Written Answers Nos. 143-166
145. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the extent to which local authorities in the greater Dublin area are awaiting infrastructural improvements on which the building of local authority houses or private houses is dependent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3503/21]
View answerThe full range of infrastructural requirements, provision and plans within each local authority is broad and cuts across numerous Government Department's and public bodies and is dynamic. The most up to date and detailed information would be available in each local authority.
Where local authorities have identified particular infrastructure shortfalls that may provide an impediment to the development of housing, funding has been made available by the Department through a number of programmes.
The Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF) scheme is providing public off-site infrastructure to relieve infrastructure blockages, thereby enabling the accelerated delivery of housing in Dublin and in other urban areas in high demand. Funding of €200m was been allocated across 30 projects and work is underway to deliver the infrastructure with an associated housing delivery.
Details of projects can be found here https://rebuildingireland.ie/lihaf/
Additionally, the Serviced Sites Fund of €310 million will support local authorities in providing infrastructure to support the delivery of affordable homes on their lands. With a maximum €50,000 available per home, 6,200 new homes can be facilitated.
Details of projects can be found here: https://rebuildingireland.ie/news/minister-murphy-gives-the-go-ahead-for-ten-local-authority-sites-for-affordable-housing-under-the-serviced-sites-fund/
https://rebuildingireland.ie/news/minister-murphy-approves-funding-of-e84m-to-support-delivery-of-1770-affordable-homes-under-the-ssf/
147. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the degree to which he proposes, through various local authorities, to utilise abandoned or derelict buildings in the centres of villages or towns throughout Ireland to meet the needs of those who require affordable or local authority houses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3506/21]
View answerMy Department is focused on ensuring that existing housing stock is utilised to its fullest extent including a targeted, effective and co-ordinated approach to identifying and tackling vacancy across Ireland.
In that context, there are a range of measures to assist in meeting housing needs by ensuring that our existing housing stock is used to the greatest extent possible. The National Vacant Housing Reuse Strategy, published in 2018, contains a range of objectives and key actions to be pursued in partnership with stakeholders and agencies across the housing sector to address vacancy in our housing stock. The Strategy is underpinned by a number of supports available to owners to bring vacant housing stock back into use including:
- The Repair and Leasing Scheme (RLS) is to assist private property owners, local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) in utilising existing vacant housing stock throughout the country. The scheme is targeted at owners of vacant properties who cannot afford or access the funding needed to bring their properties up to the required standard for rental property. In 2020, I announced an increase in the funding limit for the refurbishment of properties from €40,000 to €60,000. Since its introduction the scheme has facilitated 185 homes being brought back into use and tenanted.
- The Buy and Renew initiative particularly focuses on older vacant homes to help tackle the problem of dereliction and improve the appearance of the community with the added value of delivery social housing units. It provides the option for suitable properties to be purchased rather than leased. Since its introduction it has facilitated local authorities to deliver circa 600 vacant properties for social housing purposes.
- In addition, in December 2018 my Department published the Bringing Back Homes Manual for the Reuse of Existing Buildings. Revitalising our main streets through well designed refurbishment of residential units, particularly above shops, could help to rejuvenate smaller town centres and city streets as well as produce more houses. The Bringing Back Homes manual is available to download at: https://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/home-ownership/vacant-homes/vacant-homes.
To support this work at local authority level, my Department has secured funding for each local authority to support the work of a Vacant Homes Office. The provision of central funding reinforces the capacity of my Department’s Vacant Homes Unit to liaise with and seek information from a dedicated contact point within each local authority. The Vacant Homes Office plays a key role in the co-ordination of this work within each local authority.
148. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the extent to which heritage buildings in disrepair or in danger of falling into disrepair can be restored for appropriate use including residential, commercial or community; the extent to which such action could benefit areas in urban and rural areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3507/21]
View answer149. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of heritage sites throughout Ireland deemed to be at risk at present; his plans to address the issue on an ongoing basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3508/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 148 and 149 together.
