Written Answers Nos. 184-193
184. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a reassessment of a medical card application in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43685/14]
View answerThe Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible. The Health Service Executive operates the General Medical Services scheme, which includes medical cards and GP visit cards, under the Health Act 1970, as amended. It has established a dedicated contact service for members of the Oireachtas specifically for queries relating to medical cards and GP visit cards, which the Deputy may wish to use for an earlier response. Contact information has issued to Oireachtas members. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, please contact my Private Office who will follow up the matter with them.
185. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the action he has taken since taking office to address the ongoing persecution of Christians in the Middle East and Egypt; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43548/14]
View answerI participated in the meetings of the Foreign Affairs Council in August and October which agreed conclusions condemning atrocities by terrorist groups targeting religious minorities in both Syria and Iraq. The violence and terror which is being perpetrated by extremists such as ISIS on all Iraqi and Syrian citizens is utterly reprehensible, including as it does the deliberate targeting of men, women and children simply on account of their religious and ethnic background. In my address to the General Assembly of the UN in September, I called for urgent international action to confront threats and violence against ancient Christian minorities throughout the Middle East and an end to the targeting of groups based on ethnicity and religion.
On the broader international plane, Ireland has worked at UN and EU level to promote resolutions and actions upholding the principle of freedom of religious belief, notably during our 2013 EU Presidency, and now as a current member of the UN Human Rights Council for the 2013-2015 term. Freedom of religion or belief is a major priority for Ireland as a Council member and we have played a central role in the negotiation of resolutions on this issue. Ireland attaches great importance to combating all forms of discrimination based on religion or belief and incitement to religious hatred.
186. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he supports calls for the immediate recognition by Ireland of a sovereign Palestinian state; the reasons for his position; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43581/14]
View answerI refer the Deputy to my reply to Question 219 on 14 October (38848/14), which was as follows:
“Ireland supports the full achievement of a Palestinian state. We believe this should happen soon. Our policies are designed to be supportive of the negotiated comprehensive peace agreement which we believe is fundamental to the achievement of this objective.
I believe substantive political talks on a peace settlement must take place as a matter of urgency and I reiterated that view recently at the Gaza Reconstruction Conference hosted by the Governments of Norway and Egypt on 12th October in Cairo.
I am conscious of Sweden’s new approach and Ireland’s position will continue to be evaluated in light of our own assessment and that of all our EU Partners."
187. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide copies of all policy speeches made by him since his appointment as Minister with respect to Northern Ireland; the actions he has taken to ensure the continuance of peace in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43582/14]
View answerIn the months since taking up my position as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, a significant portion of my time and effort has been dedicated to advancing the peace and reconciliation agenda on this island. To that end, on 16 October the Irish and British Government opened political talks, bringing together the Northern Ireland Executive Parties, in order to address a number of key issues that have badly impacted on the reconciliation agenda and on economic renewal, including budgetary and financial matters, legacy issues (parades, flags and identity, dealing with the past), the working of the political institutions in Northern Ireland and outstanding commitments from the Good Friday and St. Andrews Agreements. Discussions have taken place on each of these streams.
We are now in the fifth week of talks. Since 16 October, I have met on a weekly basis with each of the Northern Ireland Executive Parties, including in some cases, through trilateral meetings held jointly with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Theresa Villiers. There has been positive progress in the talks.
Last week all participants in the talks came together to review collectively progress to date and to identify those areas where further work is required in order to make further progress over the coming weeks. We established a good basis on which to proceed for the next phase of the talks. Secretary of State Villiers and I are due to report back to Prime Minister Cameron and the Taoiseach respectively on the talks by 28 November.
Since my appointment as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in July, I have made a number of speeches which treat primarily with Northern Ireland and the peace process. Links to texts of these speeches are provided here below.
Address by Minister, Charlie Flanagan T.D. - Annual Reconciliation Networking Forum
Dublin Castle, 16 September 2014. Available at: https://www.dfa.ie/news-and-media/speeches/speeches-archive/2014/september/annual-reconciliation-networking-forum/.
Kennedy Summer School 2014, New Ross.
"History Repeats Itself" New Ross, Co. Wexford. Speech by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charles Flanagan T.D. 12 September 2014. Available at: https://www.dfa.ie/news-and-media/speeches/speeches-archive/2014/september/history-repeats-itself-minister-charles-flanagan/.
Address by Minister Flanagan at the British Irish Association Conference
Minister Charlie Flanagan Oxford, United Kingdom. 5 September 2014. Available at: https://www.dfa.ie/news-and-media/speeches/speeches-archive/2014/september/minister-flanagan-bia-speech/.
188. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if the contents of file DFA/5/306 will be released to assist a sea memorial project in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43623/14]
View answerThis file was transferred to the National Archives by my Department under the provisions of the National Archives Act 1986. The file number is DFA/5/306/324 and the file name is ‘Spanish fishing trawler “Mardomingo B”, lost off the Cork Kerry Coast Oct. 1956’. This file was not restricted and its contents are therefore available for any member of the public to view. Any person wishing to view this file should contact the National Archives to arrange access.
189. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if assistance will be provided by his Department to the proprietors of an Irish company that has had for a number of years ongoing and serious business difficulties abroad (details supplied); if he will ensure that the interests of this family will be pursued with the relevant authorities in that country as outlined in correspondence to his predecessor; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43667/14]
View answerAs has been advised in previous correspondence, this case is currently under consideration in the United Arab Emirates’ legal system. As such, my Department is restricted in what it can appropriately do and it may be more helpful for the family to seek expert advice from their lawyers.
Nevertheless, officials of my department both in Dublin and at the Embassy in Abu Dhabi, will continue to monitor the situation, offer consular assistance as appropriate and periodically seek updates from the relevant authorities on progress in the case. The details of all material updates will be forwarded to the family, as and when the department is informed of them by the relevant authorities of the United Arab Emirates.
190. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the proposals he has to have early discussions or meetings with Members of Congress and members of the United States Administration on immigration reform legislation following the recent congressional elections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43690/14]
View answerThis has been, and will remain, a key priority for the Government in our bilateral relationship with the United States. Through our Embassy in Washington and our Consulates throughout the U.S., we are working closely with many other individuals and groups across Irish America and beyond towards achieving some relief for undocumented Irish migrants in the United States and improved channels for legal migration between Ireland and America. During my recent visit to the US from 23 September to 1 October I had a wide range of meetings with both Irish community groups and high level government contacts on this important issue, including Vice President Joe Biden, White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough, Secretary of State John Kerry, and Congressman Joseph Kennedy.
Following the bipartisan U.S. Senate bill last year, and despite extensive combined efforts at Government, Embassy and Irish-American community levels since then, the U.S. House of Representatives has not yet taken action that would deliver relief for undocumented Irish migrants in the U.S. or an improved facility for future legal migration between Ireland and the U.S. 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 U.S. elections.
Since the election President Obama has underlined that he would prefer to see Congress act on a comprehensive immigration reform bill as soon as possible but reiterated his intention to act under his executive authority to address the issue before the end of the year. For their part, and confirming the political complexity that continues to attach to this matter, Republican Congressional leaders have made clear that at present they would not welcome any such executive action by President Obama on immigration.
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 official contacts in Washington during my visit at the end of September I stressed the importance of addressing the needs and concerns of the undocumented Irish migrants in any such action.
There are limits to what any 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.
I will continue to pursue further opportunities for political engagement on this matter in order to press the case for action and I know that both our Embassy and Consulates in the U.S. will also continue to work resolutely for progress over the coming period from which currently undocumented Irish migrants in the U.S. and their families can benefit.
191. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the outcome of discussions he has had recently with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and Members of the Northern Ireland Executive on the need to establish the civic forum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43691/14]
View answer192. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the outcome of discussions he has had recently with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and Members of the Northern Ireland Executive on the need to progress the proposed bill of rights for Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43692/14]
View answer193. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the outcome of discussions he has had recently with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and with Members of the Northern Ireland Executive in relation to the need to progress the proposed Irish Language Act; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43693/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 191 to 193, inclusive, together.
A number of elements of the Good Friday Agreement and St Andrews Agreement have not yet been fully implemented. This has recently been discussed at the political talks in Belfast convened by the Irish and British Governments, which began on 16 October. Among the outstanding commitments are the establishment of a North-South Consultative Forum, a Bill of Rights and an Irish Language Act. The principles and values of the Good Friday Agreement and St. Andrews Agreement are essential to peace and reconciliation in Ireland and across these islands - as such the position of the Irish Government always has been, and continues to be, that all outstanding elements of the Agreements must be implemented.
The Good Friday Agreement provided for the establishment of an independent Consultative Forum representative of civil society. The St Andrews Agreement provided further that the Northern Ireland Executive would support the establishment of an independent North/South Consultative Forum. In September 2008, the Irish Government submitted proposals for the role, format, membership and operation of a North-South Consultative Forum to the Executive for its consideration, and facilitated three consultative conferences, the most recent of which was in January 2011. The Government awaits a response from the Executive. The Taoiseach has raised the Forum at each Plenary meeting of the North-South Ministerial Council he has attended, including the most recent meeting on 3 October 2014.
I continue to urge all the parties in the Northern Ireland Assembly to engage in constructive discussion with a view to reaching agreement on the substance of a Bill of Rights. A Bill of Rights drawn up by agreement between the main parties of the Assembly could set out precisely and formally the rights underpinning a reconciled society in Northern Ireland. Officials of my Department keep in ongoing contact with representatives of civil society on the issue of a Bill of Rights.
Since the restoration of the devolved Institutions on 8 May 2007, the question of an Irish Language Act for Northern Ireland is a devolved matter and is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Executive and in particular of the Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure, Ms. Carál Ní Chuilín MLA. Delivering an Acht na Gaeilge would reflect the core principle of parity of esteem for the diverse cultural heritage of this island.
