Written Answers Nos. 21-28
21. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the amount of money spent on cross-Border peace initiatives in 2010, 2011, 2012 and planned for 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15591/13]
View answerMy Department provides funding to cross border projects through its Reconciliation and Anti-Sectarianism Funds. The purpose of these Funds is to assist organisations involved in reconciliation work, to support efforts to create better understanding between people on the island of Ireland and between Ireland and Britain, and to assist local initiatives aimed at tackling sectarianism. Funding is provided to cross border initiatives, as well as to local initiatives within Northern Ireland. A table showing the total budget and the amount spent in support of cross border initiatives for the years 2010 to 2012 is included with this reply.
As will be noted, the total amount of funding awarded to support cross border initiatives from 2010 to 2012 was €4.783 million. The total amount of funding awarded under the Reconciliation and Anti-Sectarianism Funds during this period was €8.7 million.
€2.7 million will be made available in 2013 under the Reconciliation and Anti-Sectarianism Funds. The first round of funding in 2013 is currently underway, and I expect to announce funding decisions in early May. The closing date for the second round of funding will be 27th September. At this stage it is not possible to outline what proportion of funding in 2013 will relate to cross border peace initiatives because grants are awarded based on the strength of the applications received, but it is reasonable to expect a similar proportion to that provided in previous years.
While we must acknowledge the extraordinary progress which has been made on our island over the past fifteen years, we cannot take it for granted. There is still important reconciliation work to be done, work that may take generations. In facing up to the challenges that remain, we should remember that reconciliation must be taken forward not just at the political level but also very much at the community level.
|
Year |
Total Budget: Reconciliation/Anti-Sectarianism Funds |
Amount spent in support of cross border peace initiatives |
|
2010 |
€3 million |
€1.585 million |
|
2011 |
€3 million |
€1.674 million |
|
2012 |
€2.7 million |
€1.524 million |
|
Total |
€8.7 million |
€4.783 million |
22. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he is reviewing the issuing of passports to persons who already hold a passport of another state; if he has statistics on the number of dual passport holders with an Irish passport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15419/13]
View answerThere is no prohibition under Irish law on Irish citizens holding the passport of another State. The Passport Service does not require that an applicant for an Irish passport, as part of the regular application process, provide details of any foreign passports held. Therefore, information on the number of Irish passport holders that hold passports of other states is not available. There are currently no plans to request such information.
23. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his recent initiatives with both the British and Northern Ireland authorities to end the imprisonment without trial of a number of persons in Northern Ireland, particularly Marian Price and Martin Corry. [15625/13]
View answer25. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the steps he has taken to address the ongoing detainment and conditions of confinement of Martin Corry and Marian Price; and if he has raised concerns with the British Government over the revoking of licences based on unseen, unheard and incontestable intelligence reports. [15538/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 23 and 25 together.
I am very aware of the cases to which the Deputies refer and my officials monitor these and other cases very closely.
The first individual referred to has been detained since 13 May 2011, following the revocation of her life licence by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. Genuine concerns have repeatedly been raised about several aspects of this case by deputies, and I have raised these very frankly with the British Government. The Parole Commissioners are currently reviewing her case and their decision will issue in due course.
In relation to the second individual, the British authorities have confirmed that he was released under licence in 1992. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland revoked that licence in April 2010 and the individual has as a result been in custody for the past 2 years and 11 months. An appeal in relation to this case has been submitted to the Supreme Court in Belfast. As the case is the subject of an ongoing legal process, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.
24. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide details of his recent official visit to South Africa; and if any of his meetings with South African business groups were successful in creating trade and investment for Ireland. [15528/13]
View answerI travelled to South Africa from the 14th to 17th March this year. The visit was part of a programme to three African countries - Tanzania, South Africa and Mozambique.
In Tanzania, I visited Irish Aid funded projects and held discussions with the Tanzanian Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister. In Mozambique I chaired, on behalf of the EU, the Ministerial political dialogue between the European Union and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), which took place in Maputo on 20 March. I also visited Irish Aid projects in rural Mozambique.