My role with regard to the protection and management of our archaeological and architectural heritage is set out in the provisions of relevant legislation, including the Planning Acts and the National Monuments Acts, as are the roles of local authorities and the responsibilities of owners.
As Minister, I am the owner or guardian under the National Monuments Acts of approximately 1,000 national monuments located at approximately 750 sites. The Acts allow me to make a preservation order where I consider a national monument to be at risk.
Responsibility for management and maintenance of historical buildings and sites in State ownership and management of related visitor facilities, rests with the Office of Public Works (OPW) which also maintains a significant ongoing programme of conservation works. My Department will allocate funding to the OPW for the maintenance of certain historic buildings and sites over the course of the year as works begin to progress again.
With regard to the safeguarding of protected structures, Part IV of the Planning and Development Act 2000 gives primary responsibility to local authorities to identify and protect architectural heritage by including particular structures on their respective Records of Protected Structures (RPS). Inclusion on the RPS places a duty of care on the owners and occupiers of protected structures and also gives planning authorities powers to deal with any development proposals affecting them.
My Department provides financial support, however, for the protection of heritage buildings and historic structures through two grant schemes which are, in the main, administered by the local authorities. These are the Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) and the Historic Structures Fund (HSF). Last year some 450 heritage projects across every county in the country were allocated funding from a combined sum of over €4.3m under these schemes and an extra €1m in funding was secured for built heritage projects under the July Jobs Stimulus Package 2020, which aimed to offset some of the effects of Covid-19.
I recently launched the BHIS and HSF for 2021, with a combined allocation of €6m, an increase of nearly 40%. Full details are available on my Department’s website and on the website of each local authority.
My Department also announced a call for projects in September 2020 under the Community Monuments Fund (CMF) for investment in our archaeological heritage, which is being funded under the July Jobs Stimulus Package. The CMF is prioritised for local authorities, private owners and custodians, and community groups for the care, maintenance, protection and promotion of local monuments and historic sites and the provision of any required measures to ensure safe access during the Covid-19 pandemic. Total funding available for the scheme in 2020 was €900,000 and 69 projects nationally were supported by the fund. I hope shortly to announce a continuance of the scheme for this year.
As the Deputy will be aware, preparation is well advanced in my Department on Heritage Ireland 2030, Ireland’s new national heritage plan. It will be a coherent, comprehensive and inspiring framework of values, principles, strategic priorities and actions to guide and inform the heritage sector over the next decade. Heritage Ireland 2030 will be published early this year and will address priority issues for heritage, including those identified in the Programme for Government.
150. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the extent to which young persons seeking to remain resident in their native areas can be facilitated throughout rural areas, thereby assuring the future of schools, shops and community life while maintaining good environmental and planning practice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3509/21]
View answer152. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the extent to which he expects his Department to be in a position to resist the depopulation of rural Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3511/21]
View answer153. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department has identified the main factors contributing to the decline in the population of rural Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3512/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 150, 152 and 153 together.
In response to the Deputy’s questions, work is currently underway on a new Rural Development Strategy ‘Our Rural Future’, by the Department of Rural and Community Development and on updated rural settlement guidelines within my own Department.
It is clear from work undertaken by both Departments and informed by Census data, that population growth and decline in rural Ireland is uneven. There is wide geographic variation in rural population change with some rural areas experiencing population growth while others have experienced decline. Rural areas that recorded population growth are generally close to larger towns and cities, while those distant from, or inaccessible to, these centres have generally experienced decline.
While the proportion of the population classified as ‘rural’ (‘aggregate rural’ definition includes all settlements with a population below 1,500 persons) has reduced, the actual number of people living in rural areas as a whole, has remained relatively constant over the past fifty years.
The National Planning Framework (NPF) fully supports the concept of the sustainable development of rural areas and recognises the distinction between growth and decline by encouraging growth and arresting decline in areas that have experienced low population growth or decline in recent decades, while also highlighting the need to manage certain areas around cities and towns that are under strong urban influence and under pressure from unsustainable overdevelopment. This is reflected in National Policy Objective (NPO) 15 of the NPF.
