Finian McGrath
Question:70. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will investigate the case of a person (details supplied) from County Louth who is in a prison in Lithuania. [28123/13]
View answerConsular Services Provision
Questions (70)
Written answers
I can inform the Deputy that the Embassy of Ireland in Lithuania and the Consular Assistance Section in Dublin has provided consular assistance to the person in question since that person’s initial detention in Lithuania. The Embassy is in regular contact with the appropriate Lithuanian authorities in response to questions or matters which have arisen during the period of imprisonment. The person and his next of kin are kept informed of the Embassy’s representations to the Lithuanian authorities on various matters, and the outcomes of these representations. I wish to inform the Deputy that the Department of Foreign Affairs has no role of legal representative or investigator in foreign jurisdictions.
Departmental Reports
Questions (71)
Sean Fleming
Question:71. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will set out the value for money reports and the focused policy assessments carried out within his Department since March 2011; the actions that have been taken to implement such reports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28175/13]
View answerWritten answers
My Department is committed to assessing its work and performance, including the conduct of Value for Money and Policy Reviews (VFM) in keeping with the spirit of the Public Spending Code. Under the current round of Value for Money and Policy Reviews, 2012-2014, two studies have been planned. The first, a VFM Review of Bilateral Diplomatic Missions in the EU, is coming to completion and the other, a VFM Review of Irish Aid’s support to the Haiti earthquake disaster, has just commenced. Both of these studies will be made public and action will be taken in relation to recommendations. In order to ensure that such action is appropriate and timely, a system has been put in place by my Department to track and follow-up on recommendations from VFMs and other evaluations that are regularly undertaken. A whole of Government comprehensive review of expenditure was conducted in 2011. My Department made a submission to that review in July 2011. That submission, with other Departmental submissions, was published on the DPER website in December 2011.
No other Value for Money Reviews or Focused Policy Assessments have been undertaken by my Department since March 2011.
Overseas Development Aid Issues
Questions (72)
Seán Crowe
Question:72. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade further to Parliamentary Question No. 128 of 28 May 2013, in which he stated that 20% of Irish Aid’s expenditure is on hunger reduction, if he will specifically detail the way this is measured and the type of expenditure that falls under Irish Aid’s definition of hunger reduction spending. [28210/13]
View answerWritten answers
Combating global hunger and under-nutrition is a key pillar of Ireland’s overseas development assistance programme, which is a central element of our foreign policy. This commitment was renewed last month when we launched Ireland’s new policy for international development, ‘One World, One Future’. In 2008, Ireland's Hunger Task Force called on the Government to work towards an indicative target of directing twenty per cent of our overseas development assistance budget to hunger-related activities by 2012. We have delivered on that target, and over 20% of the Irish Aid budget is now focused on the fight to reduce hunger.
All of the work of the aid programme on the reduction of poverty naturally has an impact on hunger reduction. However, the hunger target expenditure is made up of programmes and interventions which have a significant impact on hunger reduction. These include Irish Aid’s support for agriculture programmes which help poor smallholder farmers to boost their yields and diversify their crops, as well as our support for agricultural research for development. They also include Irish Aid’s support for nutrition programmes and interventions, school feeding programmes, food assistance programmes and emergency food distribution.
The social protection programmes supported by Irish Aid have a significant impact on hunger reduction and are also included in our hunger target. These programmes play an important role in addressing income poverty, and improve the ability of poor people to buy more nutritious food and to have two meals a day rather than one.
Health care, health education and improving the supply of drinking water and sanitation also have a significant impact on reducing hunger, and programmes which Irish Aid support in these areas are included in our hunger target.
Reaching and exceeding our 20% hunger target has involved a reorientation of our development programme to ensure a stronger hunger response at the global level and in the countries in which we work. It clearly marks Ireland out in global terms for our commitment in the fight against hunger and under-nutrition. We are determined to stay on track with this important work.
