Written Answers Nos. 138-142
138. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the total funding under the different programmes made available for official development assistance in 2016; the percentage of gross national product this funding will amount to, each in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36760/15]
View answerOn Budget day last week the Government announced the first substantial increase in the aid budget in over seven years. For 2016, we have provided a total of over €640 million in Official Development Assistant (ODA), an increase of €40 million, or almost 7% on the 2015 level. €486 million will be managed by my Department through Vote 27 International Cooperation – known to the public as Irish Aid. A further estimated €155 million will be accounted for by allocations to other Government Departments and Ireland’s share of the EU Development Cooperation budget.
The Government is committed to making progress towards the target of spending 0.7% of GNP in ODA. We estimate this level of allocation will result in a projected ODA/GNP percentage of 0.36 % in 2016, a small increase on the 0.35% projected for 2015.
Detailed financial allocations will now be reviewed and planned across the aid programme to respond to current needs. It is clear that in 2016, we will need to increase our direct funding for the humanitarian crisis in the Middle East and Africa through the UN system and trusted Irish and International NGOs. We will use our humanitarian and development assistance in a more coordinated way to respond to the immediate humanitarian crisis and build the resilience of endangered communities against future crisis.
Our challenge now is to ensure Ireland continues to play a leading role in the comprehensive response to the unprecedented levels of humanitarian crisis, especially in Europe’s broader neighbourhood, while ensuring our aid programme remains effective in addressing the root causes of poverty and hunger.
139. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has had discussions with the former First Minister, Mr. Peter Robinson, and the Deputy First Minister, Mr. Martin Mc Guinness, in the Northern Ireland Executive in relation to the non-allocation of the Social Investment Fund; the total financial provision made available in respect of that fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36761/15]
View answerQuestions relating to the management of the Social Investment Fund are devolved matters that are the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Executive.
My Department oversees the Reconciliation Fund which provides grants to organisations working to further peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland, on a cross-border basis, and between Ireland and Britain. Over 140 organisations received support from the Fund in 2014.
In the course of my Department’s work on promoting reconciliation on the island of Ireland, we are complementing many of the aims and goals of the Social Investment Fund which seeks to bring the benefits of the peace process to communities across Northern Ireland in terms of social and economic development. Our work on promoting reconciliation, a fundamental aim of the Good Friday Agreement, involves contacts with community groups as well as with the Northern Ireland Executive, including the Office of the First Minister and the deputy First Minister.
140. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the proposals he has to raise again at the European Union Foreign Affairs Council, the United Nations or other international fora the need for 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. [36762/15]
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 combating 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.
I have been shocked by the reports of the brutal killings by ISIS and its affiliates. These monstrous acts are beyond comprehension and I condemn them in the strongest possible terms. 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 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 alarming rise in attacks on Christians when I addressed the UN General Assembly in New York on 1 October 2015 and the UN Human Rights Council at its 28th session on 4 March 2015. I also raised it during my meetings with the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, in September 2014 and May 2015.
Later this month at the 3rd Committee at the United Nations General Assembly Ireland will present a statement specifically addressing the importance of freedom of religion or belief at an Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, Professor Heiner Bielefeldt. Ireland is active in the negotiation of the EU led draft resolution on Freedom of Religion or Belief in the 3rd Committee.
Ireland 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.
On 20 July 2015, the EU Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) adopted 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.
141. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the outcome of discussions at the recent European Union Foreign Affairs Council in relation to the terrible plight of refugees fleeing the Middle East and North Africa; the progress to date in developing an adequate and comprehensive response programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36763/15]
View answerThe scale of the migration challenge facing the EU is an enormous one requiring a comprehensive and coherent response. The political and economic circumstances behind the displacement of millions of people must be addressed, if the flow of migrants is to be managed. The conflict in Syria (which is the biggest driver behind this year’s migrant flows) has led to the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. More than 12 million Syrians have been displaced from their homes, of whom over 4 million are refugees in neighbouring countries. More than 250,000 Syrians have been killed since the conflict began. Many thousands more have been displaced from other conflict zones including the Horn of Africa, South Sudan and Afghanistan.
Last week’s Foreign Affairs Council confirmed the EU’s commitment to mobilise all appropriate instruments and policies to support efforts to address the root causes of migratory flows, including political instability, poor socio-economic development and poor governance. The Council expressed its support for diplomatic efforts by the United Nations to find solutions to the conflicts in Syria and Libya, major drivers behind the mass displacements of people.
The Council emphasised that cooperation with third countries must be a key element of EU efforts to address the migration crisis. To this end the EU is working with Turkey on an Action Plan to better address the migration challenges we both face.
As part of its efforts to develop a comprehensive migration strategy, the EU recently organised two high level conferences. Earlier this month a conference focusing on migration flows into the EU through the Eastern Mediterranean and Western Balkans route took place in Luxembourg. It issued a Declaration endorsing a five-pronged approach to addressing the migration challenge. Next month, an international summit focussing on migration will be held in Valletta. EU and African Heads of State and Government are being invited.
At their meeting earlier this month EU Foreign Ministers called on the international community to provide greater support to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), the World Food Programme (WFP) and other programmes and agencies assisting refugees. EU leaders have already agreed, at the 23 September European Council, to provide €1 billion in funding to the UNHCR and the WFP.
The EU and its Member States collectively are leading the international response to the refugee crisis. Since 2012, more than €4.2 billion have been mobilised for assistance to Syrians in their country and to refugees who have fled. Ireland will provide €12 million in support of the Syrian people in 2015, bringing our total funding since 2012 for this crisis to €41 million.
In addition to this financial support Ireland is also supporting the humanitarian search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean. The L.É. Samuel Beckett recently replaced the L.É. Niamh and has already helped to rescue over 530 people. In total, the Irish Naval Service has now rescued 7,639 migrants from the Mediterranean Sea under the auspices of the ongoing rescue operations. It is expected that the L.E. Samuel Beckett will be deployed until at least 30 November.
142. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will meet a delegation from school bus contractors in County Kerry regarding the unfair competition in the tendering and procurement processes, which has resulted in a dramatic loss of contracts by these operators, has led to consequential job losses, and will be a major contributory factor to eventually putting many of these employers out of business; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36677/15]
View answerIt is a matter for Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department, to procure contractors to provide services for school transport purposes.
Bus Éireann is obliged to tender all works, goods and services in line with the European Directives on public procurement, which includes school transport services performed by contractors under the School Transport Scheme.
A meeting with Bus Éireann management can be arranged to clarify the procurement process.