In terms of sustainable housing in rural areas, Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Sustainable Rural Housing 2005, similarly require planning authorities to frame the planning policies in their development plans in a balanced and measured way that ensures the housing needs of rural communities are met, while avoiding excessive urban-generated housing. The Guidelines identify a clear distinction between rural area types and include different approaches to urban and rural generated housing.
The NPF provides an important strategic basis for interpreting the 2005 Guidelines and in particular, the distinction between urban and rural generated housing.
In this regard, NPO 19 of the NPF aims to ensure that a policy distinction is made between areas experiencing significant overspill development pressure from urban areas, particularly within the commuter catchment of cities, towns and centres of employment, on the one hand, and other remoter and weaker rural areas where population levels may be low and or declining, on the other.
NPO19 is also aligned with the established approach whereby considerations of social (intrinsic part of the community) or economic (persons working full or part time) need may be applied by planning authorities in rural areas under urban influence.
The NPF acknowledges that rural settlements are not suitable for a suburban or a high density approach to development and tailored design approaches are needed. The NPF also recognises that in rural Ireland many people seek to have an opportunity to build their own homes. Under National Policy Objective 18b my Department is committed to developing a programme with local authorities, public infrastructure agencies such as Irish Water and local communities for the provision of serviced sites for housing to attract people to build their own homes and live in small towns and villages and this is also reflected in the Programme for Government (PFG).
The Government has provided a strong national policy response that seeks to revitalise rural towns and villages by attracting new residents. In this context, the Programme for Government has committed in outline to the development of a Town Centre First (TCF) policy. An inter-Departmental Group (IDG), was established at the end of 2020 and is currently undertaking an initial scoping of the policy proposal with recommendations to be developed over the coming months. A parallel, advisory group has also been established, to enable the experiences of a broader group of stakeholders to be brought to bear in informing the process of policy development.
These commitments will be complemented and supported by the updated rural action plan which is being prepared by the Department of Rural and Community Development. Further, given developments in the interim, the 2005 Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines are being updated, in a broader rural development and settlement context.
151. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of planning permissions refused by county in respect of one-off housing in rural areas affecting the local population; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3510/21]
View answerPlanning statistics are compiled by each planning authority on an annual basis for collation and publication on my Department’s website, at the following link:
https://www.gov.ie/en/service/9e4ee-get-planning-statistics/.
However, the data collected relates to the total number of applications and decisions for all developments that require planning permission, broken down by year and planning authority but are not broken down by reason for the grant or refusal of permission, including in respect of one-off housing in rural areas affecting the indigenous population. Such information may be sought directly from the relevant planning authority.
In addition, the Central Statistics Office (CSO), as the national statistical office, compiles and makes available detailed data on a number of planning related issues including permissions granted and completions by development type and county. Data is available at the following link on the CSO website: https://www.cso.ie/en/statistics/construction/planningpermissions.
Questions Nos. 152 and 153 answered with Question No. 150.
154. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on the maritime jurisdiction Bill 2019; the timeframe for its progression through the Houses of the Oireachtas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2998/21]
View answerThe purpose of the Maritime Jurisdiction Bill is to update and consolidate in one, stand-alone enactment the State's maritime jurisdiction legislation, in particular Part 3 of the 2006 Sea Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act and the 1968 Continental Shelf Act. It is being brought forward in parallel with the Maritime Area (Planning) Bill (formerly the Marine Planning and Development Management Bill), which will establish a new marine planning consent system.
Drafting of the Maritime Jurisdiction Bill is now nearing completion following consultations with relevant Departments. I plan shortly to submit the Bill to the Government for its approval and then to introduce it in the Oireachtas during the current session, with a view to enactment later this year.
155. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the total overseas development aid budget for 2021; if he will provide details of the way this money is to be allocated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3013/21]
View answerIreland's budget allocation this year for Official Development Aid (ODA), also known as Irish Aid, is €868 million, an increase of €30 million on the 2020 allocation.
