Wednesday, 27 Jan 2021

Written Answers Nos. 402-422

EU Meetings

Questions (402)

Martin Browne

Question:

402. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if EU security and defence issues were discussed at the December 2020 EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting. [4209/21]

Written answers

Minister for Foreign Affairs

At the December meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council, Ministers were briefed by HR/VP Borrell on a number of current affairs items, and there were discussions on Transatlantic Relations and on EU Strategic Autonomy. Security and Defence issues were not the central focus of any of these agenda items, but were touched on in the course of discussions.

Ministers agreed and adopted Conclusions on Transatlantic Relations, which are published on the Council website. The Conclusions address a range of topics including multilateralism, democracy, trade, and the environment, as well as Security and Defence. On Security and Defence, the Conclusions noted the need for continued EU-US cooperation and dialogue, ‘including through enhanced, mutually-reinforcing and beneficial strategic EU-NATO partnership in areas of shared interest in the framework of the 2016 Warsaw and 2018 Brussels Joint Declarations.’ These latter provide for EU-NATO cooperation in compliance with the decision making autonomy and procedures of both organisations, and are without prejudice to the specific character of the security and defence policy of any NATO or EU Member State.

This cooperation and dialogue will enable us to effectively address various traditional and emerging threats and challenges and will contribute to strengthening the rules-based international order with the United Nations at its core.

Ministers separately discussed the concept of Strategic Autonomy, in the context of EU resilience and efforts to strengthen multilateral engagement. Strategic Autonomy proposes the development of the EU’s capacity to act more independently across a variety of policy areas, including in the field of security and defence.

Question No. 403 answered with Question No. 400.

Passport Services

Questions (404)

Cormac Devlin

Question:

404. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his plans to improve public health infrastructure at the passport office to allow a limited resumption of services given Covid-19 levels and the prospect of an extended period of restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4229/21]

Written answers

Minister for Foreign Affairs

The Passport Service continues to provide a high quality essential service in line with Government measures to reduce social contact and combat the spread of COVID-19.

While the Passport Service has paused processing of routine applications while Ireland is at Level 5 of the National Framework for Living with COVID-19, they continue 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. In addition, we provide an urgent service to citizens who are resident abroad who require a valid passport for visa purposes or citizens who require a renewal for work purposes.

The Passport Service has a comprehensive plan in place to provide a safe place of work at all Levels of the National Framework for Living with COVID-19. At Level 5, in line with Government guidance that only essential work should take place, the Passport Service provides and emergency and urgent service. At Level 4, the Passport Service will resume processing Passport Online applications with staff assigned into two teams and working at a strict social distance to ensure sufficient resilience to deliver the service. At Level 3, all staff are required to work at a strict social distance and the processing of paper based applications and Foreign Birth Registrations which require greater interaction between staff resume. At Level 1, the public counter of the Passport Service will re-open.

The Passport Online system has improved the ability of the Passport Service to process applications more efficiently. When the service resumed operations in June 2020, the backlog for Passport Online applications was cleared in 4 weeks. Between 1 December and 23 December, all Passport Online simple renewal applications were processed and most complex renewals were processed. First time applications are more complex and take more time to process.

There are no further measures required to improve the public health infrastructure within the Passport Service. Similar to all work places, social distancing is required so this limits the occupation of buildings but my Department has been working closely with the Office of Public Works on this matter.

Passport Applications

Questions (405)

Cormac Devlin

Question:

405. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of passport applications awaiting processing at the passport office on 1 November 2020, 1 December 2020 and 1 January 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4230/21]

Written answers

Minister for Foreign Affairs

It is not possible to extract historical data for applications under process for particular days in the past. However, I can provide the numbers of applications received and passports processed for November and December 2020 and until 20 January 2021.

