Written Answers Nos. 834-853
834. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to political unrest in Durban, KwaZulu, Natal, South Africa; his views on this violence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39832/21]
View answerI am deeply concerned by the recent civil unrest that has taken place in South Africa, which has led to the deaths of at least 330 individuals and caused significant disruption to essential services and to the South African economy.
The extent of the damage caused is still emerging, but estimates indicate that the unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng provinces has left 150,000 jobs at risk and could cost the country R50 billion rand (almost €3 billion euro) in lost output. Key infrastructure, including schools and health centres, has been damaged and the severe disruption to supply chains has led to shortages of basic food supplies and fuel. The unrest has also impacted on the country’s COVID-19 vaccination rollout, which is of particular concern as South Africa continues to face a third wave of COVID-19 infection.
I am pleased to see that the unrest has subsided, and am encouraged to see the people of South Africa participating in clean-up efforts in recent days. South Africa faces complex social and economic challenges, and these displays of solidarity are important to build social cohesion and reduce tensions.
I welcome the efforts of the South African Government to provide relief and their efforts to reduce tensions and maintain security and the rule of law. I echo the calls from the United Nations and the European Union for all law enforcement agencies to act proportionately and to respect human rights while they tackle these complex incidents.
South Africa is a close friend of Ireland and home to over 35,000 Irish citizens. Our Embassy in South Africa will continue to monitor developments closely, and is in regular communication with EU partners in Pretoria, as well as with the South African authorities.
837. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the agencies and State organisations under his Department that are receiving State funding and that do not have to declare salaries of employees under the 2016 code of governance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40036/21]
View answerThere are no agencies or State organisations under my Department.
839. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the steps a person (details supplied) must take to have the person's full title on the person's passport. [40154/21]
View answerPassports are internationally recognised travel documents that attest to the identity and nationality of the bearer. The inclusion of titles such as Mr., Mrs., Dr., Rev., and Sir are not facilitated by the Passport Service as these are not required on a Passport to attest to a bearers identify or nationality.
843. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of applications for foreign birth registration that are currently awaiting processing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40229/21]
View answer844. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of foreign birth registration applications that were received and processed in each of the years 2016 to 2020 and to date in 2021, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40230/21]
View answer845. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the reason applications for foreign birth registration are still on hold; when it is likely that applications will resume processing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40231/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 843 to 845, inclusive, together.
My Department is responsible for citizenship by descent through the Foreign Births Register. Prior to COVID-19 it took twelve to eighteen months to process applications. This was due to the complex nature of FBR applications and the very high volume of applications due to Brexit.
At present, there are just over 30,000 applications in the Foreign Births Registration (FBR) system that await processing. With regard to the specific query on applications received and processed, please see the following table.
|
Year |
Number of applications made online |
Number of applications processed |
|
2016 |
14,000 |
8,000 |
|
2017 |
20,000 |
18,000 |
|
2018 |
25,000 |
17,000 |
|
2019 |
32,000 |
18,000 |
|
2020 |
17,000 |
12,000 |
|
2021 (year to date) |
8,000 |
3,000 |
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Passport Service has had to prioritise the provision of emergency passport services, in full compliance with the Government guidelines. The Passport Service commenced the scaling up of operations on 4 May 2021 in line with the phased easing of restrictions set out in “COVID-19 Resilience and Recovery 2021 – The Plan Ahead”.
The Service has been focused since then on four priority areas:
- Clearing the COVID-19 backlog of 89,000 passport applications.
- Processing all adult renewal applications (including new applications) within 10 working days.
- Processing urgent and emergency applications.
- Providing customer services through our telephone and web chat team.
Very substantial progress has been made in clearing the COVID-19 backlog: all backlog applications which were completed properly have been processed and related passports issued.
The Passport Service will resume processing FBR applications as soon as possible. The Department is committed to allocating further resources to this service to assist with the high volume of applications when regular processing resumes with a focus on reducing turnaround times to pre COVID-19 levels by the end of 2021.
In the meantime, in cases of exceptional urgency applicants may continue to contact the Passport Service directly using email address: travelemergency@dfat.ie.
851. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will set up a direct inquiry line for the passport office for Deputies; the current procedure for Deputies' representations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40237/21]
View answerMy Department takes the quality and standard of our interactions with the public and their elected representatives very seriously. Whether it is through the provision of consular or passport services to Irish citizens, at home and abroad, or answering queries from members of the public or their elected representatives, my Department has produced several policies underpinning its desire to provide excellent customer service.
Deputies with specific queries regarding passport applications can be directed in the first instance to Minister Coveney at Minister@dfa.ie or via Parliamentary Question for appropriate response.
Interactions through correspondence, with members of the Oireachtas and members of the public, are primarily governed by my Department's Customer Service Charter. It outlines my Department’s commitment to:
- Being responsive and professional in dealing with all correspondence,
- Treating everyone fairly and impartially,
- Using clear and simple language in all communications,
- Dealing with enquiries efficiently,
- Respecting privacy and confidential information.
The Customer Service Action Plan of my Department provides greater detail on the expected standards for acknowledgement of correspondence. As set out in this Plan, my Department endeavours to acknowledge all correspondence, be it from a member of the public or a member of the Oireachtas within ten days.
853. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will continue to communicate in the strongest possible terms to the British Government the outrage felt by many persons on this island about its plans to provide amnesty in respect of atrocities carried out in Northern Ireland pre-1998; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40432/21]
View answerThe position of the Government on the legacy of the past in Northern Ireland is clear and consistent. The Stormont House Agreement is the way forward on these issues. It was agreed in 2014 by both Governments and the political parties after intensive negotiations, and it represents a balanced and comprehensive framework to address the painful legacy of the Troubles, based on the principles of truth, justice, rule of law and reconciliation.
The proposals published by the UK Government on 14 July for a ‘Statute of Limitations’, ending criminal investigations and prosecutions relating to Troubles-related incidents, as well as inquests and civil litigation, have caused significant upset, shock and concern. They represent a very radical departure from the Stormont House Agreement and we do not accept them as the basis of a way forward.
Where the British Government are proposing significant changes to the Stormont House framework, we have made clear that these must be discussed and agreed by both Governments and the parties to the Northern Ireland Executive. Only through a collective approach can we hope to deal with these issues comprehensively and fairly, and in a way that responds to the needs of victims and survivors, and society as a whole.
Following a meeting of the British Irish Intergovernmental Conference on 24 June, we agreed to begin an intensive process of engagement with the British Government and the Northern Ireland parties to find an agreed way forward. It is essential that the voices of victims and families are at the heart of that process.
It is the position of the Government that there should be effective investigations into all Troubles-related deaths, regardless of the perpetrator. The rule of law and the protections afforded by the European Convention on Human Rights must apply equally to everyone and must be upheld, and this principle is at the core of the Stormont House framework.
We have strongly communicated our position on this issue to the British Government and will continue to do so, and to caution in the clearest terms against any unilateral action. The Government will continue to engage and work with the British Government and the parties represented on the Northern Ireland Executive on this very important issue in the period immediately ahead, with the aim of finding a collectively agreed path forward that meets the needs of victims, families and society as a whole.
