “Private Sector Investment and Job
Creation in Fragile States”.


“Ireland was one of the first countries to partner with the
World Bank Group to assist fragile and conflict-affected African
countries to rebuild their private sector, increase stability,
reduce poverty and support job creation. It is important that we
share our experience with other countries and institutions at the
Spring Meetings where the World Bank Group will start to develop
its new strategy for the future,” he said.


Minister Costello will also attend a ministerial roundtable on
“safety net programmes” which are designed to increase the capacity
of vulnerable people to withstand shocks and crises by improving
nutrition, access to schooling and reconciliation after conflicts.


Minister Costello will meet World Bank Managing Director, Caroline
Anstey, to discuss Ireland’s cooperation with the Bank on food
security, fragile states and the strategic direction of the Bank.
He will also hold meetings with Ministers from Norway, Denmark, the
Netherlands and Canada.


Yesterday, Minister Costello represented Ireland at a roundtable
meeting on Mali, where he highlighted the importance of supporting
preparations for free and fair elections and reconciliation
involving the communities in the north.


Press Office


19 April 2013

]]></description>
					<pubDate>Fri, 19 Apr 2013 10:59:22 UTC</pubDate>
		
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					<title><![CDATA[Tánaiste's address to IBEC EU-US Trade Event]]></title>
					<link>http://www.dfa.ie/home/index.aspx?id=89555</link>
					<description><![CDATA[   
********************CHECK AGAINST
DELIVERY**************************


Thank you for your kind invitation to be here with you this
evening, in this most historic of venues. Dublin Castle sits
at the heart of this great city, and is close to the place where
the Vikings first established a trading centre at the mouth of the
River Liffey in the year 841AD. So, as you see, Ireland has
been attracting foreign direct investment for around 1200 years!


You join us here at an important time. Europe, as you know,
has been through a turbulent time in recent years, when the very
nature of the European project has been thrown open to
question. There have been times in the past two years when
sensible people could legitimately ask whether a country could
leave the Eurozone, or whether there was a future for the single
currency. I think it is fair to say that many looking at
Europe from a distance, including many friends from the US,
wondered the same.


Today, our prospects look brighter. We have now had a period
of relative calm on financial markets. Europe has made
important policy decisions which have helped to restore
stability. When you look at the substance of what has been
done, there can be no doubt as to the commitment that has been
shown to deal with our problems.


In Ireland we reached a view at a very early stage that the only
path to recovery, both for us nationally and for Europe, lay
through a stabilisation of the currency, i.e. a commitment to
making it clearly irreversible.


At the same time we needed both greater solidarity and deeper
integration.


This is the path that has been pursued.


In getting to grips with the crisis we have crossed many rubicons
and overturned long-standing taboos.


We have strengthened the rules underpinning the euro, and our
ability to enforce them.


We are working towards integration in banking – both in how banks
are supervised and in how the consequences of their failure will be
handled in the future.


We have greatly enhanced the obligation on those who share a
currency to observe fiscal discipline. In Ireland we have even
fought – and won – a referendum on the need to impose limits on
structural deficits.


The reality is that there has been a very real political
response.


Faced with some pretty existential questions, and despite the
sometimes very unpromising domestic climates they have faced,
Europe’s leaders have demonstrated that they are prepared to
take the steps needed to secure the future of the currency and of
the Union.


We have built solidarity mechanisms – and without giving rise to
the type of moral hazard that some predicted. Commitments entered
into by those who have availed of support have been honoured. This
has been critical to building and maintaining mutual trust.


The ECB has made it clear that it is prepared to step in to buy
bonds in the secondary market where this is appropriate and
necessary, subject to conditionality.


We have accepted that the link between banking and sovereign debt
must be broken, and we have moved light-years forward on banking
union.


But stability, while it is important, is not enough.
Stability must be the platform for what comes next. Europe
must now intensify its focus on growth and employment
creation. Too many Europeans are without jobs, and too many
young Europeans are without prospects and opportunity. This
week, the IMF drew a sharp distinction between the pace of recovery
in the US, and the relatively slow pace of growth in Europe.


That is why, while we have important work to do in moving ahead
with financial reform, including banking union, Ireland has
self-consciously identified our Presidency priorities as Stability,
Jobs and Growth. Europe must do all that it can to promote growth
and job creation in the short-term, but also in the medium and
longer term. It is important that we drive ahead with
The Compact for Jobs and Growth – the blueprint for economic
recovery which EU Heads of State and Government adopted last June,
at the suggestion of President Hollande - and that we work together
as 27 member States to implement it. The Compact identifies
the single market and external trade as being the two main drivers
for growth. We have made some progress in advancing the Compact,
but there is more to do. We have also made important progress
in developing the idea of a Youth Guarantee, but again, we have to
push on to make it a reality.


