Topical Issue Debate

Farm Assist Scheme Payments

Deputy Joe McHugh

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I have been in contact with numerous farmers in recent weeks regarding the farm assist scheme, which is becoming quite a problem for many farmers. The measures in the last budget relating to the farm assist scheme, which is effectively and technically farmers' dole, have resulted in quite a substantial cut to the earning capacity of many smaller farmers. I know of one case where the payment has been reduced from €280 per week to €80 per week, which is a completely unsustainable cut, especially in the context of the unviable nature of many smaller holdings.

The farming industry in general has become a victim of its own success in public discourse. The general assumption is that farming is going well, and indeed it is in some respects. The price of cattle has increased quite substantially in recent years, but the reality for many farmers, as the Minister of State will appreciate, is that costs have risen greatly. That part of the story has not been factored into the public discourse in terms of the viability of many small farm holdings. The cost of fertiliser, meal and fodder has increased dramatically, placing a massive burden on smaller farm holdings and farmers. Farmers are having a very serious conversation among themselves about quitting farming because it is actually costing them money to stay in farming. While that is happening, we also have the situation where the farm assist scheme is being cut back, as in the case of the drop from €280 to €80 per week I just mentioned. That particular farmer has two young children and a partner who is not working and is in a very difficult financial situation.

In the overall context of the farming model in Ireland, which has been the subject of much discussion in the context of the ongoing Common Agricultural Policy, CAP, negotiations, attempts are being made to define productive farming and non-productive farming. The question has arisen as to whether productive farms are small or larger, but the whole thing is interrelated. Agriculture in Ireland is connected together, whereby there are multiple small holdings supporting small suckler herds from Donegal to Kerry. These west of Ireland farms are very small but they feed into the bigger model. Smaller farmers are producing small numbers of cattle, which are then moved on to the bigger farms to be finished off.

My main point is that the cuts to farm assist payments to small farmers must be reviewed in light of the recent fodder crisis, escalating costs and the severe difficulties being faced by many farmers. If multiple small farmers decide that small farm holdings are not viable anymore, they are faced with the stark choice of going on the dole and receiving €200 per week or staying on farm assist and losing money by staying in farming. We are at a dangerous juncture for farming in this country and face the prospect of numerous small farmers along the west coast deciding to get out of farming. That will damage our industry at a national level.

Minister of State at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Deputy John Perry)

I thank Deputy McHugh for raising this important matter, which I am taking on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Burton, who cannot be here today.

The farm assist scheme is based on jobseeker's allowance. It was introduced in 1999 to replace the smallholders unemployment assistance for low-income farmers, without the requirement to be available for and genuinely seeking work. Farm assist recipients retain all the advantages of the jobseeker's allowance scheme such as the retention of secondary benefits and access to activation programmes.

The budgetary changes in 2013, which took effect from April 2013, end the more beneficial treatment of farm assist claimants relative to the treatment of other self-employed persons who would be claiming jobseeker's allowance, thereby ensuring greater consistency in the treatment of self-employed persons on both farm assist and jobseeker's allowance. The budget changes increased the amount of means from self-employment which is assessed against the claim from 85% to 100% and discontinued a means testing disregard for child dependants of claimants.

The headline rates of farm assist are being maintained so farm families with the lowest income will be least affected by these changes. Farm assist remains a flexible payment and farmers experiencing lower levels of income or cashflow problems can ask their local welfare office to review the level of means applying to their claim. The assessment of means for the purpose of qualifying for farm assist is designed to reflect the actual net income and takes into account gross income less any expenses necessarily incurred from farming. Income and expenditure figures for the preceding year are generally used as an indicator of the expected position in the following year. However, account is taken of any exceptional circumstances to ensure the assessment accurately reflects the current situation.

