Written Answers Nos. 336-355
336. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the Armenian genocide which occurred 106 years ago; if Ireland can formally recognise the massacre of up to one and a half million Armenians as an act of genocide; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23435/21]
View answer345. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if the Government is prepared to follow the example of the President of the United States of America and recognise the genocide perpetrated upon Armenia by the Ottoman Turkish Government during World War 1; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23134/21]
View answer346. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has considered recognising the murder of up to one and a half million Armenians from 1915-1917 as genocide as was recently done by the President of the United States of America; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23163/21]
View answer347. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his plans to officially recognise the Armenian genocide during the First World War; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23203/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 336, 345, 346 and 347 together.
The Government views the terrible events of 1915 which saw the deaths of a very large number of the Armenian population in the Ottoman Empire as a tragedy and has expressed sympathy for the enormous suffering of the Armenian people during the period in question.
There is no international consensus on whether these events amount to genocide and neither the EU nor the UN have adopted a position on this question in relation to the terrible events of 1915.
The Government has not taken a position on whether those terrible events should be described as a genocide as we believe we are not in a position to adjudicate on this matter which involves the consideration and determination of a number of legal issues and an assessment of the actions and intentions of many parties during that time.
337. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the engagement he has had with the Georgian and Ukrainian Governments in view of their ambassadors’ attempts to influence academic teaching in DCU; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22606/21]
View answerMy Department has been copied on some of the correspondence between the Embassies of Georgia and Ukraine and DCU. However, the Department is not otherwise involved in this case. Nevertheless, I would like to take this opportunity to restate Ireland's firm and sustained commitment to academic freedom as a cornerstone of an open and democratic society. The promotion of respect for academic freedom and freedom of speech form key parts of our wider global advocacy on human rights. I am strongly opposed to any attempts to interfere with these rights either domestically or abroad.
338. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the communication he has had with the UK Government on the possibility of the holding of a meeting of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference. [22607/21]
View answerThe British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference (BIIGC) is an important institution of the Good Friday Agreement, bringing together the British and Irish Governments under Strand Three of the Good Friday Agreement to promote bilateral co-operation on matters of mutual interest within the competence of both Governments.
As per the Programme for Government, we have committed to work to enhance the role of the British-Irish Council and the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference as a means of strengthening those essential links. During the programme of bilateral engagements held last month in London, I reaffirmed with my UK Government colleagues the importance of the role of the BIIGC, and we are now are engaging with the British Government through the Secretariat of the Conference with a view to setting an early date in the period ahead for its next meeting. I will remain in regular contact with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Brandon Lewis on this and other issues, as we continue to work in support of the power-sharing institutions in Northern Ireland.
339. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs when the processing of non-urgent passport applications will recommence; the action his Department is taking to ensure that the backlog of applications resulting from the suspension of same will be addressed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22707/21]
View answerThe Passport Service is well advanced in its preparations for scaling up to more normal operational levels, while complying with the phased easing of restrictions set out in “COVID-19 Resilience and Recovery 2021 – The Plan Ahead”.
Passport Online will continue to be the priority given the efficiencies that are in-built into the system for both the applicant and the Passport Service. The processing of an online application is four times as fast as a paper application. In addition, the use of Passport Online can facilitate social distancing, given that a renewal application for an adult does not require the signature of a witness.
It is important to acknowledge that the online service is extremely easy to use. It has won awards for its user-friendly process, including a NALA award for the use of plain English. It is recognised that some applicants may not be familiar with using a computer. However, in such cases, a friend or relative with basic computer skills can help them to apply – the process only takes ten minutes to complete.
Passport Online can be accessed by first time applicants, both children and adults, in Ireland, Northern Ireland, Great Britain, Europe, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the USA. All Irish citizens, including children, can use the online system to renew their passports from anywhere in the world.
The Passport Service has a great deal of experience in dealing with peaks in demand, and we are confident, taking into account measures to ensure a safe workplace, that any Passport Online backlog can be cleared in six to eight weeks.
The Passport Service plans to resume processing of paper based applications such as Foreign Birth Registration, Passport Express and Northern Ireland Passport Express once online applications have been processed.
In the event that any applicant has urgent or emergency reasons for requiring a passport, they should contact the Passport Service’s Customer Service Hub, by WebChat, to make the Passport Service aware of their situation.
340. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if consideration has been given to extending passports which have been issued during level 5 restrictions when international travel has not been permitted particularly for children’s passports which have a shorter expiry date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22716/21]
View answerDiscussions regarding travel documents have taken place at a European level, after which the European Commission decided not to recommend a coordinated extension of the validity of Member States' travel documents. Accordingly, there are no plans at present for the validity of passports to be extended beyond their expiry date.