Of this total, €571 million is allocated to the Department of Foreign Affairs. €159 million is accounted for by Ireland's share of the EU Development Cooperation Budget. The remaining €138 million is allocated to other Departments, in particular the Departments of Finance and Agriculture and Food.
A Better World, the White Paper on Irish international development, provides the guiding framework, with Irish assistance targeting those furthest behind. A number of complementary channels are used, including United Nations and other multilateral institutions, civil society organisations and humanitarian agencies, and country programmes managed by Irish Embassies, to ensure that our ODA is directed appropriately and effectively. An OECD review of Irish ODA published last year found Ireland to be an 'excellent humanitarian donor', 'a successful influencer of global policies' and remarked on the 'quality partnerships' with civil society. For the second successive year, Ireland was found by a respected think tank, ODI, in its 2020 index to be the most principled donor.
156. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs when he expects the joint consultative working group established upon the withdrawal of the UK from the EU to be fully established and meet; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3017/21]
View answerThe Joint Consultative Working Group is provided for under Article 15(1) of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland to the Withdrawal Agreement. The Working Group is to serve as a forum for the exchange of information and mutual consultation on the implementation of the Protocol.
The Protocol provides that the Working Group should comprise representatives of the EU and the UK and carry out its functions under the supervision of the Specialised Committee on issues related to the implementation of the Protocol.
The Working Group has no power to take binding decisions other than the power to adopt its own rules of procedure. It is expected to hold its first meeting in the coming weeks.
157. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if consideration will be given to removing the measure of charging married women the full cost of attaining a new passport that they incur if they have taken their husband's surname; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3025/21]
View answerAll passport applications are subject to the terms of the Passports Act, 2008, as amended (“the Act“). The Act provides a legal basis for the various policies and procedures that are applied by the Passport Service in the issue of passports. Section 10 of the Act provides that a passport will issue in the name of a citizen as it appears on his/her birth certificate or naturalisation certificate.
A name change for a passport from that which appears on a person’s birth certificate is permitted under the Act in situations such as marriage, civil partnership etc. where civil or legal documents are available to verify this change.
A passport is valid up until the expiry date stipulated on the passport. An applicant may choose to update their passport in advance of this expiry date for reasons such as changing their name through marriage. Where an applicant chooses to replace a valid passport they are required to submit an application form accompanied by the appropriate supporting documentation and the relevant passport application fee. The new passport will issue for 10 years.
158. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number Irish citizens resident in Hong Kong and registered with the Irish consulate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3134/21]
View answerThere are 476 Irish citizens officially registered with the Irish Consulate General in Hong Kong. However, Ireland does not require its citizens to register with Embassies and Consulates, so this number is not an accurate representation of the number of Irish citizens in Hong Kong.
Based on the number of passports processed over the past 10 years, the Consulate estimates that there are between 5000 - 5200 Irish citizens in the city. A number of these citizens have Hong Kong permanent residency, or have dual citizenship and so may be registered with another Consulate.
159. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding transporting goods through the UK to mainland Europe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3154/21]
View answerThe Government has pointed out for some time now, that from the end of the Brexit transition period, the way in which operators use the UK landbridge would change.
The UK’s accession to the Common Transit Convention (CTC) is welcome and allows EU goods to transit through the UK without undergoing full customs import and export formalities on entry and exit to/from the UK. To avail of the benefits of the CTC, there are certain new requirements, including new paperwork, as well as the need for each consignment to have a financial guarantee in place to cover the potential customs duties and other taxes at risk during the movement.
Ireland has undertaken significant political and official engagement with the European Commission and the most relevant EU Member States, including France, Belgium and the Netherlands, to ensure EU goods moving under transit via the UK landbridge are not subject to additional administrative burdens or unnecessary controls. Significant time was invested in securing an amendment to the EU Official Controls Regulation (OCR) to allow greater flexibility by national authorities on the process by which goods subject to SPS controls are notified to the Border Control Post (BCP) of re-entry to the EU.