It should be noted that the farm assist means test continues to offer distinct advantages to farmers. For example, payments received under the agri-environment options scheme, AEOS or the special area of conservation, SAC, scheme are assessed separately from other farm income. The first €2,540 of such income is disregarded, 50% of the balance and related expenses are disregarded, with the remainder being assessed as means. In addition, farm assist participants can participate in the rural social scheme which provides additional resources to maintain and improve local amenities and facilities in rural communities. Communities benefit from the skills and talents of local farmers and fisher persons, while participants experience opportunities to improve existing skills or develop new ones and perform valuable work in the community.

The Minister for Social Protection met a delegation from the Irish Farmers Association on 15 May 2013 to discuss a range of issues, including difficulties arising as a result of fodder shortages and the operation of the farm assist scheme generally. Officials from the Department of Social Protection are in ongoing contact with the IFA regarding these issues. The Minister reiterates the statement she made at the meeting with the IFA that farmers currently experiencing financial difficulties as a result of the fodder shortages should apply for farm assist from their local social welfare office. The purpose of the scheme is to provide an income support to farmers who are facing significant difficulties and who may need a helping hand through these difficult periods. The scheme will assist farmers who are experiencing income related problems to continue to farm until their income levels rise in the future.

Deputy Joe McHugh

I thank the Minister of State for the reply. I welcome the fact that the Minister has been engaging with the IFA. I also welcome the fact that there is an acknowledgment of the financial hardship being endured by farmers as a result of the fodder crisis. However, the difficulty is that the dole was protected in the last budget but farm assist, which is effectively farmers' dole, was not protected. It fell between two stools because it is both a farming and a social protection issue. I know from private conversations with the Minister that she understands that farmers are under constraints. I would like her to discuss this matter with the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Coveney and the Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, to see how we can protect unviable family farms, of which there are many. While there are many good news stories in the agrifood sector and money is being made in some sectors, it is costing many small farmers to keep going at the moment.

Another issue is the fact that there are different interpretations of what can be included as farming expenses. For example, a farmer who pays for diesel for a trip to the vet cannot include this as an allowable expense for the purposes of the means test.

Not all farmers are in the same situation but the danger is that farmers will be tempted away from farming as a result of this measure. There is a big debate about the definition of "productive farming". These farms are not productive, but the farmers work against massive constraints with regard to fodder, fertiliser and grain costs. They have massive financial pressures. If farmers decide to leave farming, it will be a bigger problem for our overall agriculture sector and is something on which we should focus. Will the Minister of State contact the Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Coveney, and the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Burton, on this matter with regard to next year's budget?

Deputy John Perry

The issue raised by Deputy McHugh is very important. The vibrancy of rural society is based on farming and the community. It is important for the renewal of villages and towns that farming remains viable. I will certainly forward the Deputy concerns with regard to the 2014 budget. The Minister is very conscious of social and community enterprise and regeneration within farming communities. We certainly would not like to see a reduction in the viability of any farming income. The farm assist scheme includes a huge disregard of income. Welfare officers are very receptive with regard to any exceptional case. Discussions will take place between the Ministers, Deputies Coveney and Noonan, and the IFA. The Minister, Deputy Coveney, has concern, understanding and respect for the viability of small farming families. Based on my experience in Sligo, Deputy McHugh has raised a very important issue and I will certainly forward his concerns to the Ministers, Deputies Noonan and Burton. I have no doubt he will speak directly to the Minister, Deputy Coveney, on this very important issue.

Rent Supplement Scheme Payments

Deputy Brian Stanley

I raise this issue because the second change to the rent supplement ceiling in less than six months is having a huge effect. The cuts in January caused problems and the most recent cuts have created further problems and made the situation much worse. In my constituency of Laoighis-Offaly the rent limits have been reduced to well below the rental rates in the private market. Many tenants are going short of food two or three days a week to pay rent, and I am sure it is the same in the Minister of State's constituency. They do not turn on the heating in the winter months.

The Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Burton, must know what is going on. Landlords simply will not rent accommodation to tenants at less than the limit set by the Government, and experience shows this. Tenants on the lowest income in the State, namely, supplementary welfare allowance, jobseeker's allowance and disability benefit, not only pay the tenant's minimum contribution of €35 to €50 from their income, which is sometimes less than €188 per week, but they also pay the difference between the Department limit and the actual rent charged. There are many examples of this in the constituency of Laoighis-Offaly and throughout the country.

The new maximum rent limits in Laois and Offaly have no connection with what is being charged in the marketplace. According to the new rates, a single person is supposed to be able to rent for just over €70 per week or €340 per month, a couple is supposed to be able to rent for €350, and a family of four is supposed to be able to rent for €480. I cannot find one property in the area in which I live for a family of four for €480 or for a single person for €340. In Offaly the limit is €360 for a single person, €450 for a couple with one child and €475 for a family of four. The figure of €475 is €5 less than in Laois and has been reduced by €65. I checked with local estate agents before coming to the Chamber to ensure I know what I am talking about. If the Minister is able to find such properties, I ask her to come to the Chamber and tell me. This is unrealistic and is causing hardship.

Rent allowance is supposed to be a temporary short-term measure to tide people over until they either buy their own house, which they cannot do because they cannot obtain mortgages, or get local authority housing, which they cannot do either because local authority housing is not available. It has become a long-term measure and people are trapped in awful poverty. As the Citizen Information Centres and any Deputy or local authority member will tell the Minister of State, the tenants are making up the difference. Along with the minimum contribution, they also pay the excess between the limits the Government has set and what is charged in the marketplace. This needs to be addressed and I appeal to the Minister of State not to give me a Civil Service answer. I want him to address this issue in order that those on the lowest incomes in the State have some hope of having a basic standard of living.

Deputy John Perry

On behalf of the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Burton, I thank Deputy Stanley for raising this issue. She is unable to be in the Chamber this afternoon.

The purpose of the rent supplement scheme is to provide short-term income support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source. The overall aim is to provide short-term assistance, and not to act as an alternative to the other social housing schemes operated by the Exchequer. Approximately 85,000 people receive rent supplement for whom the Government has provided more than €403 million in 2013.

Revised rent limits under the rent supplement scheme came into force with effect from Monday, 17 June 2013 and will be in place until 31 December 2014. The new rent limits have been determined following an extensive review of the private rental market based on the most up-to-date data available. This review continues the emphasis of previous rent limit reviews to ensure value for money is achieved while at the same time ensuring people on rent supplement are not priced out of the market for private rented accommodation. The Department funds approximately 30% of the private rented sector so it is essential that rent limits are kept under review. The new rent limits have been set using the 35th percentile ensuring sufficient housing is available for recipients of the scheme.

The Department has completed a full review of rental costs throughout the country using data received from the Private Residential Tenancies Board of actual rental tenancies registered with it. The Department also used publicly available data sources, including the Central Statistics Office rental indices, the www.daft.ie rental report and leading websites advertising rental properties to ascertain the market trends and the current asking prices for rental of one, two and three bedroom properties. The overall findings of the review are in line with market trends. There have been increases in the maximum rent limits in Dublin and Galway while there have been some reductions in a number of rural counties, reflecting the conditions in the rental markets there. The overall cost of this measure for 2013 is approximately €7 million, which can be met from within the existing provision for the scheme.

The Department is satisfied the new rent limits provide access to accommodation for persons claiming rent supplement. Departmental officials will continue to monitor the impact of the revised rates and those administering the scheme will continue to ensure the accommodation needs of rent supplement recipients are met.

Deputy Brian Stanley

I thank the Minister of State for his reply, but he did not answer my question. Where in Portlaoise or Tullamore can he or the Minister, Deputy Burton, show me an apartment for €340 per month? Where can they show me a family home in Portlaoise or Tullamore that can be rented for €450 per month?

