Written Answers Nos. 44 - 50
44. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his assessment on the implications of Scottish independence for Irish foreign policy and for the Northern Ireland peace process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7989/14]
View answerThe people of Scotland will vote in a referendum on 18 September 2014 on the question: “Should Scotland be an independent country?".
The referendum campaign is ongoing and many questions and issues are arising in the debate. Assessments of the implications of a yes or no vote are being put forward, by the ‘Yes Scotland’ campaign and the current Scottish Government on the one side, and by the UK Government and the ‘Better Together’ campaign on the other. In addition, there has been a good deal of analysis and commentary, by think tanks, media and other contributors across civil society. The reality is that many of the questions are hypothetical, and cannot be definitively assessed at this time.
Many of the issues arising in the Scottish debate are important to us, with the potential for direct and indirect impact on the interests of this State, and this island more broadly. There are also important EU aspects to consider. The Government is therefore monitoring the debate very closely and maintaining a keen interest in how discussion is evolving.
The Government take the view that the question is one for the people of Scotland to decide and that public speculation or comment would be neither appropriate nor helpful.
Regardless of the outcome, our close and friendly relationship with Scotland, and with the UK, will continue.
45. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the position regarding the request to release the documents withheld from Judge Barron concerning the Dublin Monaghan bombings. [7486/14]
View answerMay 17 this year will mark the fortieth anniversary of the Dublin-Monaghan bombings. With 33 killed, that terrible day saw the highest number of casualties on any single day during the Troubles. It left a further 300 people injured. Many families across this island suffered terrible losses during the Troubles, including the Dublin/Monaghan families. I think of them today and of their ongoing loss.
On 11 May 2011, shortly after this Government took office, I met with Justice for the Forgotten, the organization who, as part of the Pat Finucane Centre, provides support for victims of the Troubles in this jurisdiction, including the Dublin and Monaghan bombing families. The Taoiseach met with them subsequently on 18 July 2013. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Department of the Taoiseach officials have met with Justice for the Forgotten also, most recently on 28 January in Brussels as part of a wider meeting with victims groups and on 31 January in Dublin.
The Taoiseach and I have reiterated our support for the all-party Dáil motions of July 2008 and May 2011 urging the British Government to hand over all original documents in their possession relating to the bombings.
In a recent publication Lethal Allies, supported by the Pat Finucane Centre, links are alleged between those who carried out the Dublin/Monaghan bombings and those involved in a total of 120 deaths during the Troubles. These are serious allegations and I have asked to meet with the author of the book, Anne Cadwallader, and with Margaret Urwin of Justice for the Forgotten next month to discuss them in further detail.
I am aware that Justice for the Forgotten addressed the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement on 16 January 2014. I welcome this and the continued all-party support for their campaign on behalf of the Dublin/Monaghan families.
I have raised the matter of access to information related to the bombings with my ministerial counterparts in the British Government and will continue to do so. The Taoiseach has done likewise. The Government will continue to pursue the issue at both ministerial and official level.
47. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to when any announcements might be made on working visas to Canada; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8402/14]
View answerThe arrangements for a Working Holiday Programme which enables Irish citizens to work in Canada are outlined in a Memorandum of Understanding which was agreed between Ireland and Canada in 2003 and amended in 2012.
Negotiations on a second amendment to the Working Holiday Programme are at an advanced stage and the main elements have been agreed in principle with Canada. The exact language is being finalised and I expect that both sides will be in a position to sign in the very near future. A joint announcement with Canada will be made following signature.
This amendment will improve access for Irish citizens to avail of this programme and reflects the strongly positive relationship between Ireland and Canada.
48. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of requests to carry munitions from military aircraft landing at Shannon or passing through Irish airspace in 2013; the number of permits issued; the reasons for rejecting the requests for which permits were not granted; the breakdown of countries from which the requests were made and the permits were granted; and the number of permits granted to military aircraft landing at Shannon. [8431/14]
View answerThe Air Navigation (Foreign Military Aircraft) Order 1952 gives the Minister for Foreign Affairs primary responsibility for the regulation of activity by foreign military aircraft in Ireland. Permission to overfly or land in the State is subject to certain policy stipulations; namely that the aircraft are unarmed, carry no arms, ammunition or explosives, do not engage in intelligence gathering, and that the flights in question do not form part of any military exercises or operations.
