Written Answers Nos. 31-41
31. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the steps he has taken in order to persuade the US authorities to extradite a person (details supplied) to Lebanon to face charges for the murder of soldiers. [20622/14]
View answerOver the past number of years the Department of Defence, in conjunction with my Department, the Attorney General’s Office and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), have provided every assistance to the US authorities in their investigation in relation to the alleged perpetrator of the attack against the Irish peacekeepers serving with UNIFIL, which took place on 18 April 1980. However, as the Deputy may be aware, Ireland does not have jurisdiction to pursue a prosecution against the alleged perpetrator here. Minister of State Donohoe recently met with representatives of the group, ‘Justice for Smallhorne and Barrett’ and assured them that, notwithstanding the passage of time since this tragic event occurred, the Government will continue to pursue this matter to the extent possible. I can assure the Deputy that both the Department of Defence and my own Department will continue to cooperate with the US authorities in relation to this investigation while the case remains ongoing.
32. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in view of the fact he did not raise the case of the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings during his most recent state visit to Britain, and that we are approaching the 40th anniversary of the bombings, his strategy and proposals to ensure that the British Government provides all information relating to the bombings and releases papers on the bombings that it has in its possession; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20685/14]
View answer17th May 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.
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 allow access by an independent international judicial figure to all original documents in their possession relating to the bombings. This week I met with members of the families of those killed and injured in the bombings and in other bombings in this jurisdiction and with Justice for the Forgotten and confirmed the Government’s ongoing support for their campaign. At that meeting, I confirmed that Justice for the Forgotten, who now operate as a project of the Pat Finucane Centre, would receive a grant of €48,000 from the Reconciliation Fund operated by my Department. I welcome 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, including directly with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Theresa Villiers MP. I hope that the British Government will reflect afresh on the Government’s request. The Government will continue to pursue the issue at both ministerial and official level.
33. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the funding that has been provided to an organisation (details supplied) by Irish Aid in the years 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and to date in 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20739/14]
View answer35. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if any review has been undertaken into the partner organisations that an organisation (details supplied) works with and supports in Irish Aid partner countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20741/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 33 and 35 together.
Tearfund Ireland is a faith-based non-governmental organisation (NGO), which was established in Ireland in 2008 and works to provide relief and long-term development assistance in sub-Saharan Africa and in Asia. Its aim is to transform the lives of the most vulnerable and marginalised by working with local civil society organisations, including faith-based organisations and churches.
Irish Aid has provided funding to Tearfund Ireland to support projects in development education, long-term development and humanitarian assistance. In 2009, the organisation received funding for a small development education project in Ireland. It received no funding in 2010. In 2011, a three-year project addressing HIV/Aids in Malawi was approved for funding. Funding to this project was disbursed in two tranches, in 2011 and 2013. In 2012, Irish Aid provided funding to the organisation to respond to the food security and nutritional needs of communities in Myanmar. Details of the funding amounts provided to Tearfund Ireland in the years 2009-2013 are set out below.
|
Year |
Amount € |
Grant Type |
|
2009 |
€4,000 |
Development Education |
|
2010 |
€0 |
|
|
2011 |
€194,600 |
Civil Society Fund – HIV/Aids project Malawi |
|
2012 |
€200,000 |
Emergency Preparedness and Post Recovery Fund – for Myanmar. |
|
2013 |
€393,400 |
Civil Society Fund – HIV/Aids project Malawi |
Under the 2014 Irish Aid Civil Society Fund, Tearfund Ireland has been approved in principle for a two-year project in Ethiopia with locally-based community groups, to address chronic food insecurity and poverty. Prior to the establishment of Tearfund Ireland, Irish Aid provided development funding to Tearfund UK. In the years 2008-2011, Tearfund UK received a total of €1.23 million for development programmes in Ethiopia and Malawi.
Irish Aid’s civil society policy aims to support civil society organisations to build a national and global constituency for development, human rights and social justice. Partnership with civil society organisations is built on a shared commitment to common values, including human rights and gender equality. Funding applications from organisations are assessed based on a range of criteria, including the commitment to human rights principles. All NGOs applying for funding must clearly set out their approach to the selection of partners and the key principles governing partnerships with other organisations. Activities such as evangelisation and proselytisation are specifically excluded from eligibility for funding from Irish Aid.