Four categories have been cut in the Kildare constituency of the Acting Chairman, Deputy Wall, five in Laois and three in County Offaly. Indeed, one category in Offaly was reduced by €75 for a family of three. While Sinn Féin wants value for money, the only way to achieve this measure is to introduce rent controls, something that no Government in recent years has been prepared to do. The Government cannot impose a limit that bears no relation to the market.

The Minister of State mentioned that the Department got information from the Private Residential Tenancies Board, PRTB. Instead of €400 per month, landlords could be charging €460, €480 or €500. They will register with the PRTB at the limits set by the Department, but those are not the amounts charged when people rent from them.

I draw the Minister of State's attention to a report by the Citizens Information Centre, CIC, on the centralised rent supplement unit, CRSU. I will mention the CIC's survey briefly, as I was brief the first time I spoke. Some 92% of people who e-mailed the CRSU were not e-mailed back, 94% of calls to the CRSU were not answered and 100% of those who called were not called back. The CIC is a fairly reliable body that does great work. Will the Minister of State bring this report and the issue of thresholds to the Minister's attention? I am not trying to be smart.

Deputy John Perry

I know.

Deputy Brian Stanley

I appeal to the Minister of State to raise this issue with the Department and to ask it to examine the limits. If any civil servant can show me where properties in Tullamore, Portlaoise or any other town can be rented for the amounts in question, I will give him or her €20 out of my own pocket. Is that all right?

Deputy John Perry

I certainly will not be cross about the €20. Recently, the Department completed a full review of each county's rental market. It is important that each county was considered separately. Deputy Stanley mentioned figures, but I can speak about Sligo. Given the number of estates available, properties can be rented for €340, €450 and €475. Many landlords would be delighted to have guaranteed payments.

There is no offset relationship between the increase in rental limits in urban and city areas and the decrease in some rural counties. The review reflects the market conditions, namely, increasing rental prices in urban areas with reductions in rural locations. During the review, the Department analysed data received from the private rental sector. I would be amazed if people were putting one figure on a contract and paying another.

Deputy Brian Stanley

The Minister of State would know it from his constituency office.

Deputy John Perry

I would not, to be honest. When entering into rental agreements, people are legally obliged to supply the details of their rents to the PRTB.

Officers also used publicly available data sources, including the Central Statistics Office, CSO, figures on the rental sector, the www.daft.ie rental report, which was up to date, and websites advertising rental properties, to ascertain market trends and current asking prices. Views were also sought from a number of stakeholders to inform the review process, including the staff administering the scheme, the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, the HSE, Threshold and Focus Ireland. This raft of people agreed with what I have stated. The rent limits established were based on the market conditions and characteristics of each county.

The principal purpose of the review was to set rents so that a rent supplement recipient could access suitable and appropriate housing. Where it was found that rents had reduced, the respective maximum limits were lowered, thereby ensuring limits remained in line with their respective rental markets. Similarly, as rents have increased in some counties, maximum limits have been adjusted upwards to reflect local market conditions.

If this is a major issue in County Offaly, I suggest that the Deputy speak directly to the Minister. A separate review was conducted of each county. If the Deputy brought information about Portlaoise to the Minister, she might consider a rent review of that area. I see no issue with the rents that are being paid in Sligo.

Deputy Brian Stanley

I had cases yesterday in which application forms-----

Deputy John Perry

The Deputy should bring them to the Minister's attention.

Middle East Peace Process

Deputy Timmy Dooley

I welcome the opportunity to raise this matter alongside my colleague, Deputy Dowds. Recently, we visited Israel with a group of European parliamentarians on the invitation of the Council for European Palestinian Relations, CEPR, which is working within the EU to further the aims and ambitions of the Arab community in the context of Israel. Our visit was meant to show us at first hand the experience of the minority Arab Israeli population living in Israel. It is actually wrong to call it a minority, as its members represent approximately 20% of Israel's population. As an indigenous people, they were there before the establishment of the state of Israel and would claim pre-establishment rights.

