Written Answers Nos. 1 - 24
8. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in view of the events in Paris, if measures are being considered by his Department to restrict the rights of Irish citizens or residents, in particular the holding of passports, visas and freedom to travel; and if he will report on consultations with other governments on these matters. [2662/15]
View answerUN Resolution 2178 provides that all States shall take steps to prevent the movement of terrorists or terrorist groups. These steps include the introduction of controls on the issuance of travel documents and measures to prevent counterfeiting, forgery or fraudulent use of such documents.
The Passports Act 2008 Section 12 provides a statutory basis for refusal to issue and for cancellation of a passport in defined circumstances. These include where a person would be likely to engage in conduct that might prejudice national security or the security of another state; where such conduct might endanger public safety or where it might endanger the person or others. According to the act this decision could be made after consultation, where appropriate, with the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform or the Minister for Defence or both.
12. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views that the UN can play more of a role in preventing massacres and human rights offences by Boko Haram; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2601/15]
View answerI have strongly condemned the appalling acts of violence being perpetrated in Nigeria and the neighbouring region by the terrorist group Boko Haram. These include the recent killings of a large number of civilians in an attack in the north-eastern state of Borno, and the kidnappings in recent days in Cameroon. I am appalled by reports of the use of innocent young children to carry primed explosives. I have previously also condemned the abduction of more than 200 young girls from a school in the town of Chibok.
The UN Secretary General has also condemned these atrocities and has pledged assistance to the Nigerian Government and affected neighbouring States in order to bring an end to the violence. Last May, the Security Council Al Qaida Sanctions Committee added Boko Haram to its sanctions and arms embargo list. At the Foreign Affairs Council on Monday, Ministers endorsed a statement on behalf of the European Union made by the High Representative, Federica Mogherini, condemning the recent attacks. We will discuss Boko Haram again at the next meeting of the Council on 9 February.
Primary responsibility for the security situation in Nigeria rests with the Nigerian Government. Together with our EU partners, we are in contact with the Nigerian authorities and are monitoring the situation closely through our Embassy in Abuja.
Following the most recent attacks, the role of the UNHCR will be particularly important in providing assistance to refugees and displaced people, in Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon. Last month, Ireland provided €1 million to the UNHCR to support its work in Chad.
13. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the total Irish Aid funding allocated to those countries affected by the Ebola virus; the precautions being taken to ensure the health and safety of Irish citizens working in the countries affected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2605/15]
View answerThe Ebola epidemic in West Africa is continuing to have a devastating impact on the worst-affected countries - Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Through the work on the ground of our Embassy in Sierra Leone and our significant financial support, Ireland is playing a leading role in the international response, which is finally beginning to show progress. Each of the three countries now has strengthened capacity to isolate and treat patients, and the incidence of cases is starting to show signs of decline.
The EU and its Member States have so far committed over €1.2 billion to the Ebola response. In 2014, Ireland provided over €18 million, directly and through NGOs, to the most affected countries. This included some €10 million through our annual development programmes in our partner countries - Sierra Leone and Liberia – which have a particular focus on strengthening the national health systems. We have provided over €5.6 million specifically for Ebola treatment facilities and for work on contact-tracing, community mobilisation and child nutrition programmes, among other activities. We will maintain this strong focus in 2015.
My Department maintains a register of Irish nationals living in the affected countries and we keep in regular contact with them. Advice to citizens is also included in the HSE booklet about precautions to take against Ebola.
Officials of the Department in Freetown and Dublin have also been working actively with our EU and international partners to put in place plans for local treatment and medical evacuation. The UK has confirmed that access to its facilities in Sierra Leone is now open to all Irish nationals. An EU medevac mechanism is also now in place.
14. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will make contact with the Saudi Arabian Government to express our concern about the public flogging of Raif Badawi whose only crime was writing a blog; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2655/15]
View answerThe case of Raif Badawi is clearly a cause of concern. This includes both his conviction, for activities which would be widely regarded here as the peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of opinion and expression, and also the nature of the sentence, which included corporal punishment.
These concerns have been raised by the European Union on behalf of its Member States, including Ireland, with the Saudi authorities, both when he was convicted and again now that punishment has commenced. They have also been conveyed directly to the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia by a senior official in my Department.