The Passport Service is well advanced in its preparations for scaling up to more normal operational levels, while complying with the phased easing of restrictions set out in “COVID-19 Resilience and Recovery 2021 – The Plan Ahead”.
In the event that any applicant has urgent or emergency reasons for requiring a passport, they should contact the Passport Service’s Customer Service Hub using the WebChat function on our website to make the Passport Service aware of their situation.
341. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of staff in his Department that have had access to files and or email restricted and or revoked as part of a disciplinary process or preceding or following a disciplinary process from 1 January 2018 to date in 2021. [22775/21]
View answerNo staff of the Department of Foreign Affairs had access to files and or email restricted and or revoked as part of a disciplinary process or preceding or following a disciplinary process from 1 January 2018 to date in 2021.
342. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the actions that Ireland and the European Union have taken regarding Ethiopia in the view of the activities of the Ethiopian and Eritrean forces in the province of Tigray in which many have lost their lives or in the case of women have been sexually assaulted; it the matter has impacted on trade or aid programmes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22846/21]
View answerIreland remains deeply concerned by the ongoing conflict in Tigray, which has seen many people killed, injured, and displaced, and which is feeding into instability across the wider Horn of Africa region.
Ireland continues to maintain the Security Council’s attention on Ethiopia, brokering a press statement on the situation in Tigray on 22 April - the first time the Council has spoken publicly on the Tigray crisis. We have also used the opportunities provided by Security Council thematic discussions on conflict and hunger, and on conflict-related sexual violence, to highlight these aspects of the Tigray crisis.
An immediate ceasefire is the most important step all parties can take. In this regard, it is imperative that Eritrean forces leave Tigray immediately.
Notwithstanding some improvement in humanitarian access, the humanitarian situation continues to be concerning, in particular the situation of internally displaced persons. There are allegations of the use of starvation as a weapon of war. I am concerned by attacks on humanitarian workers.
There are multiple, credible and harrowing reports of ongoing human rights violations, including sexual violence, in Tigray. These must cease immediately and perpetrators be held to account. The use of rape as a weapon of war is unconscionable. I strongly support the work of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, working with the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, to investigate reported atrocities. It is vital that these investigations be credible and transparent, and address the issue of sexual violence.
Ireland continues to advocate for an effective response to the situation in Tigray, and for a peaceful resolution to the conflict through bilateral engagement, our EU membership and also at the UN Security Council, where we remain actively engaged with other Council Members on further ways to address the crisis. Supporting this advocacy, Minister Coveney continues to engage on an ongoing basis with a range of key interlocutors on the situation, including with counterparts in the Horn of Africa region, the Gulf, as well as the African Union.
Ireland is working with partners to ensure a strong and constructive EU response to the crisis, as underlined by Minister Coveney during the discussion on Ethiopia at the April meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council (FAC). Minister Coveney maintains close contact with his Finnish counterpart, Foreign Minister, Pekka Haavisto, who has recently visited the Horn of Africa region on two occasions on behalf of the EU.
At the April FAC, Minister Haavisto debriefed EU Ministers on his recent visit to Ethiopia, providing a very worrying assessment of the conflict and its humanitarian consequences. Ministers discussed next steps for the EU, and there was agreement on the urgent need for a ceasefire, and investigations into allegations of human rights abuses, war crimes and sexual violence.
On 11 March, the EU published Council Conclusions on Ethiopia, which reiterated the EU’s deep concern for the situation in Tigray. The EU also recently allocated an additional €53 million in humanitarian aid for Ethiopia, including for those affected by conflict in Tigray.
My Department, through the Irish Aid programme, has to date provided over €3.2 million to support the vital humanitarian response in Tigray and the refugee response in neighbouring Sudan, through our trusted UN and NGO partners on the ground. Since the outbreak of conflict, we have had to pause some of our planned longer term development engagement in Tigray (for example in relation to agriculture), and adapt other interventions to ensure a conflict-sensitive approach and a strong focus on humanitarian response, human rights and sexual violence.
343. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the amount of foreign aid provided in 2020, by country. [22987/21]
View answer344. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the amount of foreign aid provided by country in each of the years 2000 to 2020. [22988/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 343 and 344 together.
My Department publishes a report on Ireland's Official Development Assistance (ODA) programme, known as Irish Aid, each year. The report includes statistical information on programme expenditure in a series of annexes which clearly show the distribution of aid, including the amounts given to developing countries, and the amounts allocated to our priority focus areas as set out in A Better World, Ireland’s international development policy. The Annual Report serves as a core accountability and transparency tool, providing a comprehensive overview of expenditure under the aid programme, and demonstrating the results that have been achieved. A breakdown of the top 30 countries in receipt of Ireland’s ODA for the years 2017-2019 has been included in the table below. Annual Reports for 2019 and previous years are available on the Irish Aid website.