Overseas Development Aid Issues
Questions (73)
Seán Crowe
Question:73. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if Irish Aid reviewed Dóchas recently published Models of Agricultural Investment research paper; and if Irish Aid plans to implement any of the recommendations contained in this paper. [28211/13]
View answerWritten answers
I warmly welcome the report, “Models of Agricultural Investment”, published last November by Dóchas, the umbrella organisation for Irish development NGOs. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine contributed to the report’s formulation. The report concludes that the local context is a crucial determinant of the suitability of any agricultural investment model in the developing world. I strongly share the view that a differentiated approach is necessary in working with development partners, taking account of local conditions. Combating global hunger and under-nutrition is a key pillar of Ireland’s overseas development assistance programme, as re-confirmed in the Government’s new policy for international development, ‘One World, One Future’. Support for poor agricultural smallholders is a core element of our strategy, which is guided by the 2008 Hunger Task Force Report. This report highlighted in particular the need to support smallholder farmers in Africa, and in particular women farmers, to increase their productivity. Through our aid programme, Ireland supports international agricultural research for development, primarily through the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). Ireland advocates to ensure that CGIAR research programmes are climate-smart, gender-sensitive and nutrition-sensitive. We also support a range of smallholder support activities in our Key Partner Countries, and we prioritise the implementation of beneficial research outcomes.
The Dóchas report contains a number of recommendations. One is that evidence-based assessment is necessary for effective evaluation of the impact of work carried out by NGOs supported by the Government. I am in full agreement. Irish Aid funding decisions are based on a strong results-based management system. As a condition of funding, all NGO partners must set out clearly defined results and demonstrate strong monitoring and evaluation procedures to track those results.
The report also recommends support for the implementation of the UN Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land. As Presidency of the EU, Ireland worked to ensure that the guidelines were included in the new EU Food and Nutrition Security Implementation Plan which was adopted by EU Development Ministers at the Foreign Affairs Council on 28 May 2013.
I look forward to continuing dialogue with Dóchas on our approach to agriculture in the fight to end extreme hunger and poverty in the world.
Trade Data
Questions (74)
Dominic Hannigan
Question:74. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide a list, in tabular form, in order of the highest to lowest of all of Ireland's trading partners, with the amount or trade valued, the amount our exports are to that country and the value of the imports from that country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28251/13]
View answerWritten answers
In 2012, Ireland’s total bilateral trade (imports to and exports from Ireland) increased by 4.7% to €318.5 billion, despite a difficult global economic environment. Total exports (merchandise and services) increased by 5.5% in nominal terms in 2012 to their highest level ever (€182 billion) and they are now 16% higher than the pre-crisis high in 2007. The total value of merchandise exports in 2012 was €92,120 million, up 1% from 2011, while total imports were valued at €49,024 million, up 1.5% on 2011. Services exports increased 11%, from €81,448 million in 2011 to €90,218 million in 2012. Figures for 2012 services exports, broken down by country will not be available from the CSO until autumn 2013.
As the Deputy is aware, the Embassy network is engaged, in close co-operation with the relevant State Agencies, in the drive to promote Irish exports through the local market teams established under the Government’s Trade Strategy. The local market team, chaired by the Ambassador consists of the Embassy and representatives from the relevant State Agencies in the field. These market teams submit annual market plans as well as six monthly reports of activity, which are reviewed by the Export Trade Council, which I chair.
The following tables provides a breakdown of merchandise trade figures by total trade, exports and imports for 2012.
