Written Answers Nos. 118-132
119. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to publish a national strategy for the sustainable development of the seaweed sector in Ireland with a particular focus on the interests of traditional seaweed harvesters and their livelihoods; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55189/21]
View answerMy responsibilities regarding seaweed are limited to the provisions of the Foreshore Act 1933 which, in terms of seaweed, involve my Department processing applications for the hand harvesting of seaweed which come before me for determination.
Details on the background and future plans related to Seaweed Harvesting are set out in Chapter 20 of the National Marine Planning Framework and can be viewed at the link below:
www.gov.ie/en/publication/60e57-national-marine-planning-framework/
120. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 112 of 28 September 2021, if minutes were taken in respect of the meetings in 2021 between him and representatives of Galway city and county councils at which issues relating to the Housing for All plan, including land, funding and resources, were discussed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55190/21]
View answerAs set out in my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 112 of 28 September 2021, the meetings I held in May/June (online) and in September last (in person) were with the Chief Executives of all the local authorities, which included both Galway City and County Councils and the other 29 local authorities. At these meetings, a range of issues relating to the Housing for All plan were discussed. As these were meetings involving all the local authorities primarily relating to the provision of information on the Government’s housing plan, minutes were not taken.
For the May/June meetings, the agenda covered the Government priorities on housing and the delivery of social and affordable homes. For the September meetings, the agenda was the four pathways set out in Housing for All: Supporting Homeownership and Increasing Affordability; Eradicating Homelessness, Increasing Social Housing Delivery and Supporting Social Inclusion; Increasing New Housing Supply; and, Addressing Vacancy and Efficient Use of Existing Stock.
Increasing housing supply is a priority for this Government and I will continue to support all local authorities, including both Galway City and County Councils to deliver on this agenda, including their work to meet the social housing targets which we have recently issued to them for the 5 years 2022 to 2026.
121. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will examine the passport application of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54793/21]
View answerWith regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service has provided an update on the status of the passport application to the applicant's parent and the requested documents have been dispatched.
122. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if the foreign birth registration application for a person (details supplied) can be reviewed and expedited; and if he will address matters in relation to the delays in this process. [54796/21]
View answerMy Department is responsible for citizenship by descent through the Foreign Births Register under the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the processing time for FBR applications stood at 18 months due to an unprecedented surge in applications as a result of Brexit and the necessarily rigorous processing that applies to citizenship applications.
The application referenced was registered on 30 September 2020, and is waiting to be processed. The Passport Service has been in contact with the applicant to provide a status update on their application. All documentation received is being stored in a secure environment.
Due to the pandemic, FBR staff have been reassigned to assist in the delivery of essential services. This has resulted in a pause in overall FBR processing. FBR staff have continued to provide an emergency service for Foreign Birth Registration in cases of exceptional urgency, such as expectant parents, or stateless persons. In cases of exceptional urgency FBR applicants may continue to contact the Passport Service directly.
The Passport Service is actively preparing to resume processing Foreign Birth Registration applications as soon as possible and an announcement of the resumption date can be expected shortly. My Department is fully committed to allocating the necessary resources to assist with the high volume of applications, with a focus on reducing turnaround times.
123. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the total amount spent by his Department on advertisements, including traditional forms of advertisement and online advertising, in each of the past ten years and to date in 2021. [54908/21]
View answerMy Department engages in advertising and public awareness campaigns where there is important information that needs to be brought to the attention of citizens. Some examples of these campaigns have included the Online Passport Renewals Service, the “Getting Ireland Brexit Ready” campaign, public information on travel restrictions due to COVID-19, and the Global Ireland initiative, which included a dedicated campaign during the 2019 Rugby World Cup, to promote Ireland’s strengths in trade, tourism, investment, and education.
