Written Answers Nos. 601 - 617
601. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health if he will confirm that the Health Service Executive is providing the same level of funding for 2015 to an association (details supplied) towards staff costs as it provided in 2014; if he will confirm that the association produced a valid tax clearance certificate on each occasion it received a funding allocation during 2015 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30354/15]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
602. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding applications for the general nursing course; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30386/15]
View answerI wish to thank the Deputy for the matter raised.
Given that this is an operational matter, it is appropriate that it should be dealt with by the NMBI. I have referred the Deputy's question to the NMBI for attention and direct reply.
If you have not received a reply from the NMBI within 15 working days, please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
603. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the provision of full-time care to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30388/15]
View answerAs the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply to the Deputy. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, he can contact my Private Office and they will follow the matter up with the HSE.
604. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an estimate of the cost of clearing all waiting lists in the health service. [30404/15]
View answer605. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an estimate of the cost of eliminating the use of trolleys for patients in publicly funded hospitals by providing all patients with beds as needed. [30405/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 604 and 605 together.
As these are service matters, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up.
606. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for Health the waiting times for County Mayo oncology patients for follow-up assessments to ascertain the progress of treatment at Galway University Hospital's centre of excellence for cancer treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30414/15]
View answerThe Deputy's question relates to service delivery matters and accordingly I have asked the HSE to respond directly to her.
If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow up the matter with them.
607. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health further to his reply to Parliamentary Question No. 154 of 25 June 2014, if he will provide the latest available ambulance response time figures, first responder figures and year-to-date figures; the corresponding figures for deployment times for both ambulance and first responders; the total number of calls in each category, for each of the nine ambulance sub-regions; the number of adverse incidents that have been recorded over this period in each of the nine ambulance sub-regions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30416/15]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up.
608. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his Department's priorities for the remainder of this Dáil; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29586/15]
View answerThe mission of my Department is to serve the Irish people, to promote their values and advance their prosperity abroad, and to provide the Government with the capabilities, analysis and influence to ensure that Ireland derives the maximum benefit from all areas of its external engagement. My Department’s Statement of Strategy for 2015-2017 outlines how we intend to achieve our high level goals in the coming years. These goals are rooted in the priority areas set out in Government’s recent policy review ‘The Global Island, Ireland’s Foreign Policy for a Changing World’. Our five goals and the related priorities are outlined as follows.
To serve our people at home and abroad and to promote reconciliation and cooperation
The further development of the all-island economy and strong support for political stability in Northern Ireland is a major priority for this Government. We will continue to advance the reconciliation agenda and economic renewal on the island of Ireland including through the ongoing implementation of the Stormont House Agreement. The Government will continue to play our role in the collective effort required to deliver the implementation of the Agreement as a whole.
I, through my Department, am also committed to the provision of high quality services to Irish citizens travelling abroad.
I recently launched the Ireland 2016 Global and Diaspora Programme – one of the seven strands of the Ireland 2016 Programme - which will see an ambitious programme of events take place around the world next year to mark the centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising. My Department and the Embassy network will continue to develop and deliver this Programme in the months ahead, together with our many partner organisations. My Department will also contribute to the development of events to mark the centenary of the Battle of the Somme next year, which is also an important occasion for many on the island of Ireland.
To work for a fairer, more just, secure and sustainable world
I am deeply conscious of Ireland’s proud tradition in international affairs as a country which seeks to promote and share its values. I am determined to ensure that we seek at every opportunity, to make a direct and significant contribution to the promotion of human rights, global peace and stability, most notably through our membership of the UN and our support for its peacekeeping operations, recognising that it is through the realisation of human rights, peace and stability that the root causes of crises such as the current migrant crisis in the Mediterranean can most effectively be addressed.
We will also remain actively engaged in promoting a more active EU role in relation to the Middle East Peace Process and in sustaining the viability of a negotiated, two-State solution.
Ireland continues to be a world leader in effectively tackling hunger and poverty and assisting the world’s poorest communities to survive and thrive. A major immediate priority in this area is Ireland’s role as co-facilitator of the final phase of negotiations on a new global development agenda to succeed the Millennium Development Goals.