In order to ensure accountability, all NGOs funded by Irish Aid must have a formal decision-making structure in place which can take legal responsibility for the administration and use of public funds. As part of the Irish Aid funding assessment process, the governance, management and financial systems of the organisation are appraised. Irish Aid also requires NGOs to submit an annual narrative and financial report for review. This report must clearly outline progress against the agreed results for the project funded. An independent appraisal of the report is undertaken and any issues arising must be resolved before the project can proceed further.
Irish Aid also undertakes field monitoring visits as part of its monitoring strategy. A monitoring visit to a Tearfund UK project in Malawi was undertaken in 2010, which included meetings with the country office team, members of the Malawi Churches Partnership Programme, with which Tearfund had partnered, and with the direct beneficiaries of the project. The project was seen to be progressing well in line with the outcomes envisaged.
34. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Irish Aid's policy in regard to the secondary organisations that deliver the programmes that it funds primary organisations to do; if it carries out any inspection of the secondary organisations to ascertain the way the money is being spent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20740/14]
View answerPartnership is the cornerstone of Irish Aid’s civil society policy. In line with international best practice and the principles of sustainability and ownership for development, Irish Aid values partnership with government and multilateral organizations and with non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Participation and collaboration with local organisations is critical in designing and managing overseas development programmes which are relevant to the local context. Irish Aid requires its partner organisations to demonstrate commitment to transparency, accountability and effective and efficient use of public funds. Prior to approval of grants, all proposals and applicant organisations are assessed by Irish Aid. Grant applicants are required to meet eligibility criteria in terms of technical capacity, governance, management and accounting systems. Where relevant, an NGOs’ capacity to manage onward granting of funds and to ensure appropriate oversight of expenditure is also assessed.
NGOs funded by Irish Aid must have a formal decision-making structure which can take legal responsibility for the administration and use of public funds. In addition, NGOs are required to have appropriate risk management systems in place to monitor and mitigate against risk, including the risk associated with partnership grant management. In this way Irish Aid aims to ensure that the systems and processes are in place for full accountability and transparency in the use of public funds provided to NGOs. All organisations in receipt of Irish Aid grants must also submit independently audited financial accounts.
Where Irish Aid funding is on-granted by an NGO to other implementing partners, the NGO management is required to satisfy themselves as to the suitability of the implementing partner to carry out this role. In particular, details must be set out by the applicant organisation regarding its principles and approach to the selection of partners. A written agreement between the organisation directly funded by Irish Aid and its implementing partners is expected to set out the respective roles and responsibilities and ensure clarity as to funding arrangements.
Each NGO is required to report annually to Irish Aid on progress towards expected results. Irish Aid maintains regular oversight of partnership performance and on-granting of funds through review of annual narrative reports, expenditure reports and annual audited accounts and risk registers. NGOs are also subject to field monitoring visits by representatives of Irish Aid. Terms of reference for such visits would normally include a review of sub-granting agreements and systems in place to monitor and track performance of the relevant partner organisations.
36. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will address the concerns raised by a group of students in correspondence (details supplied) regarding overseas development assistance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20796/14]
View answerI can confirm that I have received the correspondence referred to and have replied to the group of secondary school students involved. I warmly welcome their commitment to Ireland’s aid programme, to the role of education in fight against poverty and to the plight of child labourers. I also acknowledge their concerns about any reductions in the overall aid budget.
The Government is very strongly committed to Ireland’s overseas aid programme and to its place at the heart of Irish foreign policy. Our commitment to development cooperation is clear in the Programme for Government and has been strongly reiterated in our new policy for international development - One World One Future. The policy sets out our vision for a sustainable and just world in which people are empowered to overcome poverty and hunger and to fully realise their rights and potential. Our international development policy clearly states that the Government remains committed to the UN target of providing 0.7% of GNP in Official Development Assistance (ODA), and to making further progress towards achieving it as soon as economic circumstances permit.