In Europe, and on the global stage, we must look to the drivers of
growth, and job creation. We must ask ourselves what will
provide fresh impetus to our economies, now and in the decade to
come. From the earliest days of preparing for our Presidency,
Ireland has seen the potential contribution that can be made by an
agreement on trade and investment between the US and Europe.
You all know the statistics – the sheer scale and important of the
US and Europe combined within the global economy, and the potential
increase in output that comes with it. You know too, that an
agreement on trade and investment between Europe and the US, would
set a standard, and act as a catalyst for other countries to come
on board. I was in Turkey last week, for example, leading a
trade mission, and also speaking to Turkish leaders about their
accession to the European Union. It was absolutely clear that
they want to be part of this process, and other countries will want
the same.


The economics of this agenda is convincing but, of course,
economics alone is not enough. We need the political will and
leadership to bring this about. And that isn’t easy. It
has never been easy to convince people of the benefits of free
trade and greater international investment flows. For the
first thirty years of the life of this state, Ireland tried to go
it alone – to develop an industrial base behind tariff
barriers. It was an experiment which failed both economically
and socially. What we have learnt is that both our economy
and our society have prospered since we opened up to the
world. Today, we are the second most globalised economy in
the world, and while we have had our problems, we retain the
capacity to create a prosperous future as a trading nation.


Free trade, as an idea, can often seem counter-intuitive. And
even today, it is difficult to convince people to embrace the
idea. A free trade and investment agreement has the potential
to improve the income and job prospects of our countries as a
whole, but people will naturally ask, who are the winners and who
are the losers? Those who are at risk of losing out will
naturally ask how the benefits to a society as whole will flow to
them. The politics of trade agreements are difficult, because
you have to ask people to put their own particular interest to one
side, and look to the greater good. And you have to find a
way to make sure that the costs and benefits are fairly borne.


It doesn’t always work. If it was easy, we would have done it
long ago, but, given the economic trauma that we have all been
through in the past five years and more, we have to take on those
difficulties. We have to put the greater interest first, and
try to work our way through the difficulties.


The same is true here in Ireland. As you know, the Irish
people have been through five years of economic trauma. Many
people have suffered unjustly as we have struggled to react to
effects of the property bubble, and a deep financial and economic
crisis. In the past two years, it is fair to say, we have
made enormous strides forward. It has not been easy. It
has required sacrifices of many people – people who had no hand,
act or part in the creation of the problem. As a Government
we have done everything we can to be as fair as we can. We
have worked, night and day, not just to deal with our financial
crisis, but to reform, re-position and re-invent our economy.
Just as in Europe, financial stability in Ireland is vital, and we
have had enormous success in brining that stability about.
But stability is not enough. We also need jobs and
growth.


This week, it is fair to say, we have had a set-back. The
Government is disappointed that the public services unions did not
vote to accept a new pay agreement, which would have reduced the
public service pay bill by another 7 percent, on top of two pay
reductions that public servants have already borne. It’s
disappointing, but we always accepted that we were asking a
lot. The question is, what do we do now?


This is a very serious moment for all of us.


Having achieved so much, are we now to put those achievements at
risk?


Across the world, one of the things that people say about Ireland
is that, yes, the problems are great, but we are dealing with them,
and we are dealing with them without open conflict. That’s
not the same as saying that people are happy with everything that
has happened, - of course they aren’t - but we have maintained
stability and industrial peace. Are we now going to put all
of that at risk? Are we going to go down the road of conflict
and confrontation?


There are no easy options. There are no fairytale solutions,
but we are 85 percent of the way towards financial stability.


In the past two years, we have asked a lot of people. And
what we have found is that, despite everything, there is a deep
well of patriotism in this country. The vast majority of
people want the country to succeed – because they know, that there
is such a thing as society. They know that unless the
country succeeds, none of us can succeed.


What the Government has to reflect on is how to move on from
here. We have to respect the people who voted. We have
to reflect on what that means, but we also have to reflect on the
bigger picture. On how to guide the country forward to
effectively exit the programme and continue the work of rebuilding
the economy and creating jobs. We have to unite the country,
not divide it. Where we look honestly at what it is that
remains to be done, in financial reform, in budget adjustment, and
in respect of economic growth.


Two years ago, very few people believed that Ireland would be able
to exit its programme in 2013. Today, we are only seven
months from achieving that goal. What we have achieved has
been remarkable. What we need to do now, is to set out our
goal, of how to finish the job, and how to do it fairly. I am
confident we can do that.





Thank You.


