Written Answers Nos. 104-108
104. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the progress to date in the international community’s efforts to bring about the release of girls abducted by Boko Haram; if contact continues to be made with the Nigerian authorities in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45518/14]
View answer106. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the degree to which he and his colleagues at EU and UN level continue to put pressure on the relevant authorities to bring about the release of the school girls abducted in Nigeria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45521/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 104 and 106 together.
I have strongly condemned the abduction of more than 200 young girls by Boko Haram from a school in the Nigerian town of Chibok in April. I am also appalled by continuing reports of other violent attacks perpetrated since then by Boko Haram, including the explosion on 10th November at a secondary school in Yobe State in North-Eastern Nigeria which killed some 47 students and injured dozens more as they gathered for morning assembly.
I have given my full support to the clear demands of the United Nations Secretary General and the High Representative of the European Union that the girls abducted in Chibok be released and that those responsible be brought to justice.
Following the release of 27 hostages by Boko Haram in a separate case in Cameroon on 10th October, the Government of Nigeria announced that it was engaged in peace talks with an intermediary and that a ceasefire by Boko Haram had been agreed. However, it now appears that the talks have ended and that Boko Haram has intensified its campaign in North East Nigeria. I am deeply disappointed that hopes that the 200 girls would be released as a part of ceasefire arrangements in October have not been realised.
The EU as well as several individual EU Member States, the UN and the USA, continue to assist the Nigerian authorities in strengthening their ability to provide security and to combat terrorism. Our Embassy in Abuja, working locally in cooperation with the EU and other key partners, remains in close contact with the Nigerian authorities on the difficult issues involved, given that they have primary responsibility for securing the safe release of the missing schoolgirls as well as addressing the broader security situation.
105. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which he expects the recent announcement by President Obama to affect the undocumented Irish in the US; if all the undocumented are likely to benefit from the proposals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45520/14]
View answer117. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the details of the recent immigration reform legislation announced by President Obama; the number of undocumented Irish likely to benefit from this initiative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45534/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 105 and 117 together.
This is, and will remain, a 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 visit to the US from 23 September to 1 October I had a wide range of meetings on this important issue with both Irish community groups and high level government contacts, including Vice President Joe Biden, White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough, and Secretary of State John Kerry.
As you are all aware, last Thursday President Obama announced new measures which should benefit thousands of undocumented Irish immigrants based in the US. Pending further possible measures being considered by the US Congress, the President's measures are a step forward which will undoubtedly have a positive impact on immigrants' lives. The Coalition of Irish Immigration Centers (CIIC) have welcomed President Obama's announcement as an important first step in allowing for much needed improvements to the immigration system. At the core of his proposals is that undocumented immigrants in the US for more than 5 years, who have children who are US citizens or legal residents, who register, go through background checks and pay their taxes, will be protected from deportation and given temporary legal status. I particularly welcome a provision which, for the first time, albeit under limited conditions, will permit some travel from and to the United States for those undocumented Irish who are eligible to apply under the arrangements President Obama has announced. Details as to how the travel provision will work in practice have yet to be confirmed but through our Embassy in Washington, we are following up on it directly with the White House and U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
This clearly represents real progress, albeit with further important steps yet to be achieved, and I am happy that the relentless efforts of the Government and our Embassy and diplomatic missions in close partnership with the Irish community in the US have begun to bear fruit. I am determined that as many Irish nationals as possible will benefit from these changes and, to that end, our missions in the US will continue to work in partnership with the excellent Irish immigration centres there whose work my Department supports. At the same time, I am by no means complacent about what has yet to be done. I am well aware that some will not benefit from these new arrangements and that our work to encourage further changes in this area must be pushed forward proactively.
It is clear that on immigration reform, as President Obama himself has indicated, there is no substitute for legislative action by Congress. The government and our Embassy will continue to work with the US Administration and with Republican and Democratic political leaders. We already have strong friendships across both aisles in Congress and will keep building our network of friends on Capitol Hill. Through our Embassy and Consulates in the U.S. and through direct political contacts with the Administration and all sides in Congress, we will continue to encourage further steps that will reflect the concerns and needs of the undocumented Irish and their families, as well as ensuring improved channels for legal migration between Ireland and America.
107. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which the situation in the Ukraine remains to the fore in discussions at EU or UN level; if a facility exists for ongoing dialogue between the Russian and Ukrainian authorities on the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45522/14]
View answerEnding the conflict in Ukraine remains a key priority for the EU. The issue has been discussed by Ministers at every meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council this year, most recently on 17 November.
Since the outset of the crisis, the EU has been at the forefront of efforts to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict. We have strongly supported the OSCE, including through financial assistance and seconded staff, in their crucial role in both negotiating a ceasefire and monitoring its implementation. The EU has also directly pursued the path of diplomatic dialogue to achieve an outcome to the crisis which fully respects Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. At the UN level, we supported and worked to promote the adoption of the resolution on the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
In response to the illegal annexation of Crimea and Russian actions to destabilise eastern Ukraine, the EU introduced sanctions which have been gradually stepped up as the situation on the ground has developed. We believe that these sanctions are an effective means by which to encourage all sides to come to the negotiating table.
The main forum for dialogue between Ukraine and Russia is the Trilateral Contact Group which was set up in June following the election of President Poroshenko. The group, which is facilitated by the OSCE, meets regularly and provides a framework for ongoing dialogue between representatives of the Governments of Ukraine and the Russian Federation. The Trilateral Contact Group negotiated the ceasefire and peace plan agreed in Minsk in September and is taking forward the work on implementing the commitments signed up to under the Minsk agreements. It is crucially important that all parties live up to these commitments.
A direct line of communication is also maintained between President Poroshenko and President Putin, who periodically speak by telephone. They have also met on the margins of major international events. The most recent talks between the two Presidents aimed at resolving the crisis took place during the ASEM summit in Milan on 17 October.
108. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the degree to which international aid commitments entered into following national disasters at various locations throughout the world over the past number of years have been honoured, with particular reference to the Philippines, Haiti and Thailand; if any further commitments have been made by way of follow-up in such cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45523/14]
View answerSignificant progress has been made in recent years to improve the scale and effectiveness of the response of the international community to major disasters and humanitarian crises. Many lessons have been learned from previous crises such as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the 2010 Haiti earthquake. Under the leadership of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA), clear systems have been put in place to ensure the most effective, efficient and rapid delivery of aid possible. Ireland has been playing our part in ensuring these reforms are implemented, so that responses are timely and effective, and meet the most critical, immediate needs.
In total, over $6.25 billion in global humanitarian funding was provided for the response to the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004, far exceeding the original appeal, for $1.4 billion. Ireland pledged €20 million in funding overall for the tsunami response and this pledge was met in full. The bulk of Ireland's contribution was allocated to Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand where damages were greatest and the local capacities to respond were weakest.
Two months after the January 2010 Haiti earthquake, an international donor conference was held in New York, at which US $4.5 billion worth of assistance was pledged by the international community over two years in response to a UN appeal for $1.5 billion. UN figures indicate that, by the end of 2012, $2.38 billion of this had been disbursed; and $3.52 billion by 2014. For our part, we worked hard to meet Ireland's commitments to the people of Haiti. By the end of 2012, Ireland's pledge of €13 million had been honoured and exceeded, with support totalling almost €14 million.
No official pledging conference took place in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan which struck the Philippines in November 2013, but according to the UN's Financial Tracking Service, as of 21st November 2014, more than US$845 million has been contributed by the international community in response to UN appeals. Ireland was one of the first countries to respond to this natural disaster and our contribution to date stands at over €7.1 million. This includes immediate life-saving emergency response and longer-term recovery and reconstruction support. I am pleased to note that a delegation from the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade will have an opportunity later this week to see the impact of Irish Aid support to projects to support the recovery of Tacloban in the Philippines.
Ireland has a proud record of meeting our pledges and will continue to use all appropriate opportunities to urge our fellow donors to ensure that they meet their humanitarian commitments in full. In order to promote the importance of ensuring that donor aid pledges are credible, achievable, and properly monitored, the OECD has published a 'Recommendation on Good Pledging Practice'. This comprises a set of principles relating to pledging practice for financial undertakings to developing countries and is designed to serve as a benchmark to help OECD Member States frame future aid pledges in terms that are clear, practical, realistic, and capable of being monitored. Ireland is fully supportive of this important initiative.