An overview of spending on an annual basis is laid out in the table below. The significant increase in spending from 2019 onwards is due to the Department incurring costs for extensive cross-Government information campaigns in relation to Brexit.
|
Year |
Total |
|
2011 |
€58,136.59 |
|
2012 |
€7,399.32 |
|
2013 |
€43,699.69 |
|
2014 |
€24,469.80 |
|
2015 |
€43,121.86 |
|
2016 |
€27,989.08 |
|
2017 |
€213,182.11 |
|
2018 |
€63,653.50 |
|
2019 |
€2,511,718.37 |
|
2020 |
€582,077.47 |
|
2021 (to date) |
€1,380,293.41 |
124. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on his recent visit to Palestine and Israel; if he will provide details of the issues he addressed during his visit including the organisations and persons he met there; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54932/21]
View answerI undertook a working visit to Israel, the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) and Jordan from 1-5 November 2021.
This was my fifth visit to Israel and the oPt as Foreign Minister and my first visit during Ireland’s tenure on the UN Security Council. I had useful exchanges on situations of concern to Israel, Palestine and Jordan in the wider Middle East region, including in relation to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the situation in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and on Ireland’s role as facilitator of the UN Security Council Resolution on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). I also discussed Ireland’s thematic priorities on the Council, including on the women, peace and security agenda and on climate and security issues.
The Israeli and Palestinian component of this visit included a wide range of engagements in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Ramallah as well as a field visit in the West Bank. I met with key representatives of the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority, as well officials from UN agencies, think-tanks, student groups and civil society.
On the Israeli side, I met with President Isaac Herzog, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, and Minister of Health Nitzan Horowitz. I had useful exchanges on a range of issues, including the issue of antisemitism and the response to Covid-19. In relation to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, I restated Ireland’s commitment to constructive engagement on the Middle East Peace Process. I welcomed the outreach by members of the new Israeli Government with their Palestinian counterparts but underlined Ireland’s deep concern at settlement expansion, demolitions and evictions in the oPt. I asked the Israeli government to cease unilateral actions, such as the recent announcement on settlements, which are illegal under international law and negatively impact the viability of a future Palestinian state. I emphasised the importance of civil society space and the vital role played by NGOs in any democracy, and expressed my concern at the recent designation of six Palestinian organisations as terrorist entities.
On the Palestinian side, I met with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh, and Deputy Prime Minister Ziad Abu Amr. I emphasised the need for democratic renewal in Palestine, particularly in light of the postponement of the May elections and underlined the importance of the PA assuming its responsibilities with regard to the rule of law, freedom of expression and civil society engagement.
During my visit I announced €2.4 million in additional support for the Palestinian people. The package includes €2 million for UNRWA, which provides essential services to 5.7 million Palestine refugees in the oPt, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria, and brings Ireland’s support to the agency to €9 million in 2021. The remainder of the funding will support the UN in providing humanitarian assistance in the oPt, UNICEF’s work with Palestinian children and the West Bank Protection Consortium’s activities with threatened communities in the West Bank.
I visited communities in the West Bank, accompanied by officials from the UN and the West Bank Protection Consortium, where I saw first-hand the impact that the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements are having on the local Palestinian population. I also met with young Palestinian graduates from Ireland’s Palestine Scholarship Programme.
During my visit to Amman, I had the opportunity to have wide ranging discussions with the Jordanian Foreign Minister, Deputy Prime Minister Ayman Safadi, including in relation to the Middle East Peace Process.
125. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the practical supports that are in place if Article 16 of the Northern Ireland protocol is triggered by the UK in respect of trade between the two jurisdictions on the island of Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55008/21]
View answer126. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will confirm the preparatory measures that have been taken in the event Article 16 of the Northern Ireland protocol is triggered by the UK; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55009/21]
View answer127. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the mechanisms that are in place by the Government which would help identify the circumstances which could entitle conditions necessary for Article 16 of the Northern Ireland protocol to be triggered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55010/21]
View answer128. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if Article 16 of the Northern Ireland protocol is triggered, the tariffs that could be imposed on the UK by the EU; the preparatory measures that are being considered for the protection of trade on the island of Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55011/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 125 to 128, inclusive, together.
As the Taoiseach stated in the Dáil last week, any decision from the British government to trigger Article 16 would be irresponsible, unwise, and reckless.
