I thank the Chairman and Deputies Kitt and O'Sullivan on their complimentary remarks in regard to improvements in the passport service in terms of the turnaround of passport applications. I take this opportunity to pay tribute to the staff in the passport offices in Cork, Balbriggan and Molesworth Street and to their trade unions for the manner in which they have co-operated with management of the service. There has been a significant turnaround in what was the position last year. It is fair to say that last year there was a dramatic increase in the number of applications, in particular for passports at short notice. I take this opportunity to remind people to apply on time for their passports. I appreciate that there are occasions when people have to travel at short notice, such as an emergency in terms of a funeral or family tragedy, and their passports are not in order. However, people making travel arrangements such as for holidays should ensure their passports are up to date. People should also note that they may encounter problems in some countries if travelling on a passport which is within six months of expiry. Those people looking forward to Ireland qualifying from the first round of the European championships and planning to travelling to the Ukraine for the subsequent rounds should be aware that the Ukraine operates that system. I would advise people planning any travel, be it to the European Championships or on holiday and so on to ensure they get their passport applications in on time.
Deputy Kitt asked about the possibility of increasing the number of passport offices. The passport service now provides a comprehensive range of options for citizens in respect of passport application. Applications may be made by Passport Express, through some 1,000 post offices across this State and 70 post offices in Northern Ireland. A guaranteed ten working day service is available in respect of such applications which are complete and in order. Less urgent applications can also be made by ordinary post. Applicants can also apply in person at the public offices in Dublin and Cork. Positive comments are frequently made about the quality of the service available at the public offices. I am aware that the availability of a local office in Cork, which deals with applications across Munster, is greatly appreciated. Against this background, the issue of opening additional offices in other locations will be kept under active review. We do not have any plans at this time for the opening of a passport office in Northern Ireland. As I stated, passport applications can be made through 70 post office branches there.
I thank Members for their complimentary remarks about our embassies in general and in particular the hard work and dedication of our staff in the Department, in particular the diplomatic staff. Deputy Kitt asked whether the Villa Spada may be used to house the embassies to Italy and the Holy See. The Secretary General of the Department, Mr. David Cooney, has recently been appointed as the non-resident ambassador to the Holy See. Members will be aware he recently presented his credentials to Pope Benedict. It is often said that diplomacy is best exercised quietly. In this particular case, that is especially true. It would be useful if there were a period of time without too much public comment on what may or may not be worked out in practice and which would allow Ambassador Cooney and those with whom he is engaging in the Vatican to see what may be possible.
The Minister of State will address the specific questions raised in regard to our development aid programme but I would like to make a couple of general observations on it because the point was made that it is something of which Ireland is very proud. Our aid programme has been commented on very favourably internationally. The budget for it has fallen as a result of the economic situation in the country. It is down approximately 30% on its peak. However, we can take some considerable satisfaction and pride from the fact that we have stabilised the aid budget and that even in difficult economic circumstances - everybody in this room and in the country is aware that we had to introduce a very difficult budget last year - we were able to discharge our responsibility to the poorest people in the world. I hope we will be able to continue to do that.
We have said - it is an international commitment - that we will reach the 0.7% target and this Government has recommitted itself to doing that. Reaching that target by 2015 will be very challenging, in particular in the economic circumstances in which we find ourselves. I was very encouraged throughout last year at the very positive responses we received in the country and internationally to the fact that we had managed to, in effect, maintain our ODA commitment in difficult economic circumstances. The committee should probably come back and have a further discussion about it.
Deputy Mac Lochlainn raised a number of issues in regard to trade, in particular with the BRIC countries and Turkey. There is a strong focus in the Government's trade strategy on the BRIC countries and on other emerging markets. As he will know, the Taoiseach and several Ministers visited China recently and I hope to do so later in the year. My colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Costello, led a trade mission to Turkey in March and he will lead an Enterprise Ireland trade mission to Russia next month. Our ambassador in each of the BRIC countries leads a market team working very closely with the State agencies.
I take the point Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan made in regard to the embassy in Tehran. It is fair to say we have trade with Iran but at the time the embassy in Tehran was opened, there were hopes for a much higher level of trade being developed than turned out to be the case. As I said in regard to opposition to the embassy at the OECD, I hope that in time as our financial and economic situation improve, we will be back at this committee talking about embassies and missions we are opening rather than closing. I see the closure of these missions as something we have to do at this time because we cannot be spread too thinly. It is a question of finance and of personnel resources. We must concentrate our people where we immediately need them.