	Passport Applications received	Passports issued
November 2020	20,426	7,971
December 2020	29,791	29,050
To 20 January 2021	21,313	5,234

In Level 5 of the National Framework for Living with COVID-19, the Passport Service continues to provide a same day emergency service and a weekly urgent service. For operational reasons, a small number of simple adult renewal applications are processed each week at random to ensure that the complex printing equipment involved in passport production remains in full working order.

Passport Data

Questions (406)

Cormac Devlin

Question:

406. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of passport applications processed in each month during 2020, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4231/21]

Written answers

Minister for Foreign Affairs

The numbers of passport books and cards issued in each month during 2020 are detailed in the following table.

January	79,616
February	85,063
March	54,792
April	3,939
May	3,837
June	54,514
July	49,910
August	29,889
September	29,611
October	21,879
November	7,971
December	29,050

Despite the introduction of travel restrictions both nationally and internationally in 2020, Irish citizens continued to require passports, particularly our community living overseas. The Passport Service paused operations during periods of Level 5 restrictions but continued to offer a service for emergencies and a weekly service for urgent adult renewals. This service was facilitated via the award-winning Passport Online system.

Citizenship Applications

Questions (407)

Pádraig O'Sullivan

Question:

407. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the status of a post-nuptial citizenship certificate application by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4268/21]

Written answers

Minister for Foreign Affairs

All passport applications are subject to the provisions of the Passports Act 2008. The Act provides, among other things, that a person must be an Irish citizen before a passport can be issued to him/her.

In order to meet this requirement, each person must demonstrate an entitlement to Irish citizenship by providing acceptable documentary evidence of this entitlement. Where an Irish passport has issued more than 15 years previously, applicants are required to submit the same supporting documentation as a first time applicant.

With regard to the specific case reference by the Deputy, there is no passport application in progress.

Post nuptial citizenship was repealed with effect from 30 November 2005. The Passport Service will accept a valid post-nuptial certificate as evidence of citizenship if this post nuptial certificate was awarded prior to November 30 2005. However, as the application is based on post nuptial citizenship, the applicant should contact the Department of Justice for a copy of this certificate to support any passport application.

Passport Applications

Questions (408)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

408. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs when a passport will issue in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4304/21]

Written answers

Minister for Foreign Affairs

All passport applications are subject to the provisions of the Passport Act, 2008, as amended (the “2008 Act”). The Act provides a legal basis for the issuance of passports. Section 14 of the Act sets out the requirements for obtaining consent from guardians prior to the issuance of a passport to a minor. In complex cases, it is necessary to seek legal advice in order to establish who a minor’s guardians are. The Passport Service is actively considering the application in question and is in regular contact with the applicant’s father.

Question No. 409 answered with Question No. 368.

Question No. 410 answered with Question No. 400.

Passport Data

Questions (411, 413)

Thomas Gould

Question:

411. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of persons waiting for passports; and the average wait time by county in tabular form. [4361/21]

John Brady

Question:

413. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of standard passport applications on hold awaiting processing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4390/21]

Written answers

Minister for Foreign Affairs

I propose to take Questions Nos. 411 and 413 together.

At present, there are approximately 40,000 Passport Online applications in the system. Of these, approximately half are from the island of Ireland and half are from the rest of the world. The Passport Service have requested that applicants refrain from submitting documents until we resume operations. Applicants will be notified by e-mail when we resume processing.

There are currently approximately 5,900 paper based applications in the system. The Passport Service plans to resume processing of routine paper based applications such as Passport Express and Northern Ireland Passport Express Level 3 of the framework. These figures are accurate as of 22 January 2021.

The Passport Service has a great deal of experience in dealing with peaks in demand, and we are confident that any backlog will be cleared quickly. When the Passport Service resumed operations in June 2020, the backlog was cleared in four weeks. It was similar in December 2020 with the majority of the backlog cleared within three weeks.

The Passport Service cannot provide average waiting times by county as applications are processed in the order of receipt, not by county. However, we can provide the approximate number of applications per county under process as set out in the table below.