Irelands Trading Partners – Merchandise figures ( €000) 2012
|
Country |
Exports |
Imports |
Total bilateral trade |
|
Great Britain* |
13,857,163 |
15,411,489 |
29,268,652 |
|
United States* |
18,156,979 |
6,479,864 |
24,636,843 |
|
Belgium* |
13,618,547 |
958,955 |
14,577,502 |
|
Germany* |
7,517,282 |
3,415,750 |
10,933,032 |
|
France* |
4,403,266 |
1,905,522 |
6,308,788 |
|
Switzerland* |
5,070,306 |
957,649 |
6,027,955 |
|
Netherlands* |
3,324,340 |
2,369,949 |
5,694,289 |
|
China* |
1,564,943 |
2,751,117 |
4,316,060 |
|
Italy* |
2,672,121 |
780,239 |
3,452,360 |
|
Spain* |
2,768,585 |
656,390 |
3,424,975 |
|
Japan* |
2,099,983 |
734,049 |
2,834,032 |
|
Northern Ireland |
1,451,370 |
1,029,877 |
2,481,247 |
|
Norway |
298,417 |
938,162 |
1,236,579 |
|
Sweden* |
829,848 |
378,790 |
1,208,638 |
|
Poland* |
681,609 |
370,790 |
1,052,399 |
|
Canada* |
781,358 |
245,929 |
1,027,287 |
|
Nigeria |
304,540 |
676,405 |
980,945 |
|
Denmark* |
525,257 |
453,173 |
978,430 |
|
Mexico |
679,788 |
271,521 |
951,309 |
|
Other (Intra EU) |
38,198 |
913,004 |
951,202 |
|
Australia* |
724,139 |
105,556 |
829,695 |
|
Singapore* |
512,701 |
297,092 |
809,793 |
|
Brazil* |
255,830 |
515,713 |
771,543 |
|
Turkey |
455,243 |
309,200 |
764,443 |
|
Algeria |
48,197 |
715,361 |
763,558 |
|
Hong Kong |
594,904 |
115,609 |
710,513 |
|
Russia* |
602,619 |
102,398 |
705,017 |
|
South Korea* |
355,912 |
334,185 |
690,097 |
|
Other (Non-EU) |
44,991 |
620,343 |
665,334 |
|
Czech Republic* |
336,965 |
297,216 |
634,181 |
|
Saudi Arabia* |
626,197 |
4,144 |
630,341 |
|
Israel |
553,646 |
60,435 |
614,081 |
|
India* |
234,576 |
365,356 |
599,932 |
|
Austria* |
331,359 |
211,896 |
543,255 |
|
Portugal |
386,165 |
131,284 |
517,449 |
|
Finland |
383,461 |
113,594 |
497,055 |
|
Romania |
351,824 |
125,712 |
477,536 |
|
Malaysia* |
240,852 |
216,157 |
457,009 |
|
Country |
Exports |
Imports |
Total bilateral trade |
|
Thailand |
137,880 |
298,645 |
436,525 |
|
South Africa* |
283,325 |
117,881 |
401,206 |
|
United Arab Emirates* |
373,678 |
23,250 |
396,928 |
|
Hungary |
277,499 |
107,579 |
385,078 |
|
Taiwan |
129,423 |
252,160 |
381,583 |
|
Stores and Provisions (Non EU) |
369,063 |
369,063 |
|
|
Ireland |
341,849 |
341,849 |
|
|
Argentina |
80,711 |
236,681 |
317,392 |
|
Greece |
255,876 |
23,766 |
279,642 |
|
Libya |
31,335 |
169,669 |
201,004 |
|
Vietnam |
76,279 |
100,603 |
176,882 |
|
Egypt |
135,649 |
28,006 |
163,655 |
|
Indonesia |
64,874 |
97,429 |
162,303 |
|
Bangladesh |
6,714 |
131,358 |
138,072 |
|
Slovakia |
62,868 |
62,626 |
125,494 |
|
Chile |
62,197 |
56,765 |
118,962 |
|
Luxembourg |