Our budget for both the lead into and the actual Presidency of the European Union is €60 million. That compares with €93 million in 2004. We have decided to run the Presidency in as cost effective a way as we can. One of the ways we are doing that is that we have reduced, for example, the number of informal ministerial meetings which would occur during the Presidency. We are now looking at ten or maybe 11 informal meetings. We have also decided to hold them in one venue. The practice in the past was that informal meetings were held in various venues throughout the country. By sheer coincidence, they were very often held in the constituency of the Minister hosting them. However, we have decided not to do that this time. We are going to use Dublin Castle and that means we do not have to move translation equipment and so on around. There are significant savings to be made on that.
The normal European Council meetings will continue. The other significant change which has happened since 2004 is the way the European Council meets. It used always be a summit in the state holding the Presidency. Some of the meetings are now held in Brussels. There is a permanent European Council Presidency which does not rotate. President Van Rompuy now convenes the meetings, so there is a change at an organisational level as well.
Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked a number of very specific questions in regard to the Union for the Mediterranean to which I hope I have the answers. In advance of our forthcoming Presidency, Ireland is making a modest first contribution to the Union for the Mediterranean as well as a contribution to its constituent NGO body, the Anna Lindt Foundation. It is a small contribution of €25,000 in 2012 and it is considered important that we should be seen to support visibly the Union for the Mediterranean and the Anna Lindt Foundation at a time when a significant number of Arab states are undergoing radical transition from autocratic rule. The Commission does not contribute in any significant way but there are some seminars and so on which may be co-funded by the Commission.
Deputy Byrne referred to the United States relationship. I agree with him that the relationship with the United States is very important to Ireland, in particular the economic relationship. I had the opportunity this morning of attending an event organised by the American Chamber of Commerce launching a new report on the economic relationship between the United States and the European Union. It was a particularly significant event given the level of investment by US companies in Ireland, which I hope can continue.
Deputy Byrne also asked about the possibility of a White Paper on foreign policy. The last White Paper on foreign policy was produced in the mid-1990s. It was an extensive process at that time involving much public consultation. If one looks at the situation now as compared with then, we have a more developed committee system in the Oireachtas which allows for much wider discussion of foreign policy on a regular basis. This is probably the appropriate forum where we can discuss and engage on foreign policy. I am also conscious of the commitment of resources, in particular staff resources, which would be required to prepare a White Paper on foreign policy. The immediate priority of my Department in the present economic environment is the restoration of Ireland's reputation and the work that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade can do in contributing to Ireland's economic recovery, particularly in the area of trade promotion. That runs across our priorities in regard to Europe and obviously the Presidency is a huge commitment, our priorities in regard to contribution to international affairs generally, which includes our chairmanship of the OSCE this year, the work being done through our missions and embassies to promote Ireland's interests across a range of areas and doing that with less resources and fewer personnel than heretofore. We must remain focused on that work and ensure the resources available to us, financial and personnel, are focused on that work in addition to all the normal activity, such as consular work, repatriation of people who find themselves in difficult circumstances, and all the day-to-day work. I do not envisage that we will prepare a White Paper on foreign policy. However, we should have continuing discussion on foreign policy and clearly this is the committee where that work can be done. I am aware the committee is engaged with many people who are interested in foreign policy issues and certainly I am quite happy to have discussions on such issues at any time at this committee.
On the issue of abuse of passports, the new passport is more secure but there can never be absolute security in respect of a passport. We do not have any evidence of significant fraud but we are looking at further improving the security of passport books.
Deputy Nash raised a number of specific issues. I have answered his question on the Presidency. There was a question on consultancy, the figure for which is €100,000 which is the same as that for last year. The Estimate for this year is the same as that for last year. In regard to repatriation, the policy is that we pursue all advances which are made to persons who are repatriated and we write to those concerned. In some cases where there is genuine distress there may have been medical or psychiatric problems and obviously we use discretion in those cases. We write off a small number of outstanding advances. The procedure is that they have to be signed off on by the Secretary General. Persons who are being repatriated are generally required to sign undertakings that they will repay the money and sometimes we make flexible arrangements for that repayment.
The certificate of Irish heritage which was launched last year will grow. We did not expect there would be an instant demand. The Deputy used the figure of 118 but I understand that 600 have been issued to date. I expect following the promotion during the St. Patrick's Day festival and at the Gathering next year that awareness of and demand for the certificate of Irish heritage will grow.
On the International Fund for Ireland, the funding which is provided for in the Estimates is to pay part of the administrative cost of the fund. The donors, mainly the US and the EU, provide the funds which are distributed, which in 2011 amounted to €27 million. A board operates independently of the Government, the activities of which are fully audited. Members will be aware that a decision was taken to wind down the fund in time. That gives rise to the issue of the way funding might be developed and maintained, particularly for projects in difficult to reach areas. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Owen Paterson, and I have discussed this matter with the First Minister and Deputy First Minister in Northern Ireland and we are examining ways in which community funding and so on can be continued in some other way. Various options are being examined in that regard. I hope that covers everything unless I have missed something, which I will answer if I have done so.