In addition, the spokesperson of EU High Representative Mogherini issued a statement on the case of Mr Badawi on 9 January. This called on the Saudi authorities to suspend the flogging of Mr Badawi, a call which was echoed on 15 January by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein.
I hope that the Saudi Authorities will answer the High Commissioner’s call for Mr Badawi to be pardoned and for this harsh form of punishment to be urgently reviewed.
In the meantime, I welcome the fact that the second session of punishment for Mr Badawi has been postponed. I also welcome the reports that his case has been referred to the Supreme Court by King Abdullah. I hope this will presage a wider rethink of the case by the Saudi authorities.
15. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which commitments entered into by the international community in the aftermath of various natural disasters such as those that occurred in Haiti and the Philippines have been realised to date; the proportion of the commitments that have already been delivered in each case; if steps are afoot to focus on the need to meet in full any such commitments given, now and in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2646/15]
View answerSignificant progress has been made in recent years to improve the international response to major disasters. Under the leadership of the UN, 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 that these reforms are implemented, so that responses are timely and effective and meet the most critical needs.
Two months after the 2010 Haiti earthquake, an international donor conference was held in New York, at which US $4.5 billion in assistance was pledged by the international community over two years. The UN had appealed for $1.5 billion. UN figures show that $3.52 billion in aid was actually disbursed. By the end of 2012, Ireland’s pledge of €13 million had been honoured and exceeded, with support totalling almost €14 million.
There was no official pledging conference in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan which struck the Philippines in November 2013. As of 15 January 2015, according to the UN, more than US$840 million has been contributed by the international community in response to UN appeals. Ireland was one of the first countries to respond and our contribution to date stands at over €7.1 million.
In order to assist in making donor pledges more credible and achievable, the OECD has published a ‘Recommendation on Good Pledging Practice’. This set of principles on pledging practice is designed to serve as a benchmark to help OECD Member States frame future aid pledges. Ireland strongly supports this important initiative.
16. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the specific measures he is taking, in addition to the matter being raised by the EU, to support writer and blogger Raif Badawi who has been flogged in Saudi Arabia for merely setting up a website to encourage debate on religious and political issues, particularly in view of the Government's recent statement regarding its commitment to free speech; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2656/15]
View answerThe case of Raif Badawi is clearly a cause of concern. This includes both his conviction, for activities which would be widely regarded here as the peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of opinion and expression, and also the nature of the sentence, which included corporal punishment.
These concerns have been raised by the European Union on behalf of its Member States, including Ireland, with the Saudi authorities, both when he was convicted and again now that punishment has commenced. They have also been conveyed directly to the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia by a senior official in my Department.
In addition, the spokesperson of EU High Representative Mogherini issued a statement on the case of Mr Badawi on 9 January. This called on the Saudi authorities to suspend the flogging of Mr Badawi, a call which was echoed on 15 January by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein.
I hope that the Saudi Authorities will answer the High Commissioner’s call for Mr Badawi to be pardoned and for this harsh form of punishment to be urgently reviewed.
In the meantime, I welcome the fact that the second session of punishment for Mr Badawi has been postponed. I also welcome the reports that his case has been referred to the Supreme Court by King Abdullah. I hope this will presage a wider rethink of the case by the Saudi authorities.
17. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the recent legislation in Spain curtailing the right to protest. [2663/15]
View answerIt would not be appropriate for me to comment in this House on the draft legislation currently under consideration in the Spanish Parliament to which the Deputy referred in her question.
18. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the protocols or actions that have been taken to prevent the abuse of workers in embassies and ambassadorial residences based here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2606/15]
View answerI am strongly committed to the protection of the rights of domestic workers in Ireland, including those employed by diplomatic staff.
Under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, it is the duty of all persons enjoying diplomatic privileges and immunities to respect the laws and regulations of the host State. Consistent with its obligations under the Vienna Convention, my Department works to ensure that the law is upheld and my Department will assist, as appropriate, in any investigation being undertaken by the relevant Irish authorities.
I have been proactive in the promotion of best employment practices. On 12 September last, I introduced new guidelines for diplomatic staff who intend to employ private domestic workers. This is a specific category of worker who is employed by an individual member of a mission rather than by the sending State.
While I believe that the majority of diplomatic staff in Ireland already follows good practice, it is best practice internationally to provide clear employment guidelines and a framework for their implementation.