Often, these people are overlooked in the debate on Israel, its nearest neighbours and the conflict in the Gaza strip and the West Bank. Life is difficult for this large cohort. We met them, their representatives and advocates, lawyers, professionals, university professors and human rights workers. From the information provided to us and the direct information we gathered ourselves, it is clear that this cohort of Israel's population is treated differently from the country's Jewish population. There is a higher level of unemployment, poor rural transport and a lack of education. We saw at least one school that was in an appalling condition by anyone's estimation. Its students were educated in a way that differed greatly from the way the Jewish population was educated. Their housing is of a poorer quality and they are prevented from living normally.

The Irish Government must take cognisance of the information that has been provided. In its role within the EU, it must raise the issue of Israel's indigenous Arab population. As the Minister of State, Deputy McGinley, knows, the EU has a neighbourhood agreement with Israel. This is the route through which the EU can exercise its muscles and force the Israeli Administration to give due recognition and equal treatment to its Arab citizens within its borders.

Deputy Robert Dowds

I agree with Deputy Dooley's remarks. Apart from us, the delegation included two parliamentarians from Britain - a Scottish Labour MEP and a Liberal Democrat Member of the House of Lords - as well as a Belgian senator and a Lithuanian Liberal Democratic MEP, the son of a Holocaust survivor.

I wish to focus on the second day of our trip when we visited the Bedouin community south of Beersheba in the Negev Desert. Even though its members are citizens, they are only second class citizens. Despite the fact that many Bedouins serve in the Israeli army, we encountered the imposition of awful conditions. For example, villages appeared to be unrecognised by their local authorities, meaning that they were not connected to electricity supplies and other public utilities and needed to provide their own energy via solar panels outside their tents or shacks. There was evidence of Bedouin villages being repeatedly knocked down. We were told of one example of a village being knocked down more than 20 times. We were presented with evidence of Israeli authorities restricting Bedouins to living in certain limited parts of the Negev Desert.

There were serious allegations that Bedouin olive groves were being destroyed and replaced by eucalyptus trees. This was presented by the Israeli authorities as a way of preventing desertification but in reality it removes the Bedouins' olive groves and grazing land.

As Deputy Dooley noted, this is a small aspect of the whole problem that exists between the Israelis and the Arab population, but the Israeli authorities should be reminded that they need to address it. There are potentially very serious consequences for the region. I ask the Minister of State to make representations to the Israeli Government to ensure its citizens are treated equally, even those of an Arab or Palestinian background.

Minister of State at the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Deputy Dinny McGinley)

I thank both Deputies for raising this matter. In 2010 the population of Israel was recorded as 7.78 million, of whom 75% were Jewish. These figures are inclusive of areas of East Jerusalem and the Golan, whose annexation is not accepted internationally. Some 1.6 million were Arabs, amounting to 20.4% of population, the great majority of whom are full Israeli citizens. A total of 44% of the Israeli Arab population live in the Northern District, including Nazareth and adjoining areas, where they form a slight majority of the population. Another 190,000 Arabs are Bedouin living in the Negev Desert in the south. Only about 120,000 live in the major Israeli cities in the central belt. Arab Israelis are mostly Muslim, with about 10% Christians. I do not include in this analysis the 200,000 or more Arabs in East Jerusalem, who are not for the most part Israeli citizens and who are not considered by us to be living in Israel. They are, one might say, part of a different problem, one which we address frequently in this House. I am not addressing here Ireland's strong criticisms of Israel's policies in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Arab Israelis are full citizens of Israel and are accorded full equality by the basic laws of the state, which form the constitution. In their ability to vote for their government in a genuine democracy, in personal security, freedom of expression and assembly, and protection under the law, especially for women, their situation compares favourably with ordinary citizens, even those in majority populations in other countries in the region, and especially so with members of ethnic and religious minorities. Israeli Arabs are more prosperous and enjoy better access to education, health care and other state services than populations of most neighbouring Arab states.