While there are different systems in place depending on port of destination in the EU, for the vast majority of EU consignments transiting the landbridge, documentary checks will be performed electronically in advance of the consignment re-entering the EU and once the correct paperwork is in place, transit goods should be “green-routed” to leave the Port. Identity and physical checks will only be necessary where the authorities suspect non-compliance or where they have previously been required. It is therefore vital that operators have the correct administration work in place when moving goods via the landbridge.
All these additional procedures for UK landbridge operators arise as goods moving in this way are now EU goods transiting a third country. We have provided full details of all the new steps that must be undertaken on our website – www.gov.ie/brexit.
More broadly, the Government has always been very clear that the UK's decision to leave the EU, the Single Market and the Customs Union means that the seamless trade we enjoyed when the UK was a Member State is no longer possible. The Government has put significant resources in place to assist operators adjust to the new trading environment. I would urge all involved in moving goods, to from or through Great Britain to the avail of all appropriate supports.
No new rules or procedures apply to goods moving on direct routes between Ireland and the EU. Demand for direct services from Ireland to the continent remains exceptionally strong. As the Government noted in its engagement with business throughout 2020, ferry companies have responded positively to industry-led demand by putting additional capacity on direct routes. Overall, the number of ferry services running between Rosslare and mainland Europe has trebled in the last year and there has been a significant increase in overall capacity on direct routes.
160. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his plans to review the national plan on business and human rights; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3156/21]
View answerThe National Plan on Business and Human Rights was published in November 2017. The Plan contains a range of commitments under the UN’s ‘Protect, Respect and Remedy’ framework under the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, as well as commitments to provide for greater policy coherence.
Following publication of the Plan, implementation initially focused on commitments in the area of policy coherence. In January 2019, a multi-stakeholder implementation group with members drawn from Government, business and civil society, was established and given a three year mandate to oversee implementation of the commitments grouped under the Protect, Respect, Remedy pillars within the National Plan. Accordingly, the Implementation Group is now two years into a three year mandate.
The terms of reference of the Implementation Group require the Implementation Group to review and update its work plan midway through its term and present its proposals to the Business and Human Rights Forum as a basis for discussions.
My Department is currently working with the Implementation Group to advance this requirement. In the coming months, a review of the work plan to implement the National Plan to date along with proposals for the completion of any outstanding commitments will be agreed by the Implementation Group in advance of a multi-stakeholder forum on business and human rights.
In the meantime, my Department is continuing to work with the Implementation Group to advance implementation of the National Plan. In this regard, I anticipate the completion of a Business and Human Rights toolkit for companies in the coming weeks to assist companies in meeting their responsibilities under the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. I would be happy to share further detail of this initiative with the Deputy in due course.
161. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the status of an application by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3283/21]
View answerThe Passport Service has paused processing of routine applications while Ireland is at Level 5 of the National Framework for Living with COVID-19.
The Passport Service continues to provide an emergency passport service for Irish citizens at home and abroad. The service is available for those who are required to travel due to the death or serious illness of a family member or because the applicant requires emergency medical treatment.
Applicants who require a passport for emergency purposes, or to travel for urgent reasons, should contact the Passport Service via our Customer Service Hub Webchat function on our website.
The Passport Service has a comprehensive plan in place to resume all services, in line with the National Framework for Living with COVID-19. When operations resume at Level 4, all applications received via Passport Online will be processed.
The Passport Service plans to resume processing of routine paper based applications such as Passport Express, Northern Ireland Passport Express and applications for Foreign Birth Registrations at Level 3.
With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, this application will be processed at Level 4 of the National Framework for Living with COVID-19. Alternatively, the Deputy may wish to be aware that there is no requirement for Irish (or UK) citizens to produce passports when travelling within the Common Travel Area. However, it is the case that airline carriers or ferry operators in many instances require their passengers to have a passport in their possession before allowing them to board the aircraft. This should be checked in advance of making travel arrangements.
162. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the outstanding issues in relation to the lack of implementation regarding investigations in Northern Ireland into alleged State violence and murder; his views on progress in terms of the investigation of actions carried out by a gang (details supplied); the steps the UK Government should take in terms of investigating murders by the gang; the steps he has requested the UK Government to take in relation to same; the number of times he or his Department has raised the issue of alleged murders by the gang with the UK Government in the past five years; if the UK Government has failed in its responsibilities to investigate these murders; and the next steps he will take in relation to the murders. [3291/21]
View answerThe implementation of the Stormont House Agreement forms part of the Programme for Government, and it provides for a comprehensive and balanced framework to address the legacy of the past. The Government is continuing to work for the implementation of this framework, for all victims and families, including those impacted by the terrible acts of the Glenanne Gang.
The Government also continues to actively pursue the implementation of the all-Party Dáil motions which call on the British Government to allow access by an independent, international judicial figure to all original documents relating to the Dublin and Monaghan bombings, as well as the Dublin bombings of 1972 and 1973, the bombing of Kay’s Tavern in Dundalk and the murder of Seamus Ludlow.
The Government welcomed the announcement by the PSNI on 30 November 2019 that former Chief Constable Jon Boutcher would head an Independent Police Team to conduct an analytical report on the Glenanne Gang series of cases. We are conscious that this work by Chief Constable Boutcher is very relevant to a number of cases of the utmost concern for victims’ families and survivors, both North and South, who suffered in the murderous attacks by the Glenanne Gang. It is to be hoped that the report being conducted by Chief Constable Boutcher will contribute to the long process of justice, truth and acknowledgement of what happened in these awful cases, where collusion is a feature.
Chief Constable Boutcher is conducting a police investigation, and as such will be in a position to seek the cooperation of the Gardaí through the framework of Mutual Legal Assistance, which underpins the excellent cooperation that exists between An Garda Síochána and the PSNI more broadly.
The Government will be supportive of facilitating this investigation, subject to the requirements of the law, as we have other investigative processes in Northern Ireland, in relation to the attacks conducted by the Glenanne Gang and of course other cases from the Troubles.
We will continue to engage with the British Government, as we have done at every opportunity on both a political and official level, to pursue all possible avenues to achieve progress on these issues and until a satisfactory resolution is found.
163. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs when he expects the processing of passport applications to recommence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3306/21]
View answerThe Passport Service has paused processing of routine applications while Ireland is at Level 5 of the National Framework for Living with COVID-19.
The Passport Service continues to provide an emergency passport service for Irish citizens at home and abroad. The service is available for those who are required to travel due to the death or serious illness of a family member or because the applicant requires emergency medical treatment.
Applicants who require a passport for emergency purposes, or to travel for urgent reasons, should contact the Passport Service via our Customer Service Hub Webchat function on our website.
The Passport Service has a comprehensive plan in place to resume all services, in line with the National Framework for Living with COVID-19. When operations resume at Level 4, all applications received via Passport Online will be processed.
The Passport Service plans to resume processing of routine paper based applications such as Passport Express, Northern Ireland Passport Express and applications for Foreign Birth Registrations at Level 3.
164. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the steps he will take to raise awareness through the EU of the plight of a person (details supplied) who has been beaten while being illegally detained in Belarus; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3441/21]
View answerIreland and the EU have been vocal in condemning the appalling human rights situation in Belarus and we have repeatedly called for the immediate and unconditional release of all those unjustly detained. This stance was reiterated by the Head of the EU delegation in Minsk when he met the Belarusian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs on 18 January.
Along with our EU partners, we have maintained pressure on the authorities to respect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of the Belarusian people and to adhere to their international obligations. In this regard, the EU sent a strong message before Christmas through the imposition of a third tranche of sanctions in response to the fraudulent election and the regime's response to peaceful protest.