ENDS

]]></description>
					<pubDate>Thu, 18 Apr 2013 17:58:54 UTC</pubDate>
		
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					<title><![CDATA[Government pays tribute to Justin Kilcullen on his retirement from Trócaire]]></title>
					<link>http://www.dfa.ie/home/index.aspx?id=89554</link>
					<description><![CDATA[   
The T&#225;naiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Eamon
Gilmore T.D., and the Minister for Trade and Development, Joe
Costello T.D., today paid warm tribute to Justin Kilcullen who has
announced he will retire in October as Executive Director of
Tr&#243;caire.


The T&#225;naiste said: “Justin Kilcullen has led Tr&#243;caire with
energy and passion for two decades. His unswerving commitment to
ending poverty and hunger and fighting for justice and human rights
has made the world a better place for some of the most vulnerable
communities in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.


“Over the past 20 years, Justin has brought the voices of the
disenfranchised and the powerless to the world’s attention as
Director of Tr&#243;caire and as President of Concord, the confederation
of European development NGOs. He is also a member of the National
Famine Commemoration Committee. On behalf of the Government, I
would like to thank him for his tireless work and wish him well in
the years ahead.”


The Minister for Trade and Development Joe Costello said:
“Tr&#243;caire is renowned internationally for its dedication to
achieving a just and peaceful world where people are equal and
rights are respected. Justin Kilcullen has been a tireless advocate
for human rights and social justice and he leaves an organisation
very well-placed to continue this vital work.


“The Government, through Irish Aid, has been a strong supporter
of Tr&#243;caire’s long-term development programmes and their work to
respond to disaster and crises over many years because we recognise
the value of their approach. The respect in which Justin is
held in Ireland and internationally reflects the enormous
contribution he has made to the lives of the world’s poorest
people.”

]]></description>
					<pubDate>Thu, 18 Apr 2013 12:23:50 UTC</pubDate>
		
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					<title><![CDATA[Tánaiste welcomes US Immigration legislation as good news for Irish in the US]]></title>
					<link>http://www.dfa.ie/home/index.aspx?id=89552</link>
					<description><![CDATA[   
The T&#225;naiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs &amp;amp; Trade, Eamon
Gilmore T.D. , has welcomed the publication of a draft Bill for
reform of the US immigration system.


The legislation – which was drafted over several months by a
bi-partisan group of eight US Senators – includes provisions that
would help resolve the plight of thousands of undocumented Irish
people who are living illegally in the US.


It also provides for future flows of legal migration between
Ireland and the US.


Welcoming the draft legislation, the T&#225;naiste said:


“This Bill is a very positive development which, if adopted,
would help to end the great hardship and uncertainty faced by
undocumented Irish in the US and their families here in
Ireland.


The inclusion of a new provision to allow several
thousandIrish citizens to legally avail of employment
opportunities in the US every year is also particularly
welcome.


Both of these issues have been a key focus of my ongoing
engagement with political leaders in the US, particularly during my
visit to Washington D.C. over St. Patrick’s Day when I discussed
them with Ireland’s key friends on Capitol Hill and in the
Administration. 


I am conscious that the overall issues involved are complex and
sensitive ones within the US political system and that much further
debate is likely to be required before the final shape of any
overall legislation becomes clear.


I would like at this stage to express on behalf of the
Government our deepest appreciationto the bi-partisan group
of US Senators who have spearheaded this historic
initiative.The Government will continue to liaise
closely with them and other key stakeholders in Congress and
throughout the Irish-American community.


This draft Senate Bill is another significant step towards an
ultimate outcome that has been long-sought by generations of Irish
migrants to the US and their families”.

]]></description>
					<pubDate>Wed, 17 Apr 2013 16:47:30 UTC</pubDate>
		
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					<title><![CDATA[Statement by the Tánaiste on Boston Marathon]]></title>
					<link>http://www.dfa.ie/home/index.aspx?id=89547</link>
					<description><![CDATA[   
The T&#225;naiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Eamon
Gilmore T.D., tonight expressed his deepest sympathies to the
families of those killed and to those who were injured in the
explosions which took place at the end of the Boston Marathon this
evening.


&quot;My thoughts are with the people and the authorities in Boston as
they continue to deal with this tragic situation&quot;, the T&#225;naiste
said. &quot;I know that there were a significant number of Irish
participating or involved in the Marathon, and my Department - in
particular the Irish Consulate in Boston - is doing all that
it can to make contact with our nationals to check on their
situation. So far, fortunately, all have been safely
accounted for. However, the situation is still developing and
I would ask any family who may be concerned for loved ones that
they have not heard from and who might have been present in the
area to contact my Department at 01-408 2000.&quot;


Press Office


For travel advice updates and information, please see the following
link - http://www.dfa.ie/home/index.aspx?id=447




]]></description>
					<pubDate>Tue, 16 Apr 2013 08:35:21 UTC</pubDate>
		
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