County	Passport Online application under process
Antrim	2,300
Armagh	500
Carlow	150
Cavan	200
Clare	300
Cork	1,400
Derry	700
Donegal	400
Down	1,500
Dublin	5,000
Fermanagh	150
Galway	800
Kerry	350
Kildare	750
Kilkenny	250
Laois	200
Leitrim	100
Limerick	600
Longford	100
Louth	300
Mayo	300
Meath	650
Monaghan	100
Offaly	200
Roscommon	150
Sligo	150
Tipperary	350
Tyrone	550
Waterford	300
Westmeath	250
Wexford	400
Wicklow	450

This is correct to the 20th January 2021.

Question No. 412 answered with Question No. 368.

Question No. 413 answered with Question No. 411.

Question No. 414 answered with Question No. 368.

Human Rights

Questions (415)

Cian O'Callaghan

Question:

415. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the measures being taken to ensure cotton and textiles produced using forced labour in Xinjiang, China do not go on the market here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4399/21]

Written answers

Minister for Foreign Affairs

Issues relating to the regulation of international trade fall under the EU's common commercial policy and are ultimately a matter of exclusive EU competence. The Tánaiste, as Minister for Enterprise, Trade, and Employment, is responsible for overall trade matters in the national context.

Ireland does not have any unilateral autonomous sanctions regimes, but implements agreed UN or EU sanctions or restrictive measures in relation to third countries, individuals or entities.

As regards the situation in Xinjiang, Ireland, along with our EU partners, remains deeply concerned about the treatment of Uighurs and other ethnic minorities there, including in relation to reports of forced labour.

Both Ireland and the EU have been active in raising our concerns in relation to this matter. Ireland has signed up to a number of Joint Statements at the UN Third Committee and has also raised the matter in our national statement at the UN Human Rights Council. These statements, among other things, call on China to allow unrestricted access to the region for independent observers, including the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and call on China to uphold its international obligations and respect human rights in Xinjiang.

In addition to this, the EU has raised the deterioration of the human rights situation in China, including the treatment of minorities in Xinjiang, with Chinese authorities directly on a number of occasions, most recently at the EU-China Leader's Meeting and EU-China Summit.

The protection and promotion of human rights is a core pillar of Ireland's foreign policy, and Ireland will continue to monitor and assess the situation and, along with our EU partners, engage with Chinese authorities bilaterally and in multilateral fora to address our concerns.

Covid-19 Pandemic

Questions (416)

Seán Sherlock

Question:

416. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the budgetary analysis being carried out to plan for long Covid-19 impacts in his Department and each State agency under the remit of his Department in tabular form. [4487/21]

Written answers

Minister for Foreign Affairs

My Department is actively managing the challenges and issues associated with the Covid-19 pandemic. This pandemic affects the operation of our Global Mission Network to varying degrees depending on the situation in each country. My Department operates within the overall budgetary allocations received each year and will continue to engage with Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on budgetary matters as they arise throughout the year. While no specific budgetary analysis has been carried out at this stage by the Department to plan for long Covid-19 impacts, a Covid-19 Safe Working Group has been established, chaired by a HR Director, tasked with monitoring the situation very closely and providing regular guidance and updates to our management and staff on appropriate measures to take.

The introduction of Covid Special Leave with Pay was introduced to support officers who have tested positive for Covid-19 or are self-isolating and displaying symptoms. This leave is available to staff for up to 28 days. Where staff continue to experience symptoms of long Covid beyond 28 days, an extension of this leave can be granted subject to CMO approval and the officer meeting certain criteria.

My Department will also continue to work closely with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and other Government Departments on how to best support our staff, to manage the ongoing and future impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and to ensure the ongoing provision of services to the public in line with Governmental and public health guidance both nationally and internationally.