To advance Ireland’s prosperity by promoting our economic interests internationally
The advancement of Ireland’s trade, tourism, investment and education promotion objectives is a central priority for my Department. The Embassy network will continue to play a crucial role in proactively addressing market access issues, supporting Irish businesses seeking to grow overseas, holding promotional events for, and in association with, State agencies and actively contributing to the organisation and conduct of Enterprise Ireland Ministerial-led trade missions and events overseas. While the majority of Irish services and merchandise exports go to Europe and the US and we must continue to cultivate these markets, the Government is strongly focused on the further development of trading partnerships with other important emerging markets.
My Department will also continue to ensure that the Embassy network is best equipped to promote and protect Ireland’s economic interests in its contacts with other Governments, including in multilateral fora, as well as in its engagements with the business community and overseas media. The Fourth Global Irish Economic Forum which my Department will organise in November 2015 will play an important role in delivering these objectives.
To protect and advance Ireland’s values and interests in Europe
Engagement with our EU partners and the broader region will remain a priority for promoting and protecting our interests. Ireland will continue to be a strong supporter of the EU Enlargement policy, which is one of the Union’s most powerful tools in pursuing our strategic objective of promoting peace, stability, democracy and prosperity throughout Europe. The crisis in Ukraine, coupled with the profound implications for the EU’s relations with Russia, will remain an important priority on the international agenda for some time. My visit to Kiev on 16-17 July is an opportunity to express solidarity with the people of Ukraine and to hear first-hand about the scale of the challenges it faces.
To strengthen our influence and our capacity to deliver our goals
Irish diplomacy has built a reputation for professionalism, integrity and effectiveness over many years. My Department will continue to work to extend Ireland’s international influence overseas while improving our capacity for delivery at home including though the Civil Service Renewal process.
609. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the response planned to counter the persecution and human rights abuses suffered by Falun Gong practitioners under the Chinese authorities over the past 16 years, particularly in view of the 2013 European Parliament resolution (details supplied) demanding an investigation into and an end of the common practice of forced organ harvesting for such persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29610/15]
View answerThe Government follows closely reports of human rights violations against Falun Gong practitioners, including reported cases of organ harvesting, and is concerned about the situation. Human rights issues are discussed regularly with the Chinese authorities during both bilateral and multilateral meetings, including during the recent visit of Premier Li Keqiang to Ireland.
Through the formal framework of the EU-China Human Rights Dialogue, which was established in 1995, the EU continues to share with China its experience in the field of human rights protection and promotion, and to urge China to take clear steps to improve the human rights situation. The latest session of this dialogue took place on 8-9 December 2014 and provided the EU with the opportunity to express its concerns about a wide range of human rights issues in China, including the treatment of ethnic and religious minorities, deprivation of liberty, and criminal and administrative punishment. The next round of the Dialogue will take place in November allowing the EU to continue to raise matters of concern.
In 2013, officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade held a series of meetings with representatives of the Irish Falun Dafa Association and human rights lawyers. During these meetings the Irish Falun Dafa Association discussed the issue of organ harvesting and ways in which human rights issues are raised with Chinese authorities by both Ireland and the EU. However, it should be noted that the Chinese Government denies accusations of human rights abuses against those who practice Falun Gong.
Ireland, together with our EU partners, will continue to address human rights issues with China, including those related to the Falun Gong, in frequent and regular dialogue, through our contacts in both Dublin and Beijing and through the relevant multilateral channels.
610. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if funding will be renewed in respect of the work of a group (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29626/15]
View answer611. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the proposals he has to raise again at an early date with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and with the British Foreign Secretary the need for the British Government to respond to the unanimous motions passed by Dáil Éireann in 2008 and 2011 in relation to the need to release papers and documents pertaining to the Dublin and Monaghan bombings of 1974; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29627/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 610 and 611 together.
The 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 and Monaghan bombings. I have raised this issue with the British Government on a number of occasions, including most recently on 11 June, and have received assurances from the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland that the British Government is currently actively considering how it can respond to the Dáil motions. The Taoiseach also raised the Dublin and Monaghan bombings with British Prime Minister David Cameron on 18 June, underlining the Government’s continued support for the Dáil motions.
In 2014, Justice for the Forgotten, a group which as part of the Pat Finucane Centre campaigns on behalf of the Dublin and Monaghan families, received €48,000 from my Department’s Reconciliation Fund. Additional funding of €49,400 for 2015 was approved for Justice for the Forgotten in June.
I met with representatives of Justice for the Forgotten on 15 May 2015 to discuss the Government’s ongoing support for the all-party Dáil Motions of July 2008 and May 2011. I know that the Taoiseach met also with a representative of the group on 21 May 2015.
612. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his plans to raise again at the European Union Foreign Affairs Council the need for the European Union to have a co-ordinated response to the persecution of Christians in many regions throughout the world; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29630/15]
View answerIreland strongly condemns all forms of persecution on the basis of religion or belief, irrespective of where they occur or who the victims are. We attach great importance to combatting all forms of discrimination based on religion or belief and incitement to religious hatred. We firmly believe in tolerance, non-discrimination, freedom of expression, freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief. Ireland is deeply concerned by the persecution of Christians.
Ireland and the EU consistently press for effective action to counter the persecution of minorities in all relevant international fora, including at the United Nations General Assembly and the United Nations Human Rights Council, of which Ireland is currently a member. Ireland reiterated its commitment to defending the right to freedom of religion or belief during a recent UN Security Council debate on the victims of attacks and abuses on ethnic or religious grounds in the Middle East, on 27 March 2015. I personally highlighted the issue when I addressed the UN General Assembly in New York on 29 September 2014 and the UN Human Rights Council at its 28th session in March 2015. I also raised it during my meetings with the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, in September 2014 and May 2015.
Ireland also works within and alongside the EU to address the persecution of Christians and other religious minorities, notably with the EU Guidelines on Freedom of Religion or Belief adopted during Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2013. These Guidelines provide EU officials with an overview of the legal and policy framework within which the right to freedom of religion or belief is protected. They also elaborate an EU strategy on how to engage with third countries on the right to freedom of religion or belief, a strategy which we hope to see bear fruit as we assess the implementation of the Guidelines.
Later this month, on 20 July 2015, the EU Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) will adopt the EU Action Plan for Human Rights and Democracy 2015-2019. The Action Plan forms part of the EU Strategic Framework and Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy which was adopted by the FAC in June 2012. Its purpose is to improve the effectiveness and consistency of the EU’s policy and commits the EU to promoting human rights in all areas of its external action. Responsibility for the implementation of the Action Plan is shared between the EEAS, European Commission and EU Member States.
Within the EU, Ireland pressed for the promotion of freedom of religion or belief to be included in the Action Plan, and this is now reflected as a stand-alone point with the following actions:
Ensure that freedom of religion or belief remains high on the agenda of relations with third countries, as well as in multilateral fora, in close cooperation with relevant stakeholders; promote the exchange of best practices, and deepen awareness on the various components of freedom of religion or belief at Headquarters, EU delegations and Member State embassies.
Encourage and support relevant partner countries and other stakeholders’ initiatives on freedom of religion or belief in particular those aimed at protecting and promoting the rights of persons belonging to religious minorities, enabling them to manifest their religion or belief without fear of violence, discrimination, political pressure, censorship or persecution.
Promote inter-cultural and inter-religious dialogue and the role of religious and other leaders in ensuring freedom of religion or belief.
Together with the EU Guidelines on Freedom of Religion or Belief, the Action Plan will strengthen the EU’s co-ordinated response to persecution based on religion or belief throughout the world.
Ireland will also continue to raise the issue of the persecution of Christians, through its official bilateral contacts with the countries in question, stressing the responsibility of the government to protect all citizens and minorities, irrespective of their religion or belief.
I can assure the Deputy that Ireland will continue to actively support freedom of religion or belief across our foreign policy.
613. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his plans to raise at the European Union Foreign Affairs Council the need for the international community to honour commitments made at a pledging conference to upgrade the infrastructure of Gaza, and to build new homes in Gaza; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29631/15]
View answer614. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his plans to raise again at the European Union Foreign Affairs Council the need for the European Union to pursue with Israel and Egypt the need to lift the blockade of Gaza, which is preventing the transport of products and materials needed for the rebuilding of essential infrastructure and homes in Gaza; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29632/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 613 and 614 together.
The discussion on the MEPP begun at the Foreign Affairs Council in May, which I expect will continue at the July Council next week, is considering the broad spectrum of the EU’s engagement on the issue, of which Gaza is one part. In the longer perspective, Ireland has consistently acted to keep in front of the Council the need to remember the specific problems of Gaza, and will continue to do so. The heart of the EU position on the question is that the blockade of Gaza is unjustified and counterproductive, and should be lifted. There is of course no issue with Israel continuing to prevent the movement of weapons into the territory.