In 2013, there was only one request for diplomatic clearance for an overflight involving an aircraft which was carrying munitions. In line with the policy outlined above, permission to overfly was not granted in this case.
No such requests were made in relation to military aircraft landing at Shannon Airport.
49. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his plans to link the reviews of Irish foreign policy, Irish aid and Irish defence policy, in view of the cross-cutting issues and need for inter-departmental and inter-agency co-operation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8432/14]
View answerAs the Deputy acknowledges, Ireland’s foreign policy and external relations involve a broad range of cross-cutting themes and issues. This reflects the importance of coherent external action for the pursuit of a number of Government objectives.
When I initiated the Review of our Foreign Policy and External Relations in October, I indicated that the whole of Government aspects of our foreign policy will be an important theme. To this end, there has been a broad-based process of consultation, involving Government Departments and State Agencies, to enable Departments to contribute to the Review and to ensure that we take a joined up approach to our foreign policy. I am pleased with the engagement from Departments and Agencies in this process. This is in addition to the regular and ongoing contact between Departments on a broad range of external issues and policy objectives.
The Government adopted a new policy for International Development, One World One Future, last May, following a detailed process of consultation including, inter alia, other Government Departments. This Policy, which sets out the vision, goals and priorities for our engagement on international development, will be fully reflected in the outcome of the Review of Foreign Policy and External Relations, in keeping with the importance of international development objectives to other aspects of our foreign policy.
The Department of Defence is currently engaged in a consultation process leading to a White Paper on Defence, due to be finalised later this year. Officials from my Department are in regular contact with the Department of Defence to ensure that we pursue a coherent approach to the issues involved, both in connection with the Review and also on an ongoing basis.
I am confident that these contacts, and the ongoing cooperation across Government, on external relations issues, will ensure that we continue to pursue a coherent, whole of Government approach to the promotion of Ireland’s values and interests abroad.
50. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the situation in Hungary where the state has criminalised homelessness and is engaged in arresting persons who are homeless; if the Irish state will make a statement condemning this undemocratic move by Hungary against its people and fellow EU citizens; if the State will express support and solidarity with the people of Hungary in their efforts to right this wrong (details supplied). [8438/14]
View answerI am aware that on 30 September 2013, the Hungarian Parliament adopted a law enabling local authorities to make it a criminal offence to live or sleep in specific public areas. This follows changes to Hungary’s Constitution which were approved by the Parliament on 11 March 2013 and which are collectively known as the Fourth Amendment to the Fundamental Law.
The latter developments prompted the European Commission to express concern that the amendments to Hungary’s Constitution were not compatible with the fundamental values and principles of the EU. In a joint statement on 11 March 2013, the President of the European Commission and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe noted the approval by the Hungarian Parliament of the changes and expressed regret that experts from the Commission and Council of Europe had not been afforded the opportunity to discuss the amendments with Hungarian officials before final approval. I am on record in the Dáil as expressing Ireland’s full support of this joint statement.
Moreover, in its ‘Opinion’ last June, the Council of Europe’s advisory committee on constitutional matters, the Venice Commission, while welcoming language in respect of provision of decent housing and access to public services of the homeless, expressed concern about the new provision in Hungary’s Constitution regarding homelessness. The Venice Commission recalled that the Hungarian Constitutional Court had previously struck down a law penalising the homeless for living in public areas and expressed the view that raising such provisions to the level of the Constitution has the effect of preventing future review by the Constitutional Court.
While several of the changes brought about by the Fourth Amendment were reversed by the Hungarian Parliament’s approval of a Fifth Amendment to the Fundamental Law on 16 September 2013, regrettably the provision regarding homelessness remains intact.
Ireland would recall that all EU member states have committed to respect the rule of law and protect fundamental human rights, and to ensure that their national laws comply with EU values. These values are set out in the Treaty and also in the European Convention on Human Rights to which all Member States are party. I would strongly encourage the Hungarian Government to continue to engage fully with the relevant international bodies to ensure that it meets its obligations as regards respect for democratic principles and the safeguarding of fundamental rights.
I have asked our Embassy in Budapest to keep me informed of developments on this issue.