68,819 |
47,520 |
116,339 |
|
Philippines |
82,515 |
30,042 |
112,557 |
|
Latvia |
72,836 |
37,621 |
110,457 |
|
New Zealand |
69,007 |
40,378 |
109,385 |
|
Lithuania |
55,704 |
52,353 |
108,057 |
|
Guinea |
2,676 |
100,111 |
102,787 |
|
Kuwait |
97,928 |
377 |
98,305 |
|
Morocco |
68,282 |
20,376 |
88,658 |
|
Bulgaria |
66,795 |
12,004 |
78,799 |
|
Pakistan |
26,080 |
51,597 |
77,677 |
|
Ukraine |
50,185 |
20,089 |
70,274 |
|
Ghana |
54,657 |
13,535 |
68,192 |
|
Lebanon |
59,460 |
5,219 |
64,679 |
|
Qatar |
58,541 |
4,086 |
62,627 |
|
Colombia |
33,840 |
27,173 |
61,013 |
|
Serbia |
54,039 |
2,333 |
56,372 |
|
Iraq |
56,038 |
88 |
56,126 |
|
Venezuela |
52,467 |
1,343 |
53,810 |
|
Jordan |
51,317 |
1,944 |
53,261 |
|
Oman |
46,883 |
6,200 |
53,083 |
|
Senegal |
51,174 |
582 |
51,756 |
|
Iran |
50,752 |
767 |
51,519 |
|
Croatia |
40,262 |
8,264 |
48,526 |
|
Country |
Exports |
Imports |
Total bilateral trade |
|
Sri Lanka |
4,114 |
42,861 |
46,975 |
|
Peru |
28,638 |
14,699 |
43,337 |
|
Costa Rica |
14,260 |
28,210 |
42,470 |
|
Kenya |
22,298 |
18,900 |
41,198 |
|
Slovenia |
32,164 |
8,934 |
41,098 |
|
Cameroon |
31,008 |
7,595 |
38,603 |
|
Kazakhstan |
37,715 |
146 |
37,861 |
|
Cambodia |
3,234 |
33,775 |
37,009 |
|
Bahrain |
36,144 |
99 |
36,243 |
|
Cyprus |
32,417 |
3,540 |
35,957 |
|
Estonia |
23,685 |
11,585 |
35,270 |
|
Confidential (Non EU) |
32,945 |
32,945 |
|
|
Malta |
23,816 |
9,006 |
32,822 |
|
Iceland |
23,434 |
8,755 |
32,189 |
|
Congo |
31,709 |
262 |
31,971 |
|
Congo (Dem Rep) |
30,907 |
6 |
30,913 |
|
Tunisia |
15,095 |
12,422 |
27,517 |
|
Andorra |
355 |
26,843 |
27,198 |
|
Dominican Republic |
13,213 |
8,043 |
21,256 |
|
Syria |
18,102 |
325 |
18,427 |
|
Mauritius |
4,736 |
12,818 |
17,554 |
|
Angola |
17,065 |
1 |
17,066 |
|
Uruguay |
12,393 |
4,587 |
16,980 |
|
Zambia |
16,143 |
56 |
16,199 |
|
Ecuador |
14,158 |
1,980 |
16,138 |
|
Mali |
15,944 |
111 |
16,055 |
|
Trinidad and Tabago |
15,502 |
374 |
15,876 |
|
Bosnia and Herzegovina |
14,978 |
807 |
15,785 |
|
Panama |
14,681 |
688 |
15,369 |
|
Sudan |
13,546 |
1,398 |
14,944 |
|
Ethiopia |
14,649 |
253 |
14,902 |
|
Tanzania United Rep |
14,265 |
360 |
14,625 |
|
Belize |
551 |
12,603 |
13,154 |
|
Togo |
12,181 |
35 |
12,216 |
|
Uganda |
11,644 |
182 |
11,826 |
|
Yemen |
11,818 |
0 |
11,818 |
|
Macao |
8,085 |
2,574 |
10,659 |
|
Guam |
10,464 |
1 |
10,465 |
|
Ivory Coast |
8,268 |
1,869 |
10,137 |
|
Albania |
5,001 |
5,039 |
10,040 |
|
Country |
Exports |
Imports |
Total bilateral trade |
|
Macedonia |
8,426 |
995 |
9,421 |
|
Benin |
9,120 |
0 |
9,120 |
|
Nicaragua |
3,080 |
5,317 |
8,397 |
|