The position in relation to Egypt is somewhat different, in that it is an escalation of violent incidents and instability in the area of northern Sinai which has forced the Egyptian authorities to close or restrict the operation of the Rafah crossing point for long periods.
I note reports that Israel in May substantially increased the rate of movement of cement into Gaza, which is very welcome. I hope that further measures of this nature will follow. I fully agree that the pace of reconstruction needs to pick up, and that this requires increased funding and construction supplies.
At the International Gaza Reconstruction Conference, which I attended last October, I pledged a further €2.5 million towards both urgent immediate needs as well as long term recovery efforts. €1 million of this has been provided to UNRWA’s Gaza Emergency Appeal. A further €500,000 will be provided to UN partners this year with the remaining €1 million of the pledge to be disbursed in 2016.
I am aware of reports that much of the funding pledged for Gaza at the Cairo conference has yet to materialise, and I certainly urge all countries to fulfil their pledges. However, I have no information on the extent to which those countries may have signalled at the conference a broad timescale for payment, as Ireland did, and which we are fulfilling. I recall also that many countries linked their pledges to a firm demand for political progress to prevent any future recurrence of the conflict – progress which has also not yet been achieved. I have no basis therefore to raise the non-fulfilment of any specific pledge at the Foreign Affairs Council.
615. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his plans to allocate additional funding towards the provision of humanitarian aid for Syria and that general region, given the ongoing conflict, the appalling loss of lives and the need to get essential humanitarian aid to persons living in desperate conditions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29633/15]
View answerThe crisis in Syria and the region is now in its fifth year. The human impact of the violence and displacement of communities has been devastating. Some 220,000 Syrians have been killed, and over 4 million have fled as refugees to surrounding countries. Ireland is particularly mindful of the impact of the crisis on neighbouring countries which are supporting large populations of vulnerable refugees.
My colleague, Minister of State Sherlock, represented Ireland at the third international pledging conference for Syria, which was held in Kuwait on 31 March. He announced that Ireland will provide a further €12 million in 2015 in humanitarian assistance for those suffering as a result of the conflict. Ireland has been one of the most generous international contributors to the Syria humanitarian response on a per capita basis. The delivery of our pledge for 2015 will bring the Government’s overall response to the crisis to €41 million by the end of this year.
Ireland’s humanitarian assistance is delivered through our trusted UN, Red Cross and NGO partners. Ireland’s support has been focused on supporting people displaced within Syria and those across the wider region, including in Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq.
One of the most difficult features of this crisis is that many of those who are most in need are beyond the reach of humanitarian workers. Both the Syrian Government and armed opposition groups are using siege tactics and heavy weaponry in populated areas. The targeting of humanitarian workers by the group Islamic State (ISIS) means that millions living in the areas which ISIS currently controls do not receive the help they so desperately need. The UN has responded by delivering cross-border aid, even where the Syrian Government has withheld permission.
We will continue to address the humanitarian consequences of the conflict and provide urgent assistance and support to the civilian populations within Syria and neighbouring countries. However, we also recognise that such efforts can only address the humanitarian crisis and that international efforts must be strengthened for a long term political solution in Syria and the wider region.
616. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the action or proposals planned to protect Christians and other religious groups from persecution around the world; the note the Government will take of the European Parliament resolution (details supplied) which denounces recent acts of religious persecution; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29827/15]
View answer627. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the actions or proposals the Government will adopt to protect Christians and other religious groups from persecution around the world; the note that the Government will take of the European Parliament resolution (details supplied) which denounces recent acts of religious persecution; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30152/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 616 and 627 together.
Ireland attaches great importance to combatting all forms of discrimination, including that based on religion or belief and incitement to religious hatred. We firmly believe in tolerance, non-discrimination, freedom of expression, freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief. It is of deep concern that freedom of religion and belief is in danger in many places worldwide. Members of minority religious communities, including those of Christian, Muslim and Baha’i faith, have been subjected to appalling levels of violence, discrimination, and harassment. The recent rise in the number of anti-Semitic attacks worldwide is also of serious concern.
I welcome the initiative of the European Parliament to pass a resolution on the persecution of Christians around the world in relation to the killing of students in Kenya by Al-Shabaab. The attack at Garissa University is one of a series of utter reprehensible attacks by Al-Shabaab terrorists on innocent Kenyans going about their daily lives. Attacks like this target the fundamental rights and values that all right-thinking people hold dear – the right to an education, freedom of expression, freedom of religion or belief, pluralism, democracy, tolerance and human dignity. We and our fellow EU Member States will continue to support Kenya in its fight to overcome this terrorism.