While in South Africa, I took the opportunity to follow up on the very successful trade mission which I led last November, involving 37 Irish companies. During my latest visit, I met with the Board of Business Ireland Southern Africa (BISA) in Johannesburg and was guest speaker at our St. Patrick’s Day reception in Johannesburg. I also met with the local representatives of Enterprise Ireland, Tourism Ireland and ESB International for an update on new business development, including a number of case studies which we discussed in depth. I had the opportunity to launch a joint venture between an Irish company and their South African partner and to visit three other Irish companies which are expanding their business in the region. My visit to South Africa culminated with the Greening of Table Mountain, organised by Tourism Ireland, which received considerable media coverage both locally and in the international media.
I am confident that my trade visits to South Africa, including this most recent visit, are supporting ongoing efforts to further develop Ireland’s economic engagement with South Africa and the wider southern Africa region. In 2011, South Africa – Ireland trade was worth just under €1.2 billion. Enterprise Ireland reports sustained interest by Irish companies in the South African market with two new companies per week on average visiting for the first time. In particular certain food and drink exports to South Africa are growing rapidly. There was an increase of 30% in dairy exports to South Africa last year. The total value of food and drink exports to South Africa in 2012 rose to €56.84 million.
My visit was also in line with Ireland's Africa Strategy, which seeks to build on Ireland’s longstanding development relationship with Africa. It explicitly recognises the role which greater economic and trade cooperation can make to relations between Ireland and Africa, and to development in Africa.
26. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide information on the Invest in Ireland business forum, for IDA clients and target companies, that he hosted in Atlanta, Georgia, during his recent visit to America. [15523/13]
View answer48. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on his visit to Atlanta, New Orleans and Washington; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15420/13]
View answer54. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide details of the meeting he had with the American Secretary of State, John Kerry, on 18 March; and if American immigration reform was discussed. [15525/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 26, 48 and 54 together.
As part of the Government’s St. Patrick's Day "Promote Ireland" programme 2013, I visited Atlanta, New Orleans and Washington DC from 14-20 March.
In Atlanta, I undertook a range of business networking and investment promotion events. In particular, I hosted an "Invest in Ireland" business forum for IDA client and target companies, jointly organised by our Consulate General and the IDA. The event provided an excellent opportunity to reiterate to a target audience the strengths of Ireland as an investment location and to respond directly to participants' questions. In addition, I met and briefed senior management from a number of existing companies with major investments in Ireland, including Coca-Cola and UPS. I also met and briefed Atlanta-based members of the Global Irish Network and other key Irish leaders in Atlanta. On the political level, I held discussions with the Governor of Georgia, Nathan Deal, and invited him to lead a trade delegation to Ireland in the near future. I also met with Senator Johnny Isakson of Georgia and discussed the prospects for progress in relation to immigration reform and in particular our interest in seeing a resolution to the situation of the undocumented Irish in the US.
In New Orleans, I addressed an event hosted by the Irish Network of New Orleans, one of the more recent additions to the Irish Networks in the US which are playing an important role in identifying ways in which Irish communities overseas can contribute to economic recovery at home. I also addressed the Ancient Order of Hibernians Annual St Patrick’s Day Ball and attended the opening of the new Irish Cultural Museum of New Orleans.
During the Washington DC leg of my visit, I had a bilateral meeting with Secretary of State Kerry at the US State Department on 18 March. We discussed a range of subjects including Northern Ireland, the Irish economy, international issues including the Middle East peace process, and the prospects for comprehensive immigration reform in the US. In relation to the latter, I underlined the Government's appreciation for the priority which the new Administration is giving to this subject and reiterated our interest in seeing a resolution for the situation of the undocumented Irish in the US. Immigration reform was also one of the issues which both the Taoiseach and I discussed with President Obama during the bilateral meeting in the White House on 19 March. Later that day, both the Taoiseach and I met with Senators Patrick Leahy, Charles Schumer and John McCain to express our appreciation for the efforts they are making in the Senate on the issue. In addition, I met with the Friends of Ireland Congressional Group to underline our interest in seeing progress on the issue.
27. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the discussions he has held with his EU counterparts regarding the ongoing conflict in the Congo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15607/13]
View answer35. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will detail which UN agencies and NGOs will benefit from the recently announced €3.8 million aid and assistance package for the Democratic Republic of Congo. [15522/13]
View answer44. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the deteriorating human rights situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo; the reason the DRC situation was not on the work agenda of the UN Human Rights Council, of which Ireland is a member; and if he will agree to work towards placing the DRC situation on the work agenda of the UN Human Rights Council. [15529/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 27, 35 and 44 together.