With regard to figures for 2020, validation of data on Ireland’s ODA programme is done in arrears, and prior to publication, draft statistical returns are shared with the relevant OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) experts for assurance that Ireland's reported spending meets the DAC's criteria to be counted as ODA. This assurance is important to maintaining Ireland's reputation as a quality donor. Total figures and country level aggregates for 2020 are being finalised and will be published in the 2020 ODA Annual Report later this year. A copy of this Report will be made available to the Deputy following its publication.
Top 30 Recipient Countries of Ireland's Bilateral ODA in alphabetical order
|
Recipient Country |
2019 €000s |
2018 €000s |
2017 €000s |
|
Afghanistan |
1,972 |
||
|
Bangladesh |
2,273 |
2,253 |
1,946 |
|
Burundi |
1,917 |
||
|
Central African Republic |
6,046 |
6,091 |
6,872 |
|
Chad |
2,560 |
||
|
Colombia |
2,563 |
2,413 |
2,343 |
|
Democratic Republic of the Congo |
9,502 |
7,535 |
9,650 |
|
Ethiopia |
39,733 |
37,299 |
36,037 |
|
Iraq* |
2,000 |
2,067 |
|
|
Jordan* |
3,138 |
3,045 |
1,786 |
|
Kenya |
7,131 |
6,542 |
6,738 |
|
Lebanon* |
4,297 |
4,632 |
4,113 |
|
Liberia |
4,017 |
4,713 |
3,926 |
|
Malawi |
22,095 |
20,976 |
20,193 |
|
Mozambique |
26,528 |
20,584 |
26,320 |
|
Myanmar |
2,635 |
2,545 |
|
|
Niger |
3,517 |
2,364 |
2,537 |
|
Nigeria |
2,206 |
3,041 |
3,684 |
|
Palestine |
11,594 |
5,770 |
5,467 |
|
Rwanda |
2,153 |
2,076 |
|
|
Sierra Leone |
13,603 |
12,181 |
12,238 |
|
Somalia |
6,196 |
6,316 |
6,318 |
|
South Africa |
4,534 |
4,104 |
4,102 |
|
South Sudan |
11,114 |
11,421 |
10,694 |
|
Sudan |
5,353 |
5,575 |
5,752 |
|
Syria |
7,197 |
3,106 |
|
|
Syrian Arab Republic |
5,780 |
||
|
Tanzania |
23,025 |
24,075 |
20,143 |
|
Turkey* |
4,986 |
6,070 |
12,507 |
|
Uganda |
21,223 |
26,310 |
24,886 |
|
Viet Nam |
8,329 |
9,088 |
8,583 |
|
Yemen |
5,009 |
5,010 |
5,250 |
|
Zambia |
6,281 |
5,886 |
12,223 |
|
Zimbabwe |
7,472 |
7,229 |
6,698 |
*Please note figures for Iraq (2017, 2018), Jordan (2017, 2019), Lebanon (2017, 2018, 2019) and Turkey (2017, 2018, 2019) include support to the response to the Syria Crisis.
348. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the case of a person (details supplied) whose remains continue to be on display in the Hunterian Museum against their expressed dying wishes; and if he has made or will make representations to the British Government and the museum in London to have their dying wish of a sea burial fulfilled or to assist with their repatriation to Ireland. [23222/21]
View answerI am aware of press coverage on the campaign to have the remains of Irishman Mr Charles Byrne (1761-1783) removed from the Hunterian Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons of England to be buried at sea or in Ireland. I also note that in October 2020, a spokesperson for the Hunterian Museum said that it will not be re-opening for at least another two years and that an update on plans for all the displays in the new Museum will be issued in due course. I have asked my officials in Embassy London to make some further enquiries with the Hunterian Museum.
349. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the amount in legal fees incurred by his Department in 2020 and in each of the years 2000 to 2020. [23574/21]
View answerMy Department generally seeks advice on domestic legal matters from the Office of the Attorney General and/or the Chief State Solicitor’s Office. Depending on the subject matter, litigation is dealt with on my Department’s behalf by the Attorney General’s Office, the Chief State Solicitor’s Office or the State Claims Agency which engage lawyers to act for the Department where necessary.