Despite the very severe economic and budgetary situation we have faced, the Government has clearly demonstrated its determination since coming into office to maintain and stabilise the budget for the aid programme to the maximum possible extent. In the three years 2011 - 2013, a total of over €1.9 billion was provided for ODA. For 2014, the Government has allocated almost €600 million for ODA. While this represents a slight reduction, of about 3%, on the 2013 allocation, it remains a hugely significant allocation of public funds for Ireland’s aid programme, at a time of economic difficulty.
In their letter, the students rightly point out the damaging impact of child labour, including on a child’s ability to attend school and to develop in a safe and healthy environment. Our new development policy affirms Ireland’s commitment to improving access to education and to protecting the rights of children. We recognise from our own history that improving access to quality education is central to efforts to reduce poverty and promote inclusive economic growth. In 2012, for instance, we provided a total of €33.9 million from the Irish Aid budget for education programmes in developing countries.
As a result of determined international efforts to invest in education, there are now more children in school than ever before. Between 1999 and 2009, the global school-aged population increased by 25% and primary school enrolment increased by 59%. However progress has not been uniform across the world and recent statistics show that progress has slowed down since 2005. As of 2011, as many as 57 million children, 54% of them girls, remain out of school. Lower enrolment and primary school completion rates for girls remain a particular problem in Sub-Saharan Africa, which is the geographic focus for our aid programme.
Ireland also strongly supports international efforts to eliminate child labour. Irish Aid provides specific support to the International Labour Organisation’s Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour. This year and next year, our funding is supporting efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labour from tobacco growing in Malawi and Zambia, quarrying in India, artisanal fishing in Ghana and stone-breaking in Benin.
37. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he discussed with the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, the difficulties faced by this and by previous generations of Irish citizens who emigrated to Britain. [19921/14]
View answerAddressing the needs of Irish emigrants around the world is a key strand of Diaspora engagement by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.The emphasis of the Emigrant Support Programme (ESP) is on supporting culturally sensitive, front-line welfare services, targeted at the most vulnerable members of our overseas communities, with Britain being the focus of the greatest part of this support. These services have made a concrete difference to the lives of Irish communities overseas, reducing homelessness, tackling social isolation, and enabling Irish emigrants to access their statutory entitlements locally.
Since 2003, the Emigrant Support Programme has provided more than €114 million in grants to Irish community and voluntary organisations, of which €86 million has been provided to more than 200 organisations in Britain. This funding has been directed primarily at front-line welfare services, working to support those made vulnerable by health, age or dislocation. In 2013 approximately 80% of the grants paid in Britain were made to organisations providing welfare and information services to the Irish community. The organisations funded provide a range of services from informal community networking groups for seniors, to outreach services and advice in accessing entitlements. Our support continues to evolve. For example, in 2013, a grant was made to Console, the suicide prevention and bereavement service, to assist with the start-up costs of their new operation in Britain.
38. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on the visit to Rome by An Taoiseach and his conversation with Pope Francis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19962/14]
View answer39. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if the issue of visiting Northern Ireland during any visit to the island of Ireland was raised with Pope Francis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19963/14]
View answer40. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if the possibility of a visit by Pope Francis was raised with Catholic Primate, Cardinal Brady, during the Taoiseach's visit to Rome; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19964/14]
View answer41. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if the possibility of Pope Francis visiting Northern Ireland was raised when the Taoiseach spoke to Cardinal Brady in Rome; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19965/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 38 to 41, inclusive, together.
The Taoiseach represented the Government at the canonisation of Saints John XXIII and John Paul II in Rome on Sunday 27 April. He had the opportunity to have an exchange with Pope Francis after the ceremony, during which he conveyed to him that were Pope Francis to accept an invitation to visit Ireland from the Catholic bishops, such a visit would have the full support of the Government of Ireland. It is the hope of the Government that if Pope Francis were to visit to Ireland, that he would also travel to Northern Ireland. The Taoiseach and the Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All-Ireland, Cardinal Sean Brady, had the opportunity to discuss their shared hope that the Pope would visit Ireland at the Pontifical Irish College.
