Finian McGrath
Question:160. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health if he will support families of children with a medical condition (details supplied). [37606/14]
View answerHealth Services
Questions (160)
Written answers
As the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.
Overseas Development Aid
Questions (161)
Thomas P. Broughan
Question:161. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on the expected level of funding that will be provided in his Department's budget for overseas aid in budget 2015; and if the commitment to provide overseas aid at a level of 0.7% of GNI by 2015 will be fulfilled. [37452/14]
View answerWritten answers
The Government is strongly committed to Ireland’s overseas aid programme, which is at the heart of our foreign policy. Our policy on International Development, “One World, One Future”, clearly states our commitment to the UN target of providing 0.7% of Gross National Product (GNP) for Official Development Assistance (ODA), and to making further progress towards it when economic circumstances permit. Since coming to office, this Government has managed to successfully stabilise the budget for development assistance. This is a significant achievement, in extremely difficult budgetary and fiscal circumstances. In 2011 we provided €657 million for ODA, and between 2012 and 2013 our allocation to ODA increased slightly from €629 million to €637 million. For 2014 we expect to provide in excess of €600 million for ODA.
These are substantial allocations of public funds and provide clear evidence of our support and commitment to the aid programme. They also represent a genuine investment on behalf of the Irish people in assisting those less fortunate than ourselves.
The estimates process for Budget 2015 is now in its finals stages. As with allocations to all Government Departments, Budget 2015 allocations for ODA will be framed in the context of our policy commitments and the overall budgetary circumstances we face. The final 2015 Budget allocation, which is ultimately a decision for Government, will be announced by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform on 14 October next. The Deputy will appreciate I am currently not in a position to announce the 2015 ODA budget, but as I have repeatedly stated publicly, and in response to earlier Questions, I and the Minster for Foreign Affairs and Trade have made, and will continue to make, the strongest case possible for the allocation to the development assistance programme.
Appointments to State Boards
Questions (162)
Peadar Tóibín
Question:162. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide in tabular form the percentage of vacant positions on State boards under the aegis of his Department that were filled from the panels created through open application by the Public Appointments Service by year from 2011 to date in 2014. [37490/14]
View answerWritten answers
There are no State Boards under the aegis of my Department.
Undocumented Irish in the USA
Questions (163)
Brendan Smith
Question:163. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he had discussions during his recent visit to the US with members of Congress and-or with members of the US Administration in relation to the Immigration Reform Bill; when this legislation is likely to be enacted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37533/14]
View answerWritten answers
I visited New York, Washington D.C. and Boston over the period from 23 September to 1 October. While there I had a wide range of meetings covering UN issues as well as bilateral and community matters. On US. immigration reform, which remains a key Government priority, I met with both Irish community groups and high level government contacts.
My programme included discussions with Vice President Joe Biden, White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough, Secretary of State John Kerry, and Congressman Joseph Kennedy. I had a meeting in New York with Irish-American community leaders, including from the Coalition of Irish Immigration Centers, Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform, Ancient Order of Hibernians and the New York branch of the GAA, with whom the Government has worked closely on our shared US immigration reform agenda. I also had the opportunity to visit the Emerald Isle Immigration Center and Aisling Irish Center in New York and the Irish International Immigrant Center in Boston, which gave me the opportunity to meet some of those most affected by the current state of affairs.
Following the bipartisan US Senate bill last year, and despite extensive combined efforts at Government, Embassy and Irish-American community levels since then, the US House of Representatives has not yet taken action that would deliver relief for undocumented Irish migrants in the US or an improved facility for future legal migration between Ireland and the US. While it appeared before the summer to be the intention of President Obama and his Administration to examine the scope for action on immigration via executive authority, President Obama announced on September 6 that he would delay any such action until after the November US elections.
The exact extent, nature and timing of any action that the U.S. Administration will be ready to take remains to be confirmed and there is clearly no guarantee as to the outcome that can be achieved via executive action. However, in my contacts in Washington, including in my conversation with the White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough, I stressed the importance of addressing the needs and concerns of the undocumented Irish migrants in any such action. There are of course limits to what executive action is likely to be able to do and so further progress on the legislative track is also necessary.
While there appears to be some willingness to consider further action in Congress at some future point, this is dependent on many factors and will not be easy to achieve. The Government will continue to work resolutely for progress over the coming months from which currently undocumented Irish migrants in the U.S. and their families can benefit.
United Nations
Questions (164)
Brendan Smith
Question:164. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the issues discussed at his recent meeting with the UN Secretary General; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37534/14]
View answerWritten answers
In the course of my recent visit to New York for the General Assembly of the United Nations I had the opportunity to meet the Secretary General of the Organisation, His Excellency Ban Ki Moon. The Secretary General was accompanied by senior Irish staff from the United Nations Secretariat. Among the issues we discussed were UN peacekeeping, the current conflicts in the Middle East, the situation in Ukraine, climate change and the Ebola crisis. The Secretary General spoke warmly in praise of Ireland’s contribution to peace keeping efforts, particularly in difficult regions and welcomed Ireland’s initiative to provide training in peacekeeping to certain African States. He also expressed gratitude for Ireland’s contributions to the work of the UN in other areas.
I took the opportunity of the meeting to present the Secretary General with a copy of the UNICEF Ireland ‘Dublin Declaration on Children and Youth 2014’ and invited him to visit Ireland in 2015.
Northern Ireland Issues
Questions (165)
Brendan Smith
Question:165. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he discussed with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland the need to establish an independent review of the murder of 11 people in Ballymurphy in August 1971; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37535/14]
View answerWritten answers
The Government has consistently raised the issue of the need to establish an independent review into the Ballymurphy cases, both at the level of the Taoiseach and the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade. The Government issued statements expressing disappointment at the decision of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on 29 April 2014 not to appoint a Hillsborough-style panel to review the Ballymurphy cases. The Government is committed to playing an active and constructive role in dealing with the past, including through raising relevant matters with counterparts in the British Government.
There is an urgent need to establish a fair, balanced and comprehensive framework for dealing with the past and the Government believes that legacy issues should be addressed in the upcoming all-Party talks.