The European Commission has listened to the concerns of citizens and business in Northern Ireland about the Protocol and produced a comprehensive set of proposals to address the issues that matter most to them. The Commission proposals represent a real opportunity for Northern Ireland. I believe that the Protocol will work if we allow it to with flexibility and pragmatism. The Protocol was agreed and ratified by this British Government and they have a duty to deliver on their commitments. Article 16 of the Protocol allows either party to take safeguard measures if the Protocol is leading to “serious economic, societal or environmental difficulties” that are liable to persist or to a diversion of trade. Any safeguard measures taken must be restricted in scope and duration to what is strictly necessary to remedy the situation.
If either party gives notice that they are considering use of Article 16, then in accordance with the procedures set out in Annex 7 of the Protocol, both sides should immediately enter into consultations in the Joint Committee with a view to finding a commonly accepted solution. No unilateral measures should be implemented during the initial one month period. If, after a month, negotiations fail to agree a solution, the unilateral measures may come into effect. Any such action must be restricted in scope and duration to what is strictly necessary to remedy the situation. All other aspects of the Protocol will remain in place. Any unilateral measures taken will be subject to review at least every three months.
The UK has not as of yet notified the Joint Committee that it is considering taking safeguard measures under Article 16; nor is any detail available as to what such measures may encompass.
Since the Brexit referendum in 2016, the Government has dedicated substantial time and resources into preparing for a number of Brexit scenarios, including a no-deal outcome. This intensive effort across Departments and Agencies included the development of two Brexit Omnibus Acts; three Brexit Action Plans; substantial investment in the State’s infrastructure and IT systems and the provision of financial, upskilling and advisory supports for impacted sectors and businesses, all of which have contributed to the ongoing resilience of the economy in the face of Brexit. Protecting the all-island economy and ensuring the continued unimpeded functioning of North-South supply chains and trade flows has been a key priority for the Government throughout the Brexit process, and robust systems and supports remain in place to help businesses navigate the ongoing challenges caused by Brexit. While we would never wish to see the UK Government invoke Article 16, if this does occur we will engage with all stakeholders in light of the precise scope of the measures envisaged. I believe that any misuse of Article 16 would have serious consequences, for the relationship between the UK and the EU, for the UK’s relationship with Ireland, and for stability in Northern Ireland.
I urge the British Government to engage in good faith with the EU on the Protocol in the interests of the people of Northern Ireland.
129. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if a passport application by a person (details supplied) will be reviewed and expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55013/21]
View answerWith regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service has already issued a passport to the applicant.
130. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the steps he is taking to address the shortage of consular appointments in the New York consulate. [55174/21]
View answerThis relates to an application for a visa to the United States, for which the Department of Foreign Affairs plays no role. The Department's Consular Directorate has engaged with the Deputy's office accordingly.
There are no current issues with the appointment system for the Consulate General of Ireland in New York.
131. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will ensure that the passport application of a person (details supplied) will be processed by his Department; if he will reply to correspondence from this Deputy to him on 18 October 2021 on this matter; if he will ensure arrangements are made in his Department to receive a photograph of this applicant for passport purposes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55187/21]
View answerWith regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service has made contact with the applicant and has provided an update as to the steps they must take to progress their passport application.
A response to the Deputy's correspondence of 18 October 2021 relating to this application has also been issued.
132. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Defence the total amount spent by his Department on advertisements, including traditional forms of advertisement and online advertising, in each of the past ten years and to date in 2021. [54903/21]
View answerMy Department had the following total spends on advertisements including traditional forms of advertisement and online advertising in each of the past ten years and to date in 2021.
|
Year |
Total Amounts by Year |
|
2011 |
€42,143.80 |
|
2012 |
€50,334.20 |
|
2013 |
€96,882.62 |
|
2014 |
€88,120.07 |
|
2015 |
€79,857.13 |
|
2016 |
€101,453.00 |
|
2017 |
€88,213.41 |
|
2018 |
€103,776.35 |
|
2019 |
€70,871.64 |
|
2020 |
€81,516.14 |
|
2021 |
€89,409.90 |
|
TOTAL |
€892,578.26 |