This is not the full story, of course. Arab Israelis judge their circumstances not against those of people in other countries but against the standards enjoyed by the majority community in Israel. By those criteria Arab Israelis are more clearly seen as a minority that has remained disadvantaged and marginalised for a variety of reasons.

For much of Israel's history, for reasons to do with the wider conflict, many Israelis regarded Arab citizens in their midst with considerable suspicion. Arab Israelis have also encountered measures which discriminate in favour of Jewish citizens in areas such as access to land or in employment, where having served in the armed forces will often constitute an advantage which Arab Israelis, who are exempted from compulsory military service, will not enjoy. In addition, as all governments have found, poverty, marginalisation and disadvantage reinforce each other in a vicious circle which is difficult to break. It is exacerbated in this case, as in many states, by the concentration of economic activity and opportunity in the major cities where few Arab Israelis live.

The results of these factors are that Arab Israelis are markedly worse off than Jewish Israelis in terms of incomes, employment, education, housing, and access to land. There are specific additional problems for the Bedouins, some 60,000 of whom live in unrecognised villages in the Negev Desert, subject in many cases to eviction and displacement, in some cases with the intention of favouring incoming Jewish Israelis.

Many Jewish Israelis, particularly in recent years, have recognised this as a serious imbalance to be addressed as a priority. There have been a number of government reports and initiatives, such as the recommendations of the Or Commission in 2003, and the establishment in 2008 of an Equal Employment Opportunities Commission, which has been mentored to an extent by the Equality Commission of Northern Ireland. President Peres has personally led efforts to address issues of access to employment for Arab Israelis. Regrettably, some more extreme nationalist Israeli leaders continue to regard Arab Israelis with suspicion or hostility and actively promote discriminatory measures.

These are all real problems and human rights issues, familiar in many states, including in Europe. They are raised by Ireland and our EU partners in our relationship with the Israeli authorities, using the guidelines in the EU human rights strategy, in the same way as the EU addresses similar problems in its relations with other states, especially those with which we have association agreements. The EU sees this as a critical and consistent element of our dialogue with Israel and with all states.

There is a real danger, implicit in the terms of the debate we are having here today, that we will be accused of focusing on these issues only because the state involved is Israel. If we were to focus on populations under threat in the Middle East, even leaving aside the massive violence in Syria, we would not start with Arab Israelis. Our major concern with the Israeli authorities cannot be this issue. Rather, it is the position and freedom of the Palestinian population under occupation beyond the Green Line.

Acting Chairman (Deputy Jack Wall)

We have gone over time on this matter. Is Deputy Dowds satisfied?

Deputy Robert Dowds

I have one brief comment. I agree with the Minister of State that this is not the major issue in the Middle East, but because it was brought to the attention of Deputy Dooley and myself, we felt obliged to raise it. There is a very important message for the Israeli authorities here. If they treated their own citizens well, that would flag Israel as a vastly superior state compared with, say, the dysfunctional nature of a country like Syria. It is really important in Israel's interest, never mind that of the Arab community, that it treat the minorities within its borders properly.

Acting Chairman (Deputy Jack Wall)

Does the Minister of State wish to reply?

Deputy Dinny McGinley

Very briefly. The problems of Arabs and Israelis raised by the Deputies are real and are being addressed by the EU. As a member of the EU, Ireland has dialogue with the Israeli authorities, just as we do with other states in the region. The Irish Embassy in Tel Aviv has been particularly active in focusing attention on these issues within the EU group there. Again, I thank the Deputies for raising the matter.