Bahamas |
2,758 |
5,396 |
8,154 |
|
Afghanistan |
8,078 |
30 |
8,108 |
|
Georgia |
6,781 |
1,109 |
7,890 |
|
Guatemala |
6,664 |
1,151 |
7,815 |
|
Gabon |
4,862 |
2,888 |
7,750 |
|
US Minor Islands |
7,245 |
418 |
7,663 |
|
Honduras |
3,266 |
4,344 |
7,610 |
|
Belarus |
4,631 |
1,569 |
6,200 |
|
Azerbaijan |
6,153 |
3 |
6,156 |
|
El Salvador |
5,970 |
95 |
6,065 |
|
Jamaica |
4,760 |
1,221 |
5,981 |
|
Namibia |
2,611 |
1,816 |
4,427 |
|
Burkina Faso |
4,073 |
47 |
4,120 |
|
Tokelau Islands |
3,701 |
276 |
3,977 |
|
New Caledonia |
3,674 |
10 |
3,684 |
|
Swaziland |
2,699 |
958 |
3,657 |
|
Mozambique |
3,614 |
5 |
3,619 |
|
Zimbabwe |
2,986 |
591 |
3,577 |
|
Malawi |
3,405 |
60 |
3,465 |
|
Moldova |
2,975 |
460 |
3,435 |
|
Gibraltar |
3,304 |
4 |
3,308 |
|
Sierra Leone |
2,161 |
973 |
3,134 |
|
Maldives |
435 |
2,588 |
3,023 |
|
Fiji |
2,945 |
74 |
3,019 |
|
Botswana |
2,941 |
0 |
2,941 |
|
Mongolia |
2,554 |
6 |
2,560 |
|
Laos |
768 |
1,708 |
2,476 |
|
Liberia |
2,110 |
251 |
2,361 |
|
Faroe Islands |
366 |
1,674 |
2,040 |
|
Bolivia |
1,467 |
513 |
1,980 |
|
North Korea |
1,837 |
1,837 |
|
|
Seychelles |
1,559 |
205 |
1,764 |
|
Mauritania |
1,629 |
125 |
1,754 |
|
Papua New Guinea |
1,497 |
221 |
1,718 |
|
Brunei |
1,652 |
4 |
1,656 |
|
Uzbekistan |
1,449 |
21 |
1,470 |
|
Barbados |
1,448 |
6 |
1,454 |
Additional tables.
|
Country |
Exports |
Imports |
Total bilateral trade |
|
Armenia |
1,181 |
26 |
1,207 |
|
Guyana |
1,192 |
0 |
1,192 |
|
Cuba |
865 |
310 |
1,175 |
|
Turkmenistan |
1,032 |
106 |
1,138 |
|
Chad |
1,075 |
49 |
1,124 |
|
French Polynesia |
1,044 |
45 |
1,089 |
|
Liechtenstein |
408 |
644 |
1,052 |
|
Mayotte |
996 |
996 |
|
|
Netherlands Antilles |
937 |
16 |
953 |
|
Haiti |
675 |
273 |
948 |
|
Central African Republic |
423 |
516 |
939 |
|
Gambia |
869 |
6 |
875 |
|
Surinam |
796 |
28 |
824 |
|
Bermuda |
813 |
5 |
818 |
|
Madagascar |
627 |
131 |
758 |
|
Burma |
681 |
40 |
721 |
|
Paraguay |
648 |
62 |
710 |
|
Nepal |
320 |
377 |
697 |
|
US Virign Islands |
608 |
37 |
645 |
|
Somalia |
626 |
18 |
644 |
|
Samoa |
615 |
0 |
615 |
|
Grenada |
131 |
452 |
583 |
|
Rwanda |
471 |
73 |
544 |
|
Equatorial Guinea |
512 |
0 |
512 |
|
Ceuta |
105 |
401 |
506 |
|
St Vincent & Grenadines |
447 |
0 |
447 |
|
Turks & Caicos Islands |
2 |
433 |
435 |
|
Occupied Palestine |
330 |
88 |
418 |
|
Kosovo |
377 |
31 |
408 |
|
Niger |
211 |
190 |
401 |
|
Cayman Islands |
309 |
1 |
310 |
|
Djibouti |
74 |
199 |
273 |
|
Kyrgyz Republic |
210 |
57 |
267 |
|
St Lucia |
136 |
126 |
262 |
|
Tonga |
226 |
4 |
230 |
|
Saint Helena |
130 |
69 |
199 |
|
San Marino |
109 |
23 |
132 |
|