I share the widespread concerns about the human rights situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The country has been ravaged by a long series of violent conflicts. Millions of innocent civilians have been killed, injured or displaced from their homes. There have been systematic abuses of human rights, extremely high levels of sexual violence and rape, and widespread recruitment and use of child soldiers.
European Union Foreign Ministers regularly discuss developments in the DRC and are working actively to support peace efforts. A regional Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework Agreement for the DRC and the Region was reached on 24 February in Addis Ababa, following discussions involving the parties in the DRC and neighbouring countries and international representatives. I have welcomed this agreement, as have High Representative Catherine Ashton and Development Commissioner, Andris Piebalgs, on behalf of the European Union. It is now vital that the parties build on this framework agreement. I welcome the decision of the UN Secretary General to appoint former President Mary Robinson as Special Envoy to the region, and can assure her of the full support of the Government, and of the European Union. Her exceptional skills and experience, as well as her global profile, and reputation make her the ideal choice for this extremely challenging role. She is expected to travel to the region in the coming weeks to meet the leaders who signed the agreement and to work closely with them to ensure that there is full and active implementation of its terms.
Ireland has raised the human rights situation in the DRC at the Human Rights Council through national statements on a number of occasions, most recently at the 19th Session in March 2012. EU Council Conclusions on the Union’s priorities at UN Human Rights Fora, adopted on 18 February 2013, state that the EU supports the Human Rights Council to address the state of human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Following a resolution adopted at the 19th Session of the Human Rights Council in March 2012, on the human rights situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Council is scheduled to consider the situation in DRC again at its 24th Session in September 2013. Ireland will continue to monitor the human rights situation in the DRC closely and use our membership of the Council to raise our ongoing concerns in relations to human rights abuses and violations.
Ireland is providing very significant ongoing support in response to the serious humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Last year, through Irish Aid, the Government provided over €10 million in assistance to those worst affected in the crisis. Earlier this month, we announced the provision of a further €3.8 million in humanitarian funding. Of this funding, €2 million has been provided to the UN Common Humanitarian Fund for the DRC. This provides quick and flexible funding to UN humanitarian agencies and to NGOs on the ground and aims to assist nearly four million vulnerable people in the DRC. The remaining €1.8 million is being provided to Irish Aid partners, Christian Aid (€450,000), Concern (€450,000), Trócaire (€300,000) and Oxfam (€580,000).
28. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the World Bank report on the Palestinian economy, which states that Israel's system of checkpoints and restrictions in the occupied West Bank has inflicted long-term damage on Palestinians' ability to compete in the global market; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15533/13]
View answerWhile much attention has focussed on the difficulties produced at an individual level by the network of controls and movement restrictions which Israel imposes on Palestinians, these measures have cumulatively also had a disastrous effect on the Palestinian economy. The economy of the West Bank effectively collapsed under the impact of these controls over ten years ago; and the degree of growth seen in recent years represents only a very partial recovery of some of that lost ground. The daily movement of Palestinian workers into Israel was severely reduced. Exports of goods are subject to unpredictable and often lengthy delays, which are fatal for the fresh produce which constitutes most of the exports of the West Bank and which make it impossible to build up relations with importers elsewhere. While some of these measures may originally have had a security rationale, their continued imposition now would appear to be primarily related to the security not of Israel but of the Israeli settlements planted in the West Bank. The continuing restrictions on exports seem designed principally to prevent competition with Israeli producers.
It is fair to note that there has been some improvement in recent years. There has been a significant reduction in the number of Israeli checkpoints internal to the West Bank and a small increase in the number of permits to work in Israel, although the conditions imposed on these workers are very difficult. These partial relaxations have been far too little, however, to allow normal economic activity to resume.
The World Bank report is only the latest document to draw attention to these problems and their consequences in terms of a continuing high level of unemployment and dependence on outside aid. These are clearly ideal conditions in which militant groups can increase their support.
Along with its EU partners and others, Ireland has pressed Israel to allow Palestinians free movement in their own territory and normal economic relations with Israel and the outside world. The Office of the Quartet Representative has engaged with Israel bilaterally on these lines for some years. The results, I have to say, have been disappointing; Israeli officials and leaders seem to agree in principle but proposals to relax controls and stimulate growth are not given practical effect.
Ireland will continue to seek to focus international attention on this critical aspect of the conflict in the Middle East.