In recent months, I have also been shocked by the reports of the brutal killings by ISIS affiliates in Libya, particularly the beheadings of Egyptian Coptic Christians and Ethiopian Christians. These monstrous acts are beyond comprehension and I condemn them in the strongest possible terms. They constitute a savage attack on a minority community. Ireland has repeatedly recalled the duty of States to protect vulnerable minorities in the Middle East, including Christian communities.
Ireland and the EU consistently press for effective action to counter the persecution of minorities in all relevant international fora, including at the United Nations General Assembly and the United Nations Human Rights Council, of which Ireland is currently a member. Ireland reiterated its commitment to defending the right to freedom of religion or belief during a recent UN Security Council debate on the victims of attacks and abuses on ethnic or religious grounds in the Middle East, on 27 March 2015. I personally highlighted the issue when I addressed the UN General Assembly in New York on 29 September 2014 and the UN Human Rights Council at its 28th session in March 2015. I also raised it during my meetings with the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, in September 2014 and May 2015.
Ireland also works within and alongside the EU to address the persecution of Christians and other religious minorities, notably with the EU Guidelines on Freedom of Religion or Belief adopted during Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2013. These Guidelines provide EU officials with an overview of the legal and policy framework within which the right to freedom of religion or belief is protected. They also elaborate an EU strategy on how to engage with third countries on the right to freedom of religion or belief, a strategy which we hope to see bear fruit as we assess the implementation of the Guidelines.
Later this month, on 20 July 2015, the EU Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) will adopt the EU Action Plan for Human Rights and Democracy 2015-2019. The Action Plan forms part of the EU Strategic Framework and Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy which was adopted by the FAC in June 2012. Its purpose is to improve the effectiveness and consistency of the EU’s policy and commits the EU to promoting human rights in all areas of its external action. Responsibility for the implementation of the Action Plan is shared between the EEAS, European Commission and EU Member States.
Within the EU, Ireland pressed for the promotion of freedom of religion or belief to be included in the Action Plan, and this is now reflected as a stand-alone point with the following actions:
Ensure that freedom of religion or belief remains high on the agenda of relations with third countries, as well as in multilateral fora, in close cooperation with relevant stakeholders; promote the exchange of best practices, and deepen awareness on the various components of freedom of religion or belief at Headquarters, EU delegations and Member State embassies.
Encourage and support relevant partner countries and other stakeholders’ initiatives on freedom of religion or belief in particular those aimed at protecting and promoting the rights of persons belonging to religious minorities, enabling them to manifest their religion or belief without fear of violence, discrimination, political pressure, censorship or persecution.
Promote inter-cultural and inter-religious dialogue and the role of religious and other leaders in ensuring freedom of religion or belief.
Alongside the EU Guidelines on Freedom of Religion or Belief, the Action Plan will strengthen the EU’s co-ordinated response to persecution based on religion or belief throughout the world.
Ireland will also continue to raise the issue of the persecution of Christians, through its official bilateral contacts with the countries in question, stressing the responsibility of the government to protect all citizens and minorities, irrespective of their religion or belief.
I can assure the Deputy that Ireland will continue to actively support freedom of religion or belief across our foreign policy.
617. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on the Irish participation in the United Nation's third international conference on financing for development to be held in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29937/15]
View answerThe Minister of State for Development, Trade Promotion and North-South Cooperation, Sean Sherlock T.D., has been leading the Irish delegation at the International Conference on Financing for Development, from 13 to 16 July in Addis Ababa. The conference is expected to conclude today with the adoption of an agreed outcome document “The Addis Ababa Accord”.
The Addis agreement together with agreements on the new global development agenda post-2015, in New York in September, and on climate in Paris in December, will provide the international community with a unique opportunity to shape a new framework for sustainable development for the next fifteen years. The Addis conference is not a pledging conference, and will aim to agree a durable and sustainable financial framework that will guide the mobilisation and use of financial and non-financial resources to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals which will replace the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) adopted in 2000. The new Goals will be universal, and broader in scope than the MDGs, and they will aim for the elimination of extreme poverty and hunger by 2030. An ambitious, clear and comprehensive agreement at Addis this week will be critical to the success of the post-2015 negotiations at the UN in New York, which are being co-chaired by Ireland.