United Nations Report on Refugees

Deputy Mick Wallace

The UN High Commission for Refugees report was published today. It shows that in 2012, an estimated 7.6 million people were newly displaced because of conflict or persecution, the highest number in 24 years. More than 45 million people have been forcibly displaced throughout the world. These are frightening figures. In the Middle East alone in 2012, Afghanistan saw a displacement of 2.5 million, Iraq had in the region of 750,000 and Syria had 750,000.

There is little doubt that war is the main cause of displacement worldwide. Sadly, the role played by the United States in the Middle East has been detrimental to very many people. There is not only the war going on in Afghanistan and Iraq, but of late we have seen the most modern form of war at work in the use of drones, which is terrorising people. The notion that President Obama might regularly go through a kill list of Muslims he intends to eliminate, without any judicial process and with no more identification supplied than the word of a dodgy spy on the ground, is terrifying. I do not know how anybody can see justification for this behaviour. By all accounts, the only way to measure the success of drones is in body count.

Every parent can connect with what President Obama said about the murder of 20 children in Newtown, Connecticut. It must follow that what applies to the children murdered in Newtown by a deranged young man also applies to the children murdered in Pakistan by a sombre American President. The latter children are just as important and deserving of our concern. It is disappointing that the issue appears not to have been raised with the Obamas when they visited Ireland this week.

Deputy Clare Daly

This report on refugees is a devastating indictment of current international policy. One person is displaced every four seconds and men, women and children are being uprooted from their communities. The report is useful in revealing that, contrary to the myth prevailing in the West about an invasion of refugees from these war torn countries, most refugees end up in bordering countries that are also developing and impoverished, with the result that their struggles for life become even more difficult. Germany is the only EU member state in the top ten host countries. As 55% of refugees come from war torn countries, it is clear that international policies are directly linked to this displacement of people. We must examine these policies. Syria was the country which experienced the largest increase in refugee numbers. What is the international community doing about that? It has decided to arm the opposition, which means there will be even more refugees while peace talks are delayed and people refuse to sit down to find a solution.

The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade has stated that he is deeply concerned about the indiscriminate use of drones in contravention of international law, as well as about the number civilians they kill. However, he also stated that he sees no prospect of an agreement on banning drones. What is the Government going to do to help countries that are victims of conflict and poor international policy? Will it make a stand for diplomacy and against the types of barbaric activity that drive so many people out of their homes?

Deputy Dinny McGinley

I thank Deputies Wallace and Clare Daly for raising the United Nations report on the international refugee crisis. This year's Global Trends report, which was released today by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, provides a sobering update on the status of the 42.5 million people forcibly displaced worldwide as a result of persecution, conflict, generalised violence and human rights violations. Of particular concern is the increase in the total number of displaced people across the world from 42.5 million at the end of 2011 to 45.2 million at the end of 2012. The increase in overall numbers reflects the ongoing challenge faced by the international community in preventing and resolving conflicts. Of these 45.2 million people, 15.4 million are refugees, 937,000 are asylum seekers and some 28.8 million are people forced to flee within the borders of their own countries. The report makes clear that war remains the dominant cause of displacement, with 55% all refugees listed in the report coming from just five war affected countries, namely, Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq, Syria and Sudan. The report also charts major new displacements from Mali, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and from Sudan into South Sudan and Ethiopia.

As stated by the High Commissioner, Mr. António Guterres, these are alarming numbers and they reflect individual suffering on a huge scale. In 2012, an average of 23,000 people were forced to leave their homes every day to seek protection elsewhere. The number of new refugees and internally displaced persons are among the highest we have seen in the last ten years. Women and girls made up 48% of the refugee population in 2012, while children under the age of 18 years represented 46%. The report records a worrying increase in the number of children who are unaccompanied by or separated from their parents and, therefore, particularly vulnerable to child trafficking or sexual abuse.

Also evident is a continuing gap between richer and poorer countries in hosting refugees. In all, developing countries host 81% of the world's refugees, compared to 70% a decade ago. While the media often focuses on the numbers of refugees hosted by Ireland, there is very little awareness that countries such as Pakistan host over 1.6 million refugees or that Kenya and Ethiopia host 564,000 and 376,000, respectively.