The expenditure incurred in respect of external legal fees in each year since January 2003 is presented in tabular form below. Figures for the years 2000 - 2002 are not available.
|
Year |
Amount € |
|
2003 |
- |
|
2004 |
104,621 |
|
2005 |
125,824 |
|
2006 |
149,557 |
|
2007 |
135,748 |
|
2008 |
6,331 |
|
2009 |
28,056 |
|
2010 |
71,917 |
|
2011 |
- |
|
2012 |
- |
|
2013 |
- |
|
2014 |
3,811 |
|
2015 |
42,952 |
|
2016 |
7,737 |
|
2017 |
28,167 |
|
2018 |
14,944 |
|
2019 |
47,941 |
|
2020 |
41,156 |
The Department’s Missions abroad engage local legal advisers from time to time to deal with a range of miscellaneous matters.
350. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Defence the number of staff in his Department that have had access to files and or email restricted and or revoked as part of a disciplinary process or preceding or following a disciplinary process from 1 January 2018 to date in 2021. [22802/21]
View answerThere was one instance where, as a precautionary measure, a restriction of access to files for an officer was put in place to allow for the completion of a disciplinary process, during the period referred to by the Deputy.
351. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Defence the use his Department has for a plot of land (details supplied) between the Chapelizod Road and the River Liffey; and if his Department has considered granting the land to Dublin City Council for public use. [22816/21]
View answerThe Department of Defence is currently in dicussions with Dublin City Council about transferring a portion of this land to them in order to facilitate the development of a linear park, whilst retaining access to the remaining land for Defence Forces' operational purposes.
352. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Defence the number of commissioned Army Reserve and Naval Service Reserve officers by rank that were classified as inactive in each of the years since the reorganisation in 2013 to the latest date for which information is available; and the number classified active that are serving without appointments. [22902/21]
View answerThe data requested could not be readily ascertained in the timeframe set out for reply and I will revert once the information is available to me.
|
Army Reserve |
Lt Colonel |
Commandant |
Captain |
Lieutenant |
|
2017 |
0 |
1 |
17 |
52 |
|
2018 |
0 |
1 |
12 |
48 |
|
2019 |
0 |
1 |
11 |
43 |
|
2020 |
0 |
1 |
8 |
44 |
|
Naval Service Reserve |
Lt Colonel |
Commandant |
Captain |
Lieutenant |
|
2017 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
|
2018 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
2019 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
2020 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
353. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Defence the current number of vacancies at the rank of Captain in the army reserve and equivalent in the naval service reserve. [22903/21]
View answerThe table below outlines the number of vacancies at the rank of Captain in the Army Reserve and equivalent in the Naval Service Reserve, as at 31 March 2021:
|
Establishment |
Substantive strength |
Vacancies |
|
|
Army Reserve (Capt) |
107 |
83 |
24 |
|
Naval Service Reserve (Lt) |
20 |
8 |
1* |
* there are 11 appointments by S/Lts in the Naval Service Reserve held against vacancies at this rank.
354. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Defence the active strength at 30 March 2021 by rank of the army reserve and naval service reserve; and the number of army reserve and naval service reserve of all ranks that will reach compulsory discharge age by the end of December 2021. [22904/21]
View answerThe Military Authorities have advised that as of 31 March 2021, the effective strength of the Army Reserve (AR) and Naval Service Reserve (NSR) combined, is 1,569 and is set out in the table below:
|
LT COL |
COMDT |
CAPT |
LT |
TOTAL OFFR |
SM |
BQMS |
CS |
CQMS |
SGT |
CPL |
TOTAL NCO |
PTE |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
LT COL |
COMDT |
CAPT |
LT |
TOTAL OFFR |
SM |
BQMS |
CS |
CQMS |
SGT |
CPL |
TOTAL NCO |
PTE |
TOTAL |
|
AR |
5 |
46 |
75 |
96 |
222 |
1 |
4 |
30 |
40 |
256 |
225 |
556 |
668 |
1446 |
|
NR |
0 |
4 |
8 |
11 |
23 |
0 |
3 |
5 |
0 |
13 |
13 |
34 |
66 |
123 |
Based on the Mandatory Retirement Age criteria for members of the RDF at both Enlisted and Officer ranks, the total number of Army Reserve and Naval Service Reserve members scheduled to retire on age grounds by the end of December 2021 is 48.
355. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Defence the reason a person (details supplied) in the Defence Forces did not receive the 1916 centenary commemorative medal after serving in the Defence Forces for 37 years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23269/21]
View answerThe Programme for a Partnership Government of 2016 provided for the award of the 1916 Commemorative medal to all Defence Forces personnel, Permanent and Reserve, who were recorded as being in service in the course of 2016. This was a special acknowledgement from the Government to the members of Óglaigh na hÉireann who served during the centenary year. The Defence Forces have advised that the person mentioned retired in 2010 and therefore was not eligible for a 1916 centenary commemorative medal.
