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Election Monitoring Missions

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 May 2021

Tuesday, 25 May 2021

Questions (304, 305, 311)

Patrick Costello

Question:

304. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his plans to replace the 2018 election observation roster; if any preparation work has been done on this to date; if Department officials have been in formal contact with the Public Appointments Service seeking them to organise a professional recruitment competition; if the existing roster can be increased to take account of observers that no longer wish to travel internationally; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28404/21]

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Patrick Costello

Question:

305. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 425 of 18 May 2021, if he will explain the reason that insurance premiums are being paid for election observers when no Irish election observers have been deployed for over a year; if, in view of zero deployments he will seek a rebate of premiums paid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28405/21]

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Neale Richmond

Question:

311. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his Department has responded to the invitation from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe to send election observers to Armenia ahead of the June 2021 general election there; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28032/21]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 304, 305 and 311 together.

I refer the Deputies to the comprehensive response to Parliamentary Question No. 777 of 24 March 2021 on international election observation. In light of the global COVID-19 pandemic and associated public health considerations concerning international travel, Ireland has not nominated volunteer election observers since March 2020. Participation in election observation missions poses particular risks in the context of the public health pandemic due to the requirement of overseas travel, including often via busy airport hubs, compounded by factors such as extensive in-country travel and interactions with observers from a significant number of other countries, potentially exposing to COVID-19 not only election observers but also those with whom they come into contact in the host country.

Resumption of nominations remains under review in the light of evolving public health considerations, particularly, as regards international travel, and will not include either the Armenian or Moldovan calls received this month. In the meantime, planning is underway to clarify conditions required for volunteers prior to, during and post participation in EOMs based on Ireland’s public health advice and requirements and requirements in destination countries, including in relation to vaccination, testing and quarantine, as well as conditions set out by the EU and/or the OSCE-ODHIR, as appropriate. When nominations resume, those will be from the current international observation roster of individuals who succeeded in the competitive mustering process and have been suitably vetted.

The Inter-Departmental Committee on Ireland’s Official Development Assistance (IDC) approved a budget of €180,000 for election observation in 2021. To date, €4,616 of that budget has been spent, reflecting insurance costs for coverage for the entire year (2021). The Department of Foreign Affairs has an insurance policy in place to cover this and other rosters. The costs allocated from the election observation budget represent a cost-effective contribution towards this premium, based on both efficiency and value for money. The absence of an insurance policy would result in further delays in resuming participation in election observation missions once safe to do so in the context of the public health pandemic.

Ireland's current International Election Observation Roster, which is facilitated by the Department of Foreign Affairs, is effective as of 1 January 2019 and is scheduled to run until 2023. Roster members were selected on the basis of an open competitive application process in 2018. Issues related to the size and duration of the roster were addressed in Parliamentary Question No. 410 of 24 November 2020. The roster consists of 199 volunteers and thus there is a large pool of high-calibre election observers available, all of whom have been suitably vetted, for nomination to international election observation missions organised by the EU and OSCE. Pre-COVID, there were an average of 45-60 observers deployed on EU and OSCE-ODIHR missions each year.

With regard to the next mustering process, it is anticipated that planning will include engagement with the Public Appointments Service.

Question No. 305 answered with Question No. 304.
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