As the principal UN entity dealing with refugees, the UNHCR is one of Irish Aid's key multilateral partners. In 2012 we provided €6.1 million in core contributions to the UNHCR, with an additional €2.3 million specifically for individual appeals in Chad, Jordan, the Sahel, Somalia, Syria and Western Sahara. In 2013 we have also provided €6.1 million in core contributions to the UNHCR. In addition this year, we have already provided €2.5 million towards the UNHCR's appeals for the Syrian region and for Turkey, as well as for the UNHCR global appeal. We also provide ongoing support to UNRWA, which is the UN agency responsible for Palestinian refugees, with €6.34 million provided last year. However, our partnership extends beyond financial support to ongoing co-operation at all levels.

The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, having witnessed at first hand the UNHCR's work in Somalia, met the High Commissioner during his visit to Ireland in October 2012. The High Commissioner particularly commended Ireland's financial support in the face of difficult economic circumstances. The report captures many of the key issues arising from their discussions, including the huge refugee burden associated with the Syrian crisis and the so-called forgotten crises in Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia and elsewhere. The Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Costello, also made it a priority to visit the UNHCR's work in the Za'atari refugee camp in north Jordan. Ireland has also used our Presidency of the EU Council to call consistently for a stronger international response in Syria and elsewhere to protect the rights of refugees.

Deputy Mick Wallace

The number of people who are suffering and dying on a worldwide basis because of war is beyond comprehension. Ireland needs to be more vociferous in our condemnation of all sides, be that Russia, Iran and Hezbollah supporting Assad in Syria or the Americans, British and French arming the rebels and backing Saudi Arabia's intervention. We recently watched France enter Mali and Libya has been devastated. A small country like Ireland can be a significant player on the world stage by speaking out and emphasising its abhorrence of this type of behaviour. The world does not value the lives of the women and children of these regions the same as those at home or in America. This country needs to speak out as an independent nation.

Deputy Clare Daly

The Minister of State acknowledged that war is the primary reason for the huge number of refugees but we have to draw lessons from that observation. The UN report notes that the country with the largest number of refugees is Afghanistan and the country with the biggest increase in the number of refugees is Syria. The lesson is that interference by foreign imperialist powers causes dislocation and gives rise to these problems.

I agree that it is not enough for us to stand idly by but we can channel an independent foreign policy far beyond anything that we have done thus far. It is welcome that Ireland spoke out against the lifting of the embargo on Syria and I acknowledge the Tánaiste's role in that regard but it is not enough. He needs to do more and, in the same way that Ireland was at the forefront in the campaign to eliminate landmines, we can lead in respect of drones and other reprehensible areas of foreign policy.

With that in mind, I ask the Minister to ensure that no arms destined for Syria are transported through Shannon Airport on their way to kill Syrian civilians.

Deputy Dinny McGinley

I agree with Deputies Daly and Wallace that the situation is becoming more serious. The figures showing an increase of 3 million in the number of refugees in less than two years speak for themselves. While Ireland is a small country, we have a voice that is listened to and carries some authority internationally. The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Eamon Gilmore, and his Minister of State, Deputy Joe Costello, actively highlight unacceptable circumstances that arise in various countries.

The United Nations report on the international refugee crisis states that most refugees have been displaced as a result of wars in different parts of the world. Most people will agree that Ireland makes a significant contribution by sending troops overseas to places of conflict as part of peacekeeping operations. Despite our economic difficulties, we also make a significant financial contribution, as I outlined. Our efforts were acknowledged and recognised by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterres, during his visit in October 2012. I assure the Deputies that the Tánaiste and his Ministers of State will continue their efforts to highlight problems. The Government is committed to doing everything possible in this regard.

Dáil Éireann debate - Wednesday, 19 Jun 2013