These new guidelines were developed following a consultative process involving other Departments and State agencies, including the Department of Justice and Equality, the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, the National Employment Rights Authority (NERA) and An Garda Síochána. I welcome also the contribution of Migrant Rights Centre Ireland to the process. I believe that the adoption of these guidelines is consistent with Ireland’s ratification in July 2014 of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention on Decent Work for Domestic Workers, of 2011.
These guidelines, which set out clearly expectations regarding payment, employment records, health insurance and social security, can be accessed on my Department’s website. I am fully committed to monitoring their implementation.
19. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the measures he is taking to secure the release of Irish teenager Ibrahim Halawa, a prisoner of conscience, detained with 493 others in Egypt following protests in August 2013, in view of the fact that their trial has been postponed for a third time and the communications this Government has had, including responses with the Egyptian regime in addition to representations made at EU level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2657/15]
View answerI remain deeply concerned at this individual’s continued detention as well as the recent further postponement of his trial.
Previous PQs have set out my approach to this case in some details and the steps taken. Most recently I discussed the case with EU High Representative Mogherini in Dublin on 12 January. She confirmed that the EU and its institutions would continue to assist in this case.
I would like to take this opportunity to assure the Deputy that my officials will continue to provide consular assistance to this individual and his family, and will continue to work on this difficult case with a view to securing a review of the individual’s case, his release and return to his family.
20. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the outcome of any recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland concerning the motions passed unanimously by Dáil Éireann in 2008 and 2011 in relation to the Dublin-Monaghan bombings of 1974, with particular reference to access to files or papers held by the British authorities regarding these atrocities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2607/15]
View answerThe Government fully supports 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 Dublin-Monaghan bombings. I have raised this issue with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Theresa Villiers MP, including most recently when I met her in Belfast on 15 January 2015. She has assured me that she would consider afresh how the British government can respond to the Dáil motions.
I welcome the continued all-party support for the campaign on behalf of the Dublin-Monaghan families. The Justice for the Forgotten campaign, which supports victims and their families and operates as a project of the Pat Finucane Centre, received grant support of €48,000 in 2014 from the Reconciliation Fund operated by my Department. The funding will assist Justice for the Forgotten with its important work.
It is significant for victims and survivors of the Northern Ireland conflict – including in this jurisdiction – that the Stormont House Agreement provides for a new comprehensive framework for dealing with the legacy of the past. As part of the transition to long-term peace and stability, the participants in the Stormont House talks agreed an approach to dealing with the past which respects the following principles: promoting reconciliation; upholding the rule of law; acknowledging and addressing the suffering of victims and survivors; facilitating the pursuit of justice and information recovery; is human rights compliant; and is balanced, proportionate, transparent, fair and equitable. Both governments also made commitments in the Agreement on the matter of disclosure of information.
As part of the framework on the past set out in the Agreement, it is proposed that people in both jurisdictions will have access to an Independent Commission on Information Retrieval (ICIR), which will enable them to seek and receive information about the death of their loved ones during the Troubles. The establishment of an ICIR will require legislation in this jurisdiction, which the Government will progress in the months ahead.
21. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the action he will take to follow up on the recent unanimous decision by both Houses of the Oireachtas to recognise the state of Palestine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2652/15]
View answerThe Government’s approach to the question of recognition of Palestine was set out in detail during the course of the debate held in the Dáil on 9 and 10 December.
The Dáil motion called on the Government to recognise a State of Palestine as a further positive contribution to securing a negotiated two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Achieving and recognising a Palestinian state has always been the Government’s objective, and our policies are directed towards that aim. While successive Governments have always seen recognition coming as part of an agreed peace, I have made clear that I have absolutely no difficulty in principle with the idea of early recognition, if I believe it can contribute to achieving a settlement of the conflict. The present stalemate is not acceptable, and I am open to any action that can move things forward positively. The EU at the November Foreign Affairs Council, prompted by Sweden’s action and with my own support, began a process of reflection among Ministers as to the implications and possibilities of recognition and I believe that is an important, responsible and reasonable approach to take. The Deputy will be aware that Israeli elections will take place on 17 March.