I can assure the Deputy that Ireland will continue to work in coordination with our EU colleagues in raising our grave concerns for the plight of those unjustly detained, including the individual in question, in Belarus at the Human Rights Council, the OSCE, meetings of UN Security Council members and other fora.
165. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the funding allocated under the emigrant support programme in 2020; the level of funding to be provided in 2021; if this will enable the expansion of existing programmes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3487/21]
View answerThe Emigrant Support Programme (ESP) provides funding to non-profit organisations and projects to support our most vulnerable emigrants overseas, to strengthen Irish communities abroad and to facilitate the development of closer and more strategic links between Ireland and the global Irish.
The budget for the programme in 2020 was €12.595 million. 529 applications for funding were received from 352 organisations in 30 countries. Final details of funding to individual organisations on a geographic basis will be available shortly.
In 2021, the budget allocation for the Emigrant Support is €13,095,000 (an increase of €500,000 from 2020). This increase reinforces the importance of our communities abroad, central to Global Ireland: Ireland's Diaspora Strategy 2020-2025, which I launched last November.
The 2021 Emigrant Support Programme opened for applications on Wednesday 20 January and will be open for applications until 24 February.
In 2021 the Government, through the ESP is committed to prioritising projects that focus on:
Rebuilding (post Covid) through:
- Digital inclusion initiatives which enhance organisations’ delivery of welfare and heritage projects
- Building capacity and resilience within organisations
- Looking at new ways to deliver services
- Supporting volunteer community efforts
- Promoting mental health and social inclusion initiatives
Taking a broad and more inclusive approach to our diaspora:
- Supportive of initiatives that heal our relationships with emigrants who left Ireland in crisis;
- Greater support for outreach to traditionally under-represented groups (LGBTQI, Travellers, mixed ancestry Irish etc.) and new emigrants;
- Projects which reach out to youth and younger members of our diaspora (to include 3rd and 4th generation).
Further details can be found on https://www.dfa.ie/global-irish/support-overseas/emigrant-support-programme/emigrant-support-programme-overview/.
166. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his plans to develop closer relations between Ireland and Scotland; if these relations can be enhanced on a bilateral basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3531/21]
View answerThe Programme for Government outlines the Government's ambitions for Irish-British relations in the coming years, and includes a specific commitment to deepen and intensify links with the devolved administrations in Wales and Scotland, as part of a broader strategy of renewed east-west engagement.
The reopening of Ireland's Consulate General in Cardiff in 2019 reflects the Government’s commitment to engage in all regions of the UK, as does the announcement last November that planning for a new Consulate for the North of England, to be situated in Manchester, will now proceed.
In terms of our relationship with Scotland, I was very glad to meet with Scottish Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, Europe and External Relations, Mike Russell on 14 January to mark the launch of the Ireland Scotland bilateral review report. The aim of the review, as set out at the time of its launch in November 2019, was to consolidate existing ties in the new context of the UK being outside the EU, and to unlock the further untapped potential in many areas of the Irish-Scottish relationship.
The review report provides a new framework for co-operation which will see the deepening of the Ireland-Scotland relationship for our mutual benefit from now until 2025.
Authored and finalised jointly with the Scottish side, the report contains 41 recommendations to deliver on Irish and Scottish joint ambitions in five areas, for which the Scottish Government has devolved authority: business and the economy; community and diaspora; culture; academic and research links; and rural, coastal and island communities. There are also recommendations covering overall government and political relations.
Work in the business and economy sector will be prioritised to support economic and social recovery from the pandemic, with a focus on supporting Irish-Scottish business connectivity in the years ahead. There are rich opportunities for future collaboration under the rural, coastal and island communities strand, reflecting our common coastal and rural priorities, as well as common challenges faced by communities in both Scotland and Ireland. The report also recommends the continued deepening of long-standing Ireland-Scotland cooperation in the area of health; cooperation which has proven so fruitful over the last year.
I look forward to meeting with my Scottish counterpart again in the coming months. We will also meet to review jointly on an annual basis progress towards the implementation of the recommendations within the report, and to agree new recommendations.