There are no State Agencies under the remit of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Disability Act Employment Targets

Questions (417)

Holly Cairns

Question:

417. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the absolute and relative number of persons with disabilities employed by his Department in each of the years 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2020; if these persons are in full-time or part-time roles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4527/21]

Written answers

Minister for Foreign Affairs

The Department of Foreign Affairs is fully committed to equality of opportunity in all its employment practices in line with the National Disability Inclusion Strategy 2017-2021 and in meeting its obligations under part 5 of the Disability Act 2005. The number and percentage of DFA staff with registered disabilities is noted in the below table. The Department does not hold historic information pertaining to those with a disability and their employee status.

Year	No. of Persons with Disabilities	% of Persons with Disabilities
2015	49	3.5%
2016	54	3.6%
2017	56	3.5%
2018	65	3.6%
2019	110	5.5%
2020	Not Yet Available	Not Yet Available

Defence Forces Data

Questions (418, 419, 420, 421, 422)

Sorca Clarke

Question:

418. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Defence the number of apprentices in relation to rates of pay for enlisted personnel of the Permanent Defence Force at points one to three of the pay-scale inclusive in tabular form. [3649/21]

Sorca Clarke

Question:

419. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Defence the number of members at the rank of private grade one in relation to rates of pay for enlisted personnel of the Permanent Defence Force, Army. [3650/21]

Sorca Clarke

Question:

420. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Defence the number of members at the rank of seaman third class in relation to rates of pay for enlisted personnel of the Permanent Defence Force, Naval Service in tabular form. [3651/21]

Sorca Clarke

Question:

421. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Defence the number of members at the rank of private two star in relation to rates of pay for enlisted personnel of the Permanent Defence Force, Army. [3652/21]

Sorca Clarke

Question:

422. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Defence the number of members at the rank of seaman second class in relation to rates of pay for enlisted personnel of the Permanent Defence Force, Naval Service. [3653/21]

Written answers

Minister for Defence

I propose to take Questions Nos. 418 to 422, inclusive, together.

The ranks referred to by the Deputy are ranks which personnel occupy on a transitional basis until they qualify in their respective role.

New entrant general service recruits to the Army start as Private Grade 1 and on sucessful completion of their initial 15 weeks training, progress to Private 2 star. On sucessful completion of a further 10 weeks training, they progress to Private 3 star.

New entrant general service recruits to the Naval Service start as Seaman Third Class and on successful completion of 14 weeks training, progress to Seaman Second Class. On succesful completion of a further week of training, they progress to Seaman First Class (Able Seaman).

Apprentices to the Air Corps undertake a four year training course to qualify as technicians.

The table below contains the details, as at 31st December 2020, of the numbers and weekly pay rate for the trainee ranks queried by the Deputy. This is reflective of the timeframes in which inductions occured.

Rank	Number in Rank	Weekly Pay Rate (€)	Rank	Number in Rank	Weekly Pay Rate (€)
Private Grade 1	178	419.45	Seaman Third Class	49	419.45
Private 2 Star	32	491.16	Seaman Second Class	1	491.16
ApprenticeOn Enlistment	17	304.50
Apprentice after 1 years' Service	18	362.26
Apprentice After 2 years' service	8	474.01
Apprentice After 3 years' Service	17	552.97

As trainees, these personnel are in receipt of training pay. It should be noted, that in addition to overall improvements in pay for Defence Force members in recent years, trainees are no longer required to pay the weekly deduction of €43.63 for rations and accommodation.

On completion of training, newly qualified Private 3 Star (Seaman 1st Class) earn basic pay of €509.26 per week and Military Service Allowance (MSA) of €52.77 per week equating to an annual salary of €29,326 rising to €40,569 after 9 years.

In addition, Patrol Duty Allowance ranging from €56.14 to €59.09 per day is paid to Naval Service personnel on patrol duty. A sea going naval personnel tax credit of €1,500 for the 2021 tax year is also available to members of the Naval Service who served 80 days or more at sea in 2020.

Other allowances are also payable to Defence Forces personnel. Certain members of the Defence Forces are also in receipt of technical pay.