In parallel to the work ongoing at EU level, I am also reflecting on the views expressed by all sides in the House during the debate on the issue, including the considerations set out for the House by my Ministerial colleagues, and on the motions passed by both the Seanad and the Dáil; along with the views and positions of other EU partners; and on what early recognition could mean both for Palestine and for Ireland’s influence on this critical issue.
I am planning to visit both Israel and Palestine next month to undertake a wide programme of meetings, and I will take into account, inter alia, the views I hear there. High Representative Mogherini is aiming for a discussion at the April Foreign Affairs Council, after the Israeli election on 17 March. I welcome her indications that she intends to enhance EU engagement in the Middle East Peace Process.
22. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade further to Parliamentary Question No. 3 of 15 January 2015, if he will provide information on his correspondence with the UK authorities regarding reported tapping of the underground cable between Ireland and Britain; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2658/15]
View answerFurther to the statements in both Houses of the Oireachtas in recent months by my colleague the Minister for Justice and Equality, I can confirm that my Department has been in contact with the British Embassy on the subject of these reports. The messages that were conveyed to the British Embassy were along the lines contained in a letter from my Department’s Secretary General to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade on 9 December.
It was pointed out in this letter that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade works to ensure the best possible bilateral relations between Ireland and other countries, including our nearest neighbours in Great Britain.
It was also pointed out that it is generally understood that friendly relationships between States, including between Ireland and Britain, include acceptance of the principle that the privacy of communications must be respected. This is a principle Ireland has consistently outlined in international fora and in policy statements.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has been in close contact on this issue with the other Departments concerned, namely the Department of Justice and Equality and the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, which lead respectively on the justice/home affairs and communications (including cyber security) aspects of any issues arising from these reports.
23. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide an update regarding Irish Aid's spend for 2014; the checks and controls in place to ensure there is no fraud and that value for money is received for the taxpayer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2468/15]
View answerLast Year the Government allocated almost €600 million to Official Development Assistance (ODA). €479 million was managed by my Department under Vote 27 – International Cooperation, while a further estimated €120 million comprised of ODA eligible contributions made by other Government Departments and Ireland’s share of the EU Development Cooperation Budget. The detailed expenditure data for 2014 is currently being collated and verified for ODA eligibility, and when finalised will be published in the statistical annexes to the Irish Aid Annual Report available at www.irishaid.ie.
Ireland’s aid programme is implemented in challenging, complex and indeed, inherently risky environments. My Department has implemented a comprehensive system of internal controls to mitigate against those risks, ensure the efficient and effective use of resources and deliver value for money. It operates rigorous systems for planning, monitoring, evaluating and auditing all funding provided for under the aid programme. Programmes are closely monitored at mission and headquarters level to ensure they deliver on the intended results, and are meeting our overall objective of contributing to the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger in some of the poorest countries and communities in the world.
All expenditure is subject to audit by the Department’s Evaluation and Audit Unit which reports directly to the Secretary General of the Department. The work of the Evaluation and Audit Unit is overseen by the Department’s independent Audit Committee. All expenditure is also audited annually by the Comptroller and Auditor General.
While no system can safeguard completely against the incidence of fraud, I am satisfied that the Department has in place a comprehensive system of controls which ensures all expenditure provides value for money, and that funding provided under the aid programme is used to the greatest possible effect for the purposes intended.
24. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on sending observers to the sentencing court on 8 February 2015 following the conviction of Abdallah Abu Rahme, a Palestinian peace activist who has been convicted for holding peaceful protest; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2654/15]
View answerI am aware of the case of Abdallah Abu Rahme, who was convicted of obstructing military operations in the West Bank, by blocking a military bulldozer engaged in construction. His is one of a series of cases of concern related to the protests around construction of the separation barrier on Palestinian land belonging to the villagers of Bil’in.
The size of the Irish mission in Ramallah makes it impossible to attend such court cases on any but an exceptional basis. Cases can be long and unpredictable, and are frequently adjourned, and access to them is not always permitted.
Nonetheless, in certain cases it can be important to have an international presence at court hearings, to demonstrate clearly that proceedings are under scrutiny. For this reason EU missions in the Palestinian Territory regularly exchange information on upcoming cases, and consider if it will be possible for one or more partner to be present at a given case. I will ensure that the case of Mr. Abu Rahme is considered in this regard.