Dominica |
95 |
20 |
115 |
|
Burundi |
90 |
16 |
106 |
|
St Kitt & Nevis |
78 |
26 |
104 |
|
Country |
Exports |
Imports |
Total bilateral trade |
|
Micronesia |
95 |
95 |
|
|
British Virgin Islands |
8 |
80 |
88 |
|
Greenland |
3 |
73 |
76 |
|
Lesotho |
66 |
3 |
69 |
|
Montenegro |
53 |
10 |
63 |
|
Aruba |
56 |
56 |
|
|
Anguilla |
51 |
51 |
|
|
Comoros |
18 |
31 |
49 |
|
Falkland Islands |
1 |
48 |
49 |
|
Nauru |
4 |
42 |
46 |
|
Solomon Islands |
39 |
39 |
|
|
Eritrea |
6 |
32 |
38 |
|
French Southern Terr |
8 |
24 |
32 |
|
Cape Verde |
22 |
4 |
26 |
|
Norfolk Island |
6 |
13 |
19 |
|
British Indian Ocean Territory |
2 |
15 |
17 |
|
Antigua & Barbuda |
7 |
2 |
9 |
|
Christmas Island |
7 |
0 |
7 |
|
St Pierre & Miquelon |
6 |
6 |
|
|
Vanuatu |
2 |
3 |
5 |
|
Timor-Leste |
5 |
0 |
5 |
|
American Samoa |
0 |
5 |
5 |
|
Melilla |
4 |
4 |
|
|
Cook Islands |
4 |
4 |
|
|
Niue |
4 |
0 |
4 |
|
Wallis & Futuna |
2 |
2 |
|
|
Sao Tome & Principe |
2 |
2 |
|
|
Bouvet Island |
2 |
2 |
|
|
Pitcairn |
1 |
1 |
|
|
Tajikistan |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
Holy See |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
Montserrat |
1 |
1 |
|
|
Tuvalu |
1 |
1 |
|
|
Bhutan |
0 |
0 |
|
|
South Georgia |
0 |
0 |
|
|
Guinea Bissau |
|||
|
Cocos Islands |
0 |
0 |
|
|
Kiribati |
0 |
0 |
|
Country |
Exports |
Imports |
Total bilateral trade |
|
Stores & Provisions (Intra EU) |
|||
|
Antartica |
|||
|
Heard Island |
0 |
0 |
|
|
Northern Mariana Islands |
0 |
0 |
|
|
Palau |
0 |
0 |
|
|
Marshall Islands |
0 |
0 |
|
|
Grand Total |
92,120,100 |
49,231,251 |
141,351,351 |
* Priority markets identified under the Government’s Trade Strategy.
Question No. 75 withdrawn.
VAT Rates Application
Questions (76)
Finian McGrath
Question:76. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Finance if he will confirm the VAT rate applicable on the monitoring of personal security alarms for the elderly. [28144/13]
View answerWritten answers
The standard VAT rate of 23% applies to the personal security alarms for the elderly. This rate also applies to fees charged for monitoring of such personal alarms. It is not possible under EU VAT law to apply a reduced or zero rate of VAT, or an exemption from VAT, to the supply and monitoring of such products. Under the Value Added Tax (Refund of Tax)(No. 15) Order, 1981, it may be possible to obtain a VAT refund in respect of the purchase of a panic alarm system by or on behalf of a disabled person, as it may be considered a medical device for the purpose of this refund order. However, monitoring and maintenance fees are not recoverable under the order.