Written Answers Nos. 1-68
14. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Taoiseach the number of commissions of investigation under the remit of his Department currently ongoing in the State; the cost of each commission to date; and the projected costs of each in tabular form. [12559/22]
View answerThe only Commissions of Investigation for which I am the specified Minister under the Commissions of Investigation Act 2004 are the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation Commission of Investigation and the National Asset Management Agency Commission of Investigation.
Both Commissions are fully independent.
The IBRC Commission of Investigation was established in June 2015 following consultation with Oireachtas parties. It is investigating certain transactions, activities and management decisions at the IBRC and in its first module is investigating the Siteserv transaction.
Its original deadline was 31 December 2015 but following multiple requests from the Commission, and after consultation with Oireachtas parties, its timeframe for reporting has been extended. Most recently, I have just granted a further extension, this time until the end of August 2022, following a further request from the Commission in its Eleventh Interim Report dated 11 March 2022.
From the time of its establishment to the end of February 2022 the Commission cost €11.15 million approximately, excluding third party legal costs that have been incurred but not yet paid, which will be a matter for the Commission to determine at the end of its investigation.
In its Seventh Interim Report in February 2020, the Commission estimated that the final cost of the Siteserv investigation will be from €12 - €14.5 million. This estimate assumed the investigation would be completed by the end of 2020, not end August 2022 as is now the case, and excluded costs or delays associated with possible judicial review hearings.
The Commission also acknowledged that it involved a substantial degree of uncertainty regarding the amount of costs actually recoverable by the parties before it and assumed its Legal Costs Guidelines are not successfully challenged.
The Commission’s most recent Interim Report does not provide any update on the €12 - €14.5 million estimate but my Department has given its view on many occasions that the final cost is likely to significantly exceed the Commission’s estimate and could exceed €30m.
The further extension of its timeline, as well as the Commission’s acknowledgement of the possibility of court challenges, further supports my Department’s view.
The NAMA Commission was established in June 2017 following consultations with Oireachtas parties to investigate the sale by NAMA of its Northern Ireland portfolio, known as Project Eagle.
Its original deadline for reporting was 31 June 2018 but following several requests from the Commission and consultation with Oireachtas parties, its timeframe for reporting has also been extended. Most recently, earlier this month, I granted a further request for an extension, this time until the end of June 2022.
From the time of its establishment to the end of February 2022, the Commission has cost €4 million approximately, excluding any third party legal costs incurred but not yet paid and which will be considered by the Commission at the end of its investigation.
The estimated cost for the Commission when it was established was €10 million approximately, excluding the cost of any litigation that may arise. The Commission has not provided an updated estimate for the cost of its investigation but the expenditure incurred to date suggests it is unlikely to exceed the original estimate.
17. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the most recent European Council meeting. [12776/22]
View answerI attended a meeting of the European Council on 24/25 March. Our meeting was joined for a period by President Biden and, via video link, by President Zelenskyy.
We discussed the situation in Ukraine from a range of concerning perspectives: humanitarian, migration, energy, nuclear security and safety and reconstruction. We agreed on the establishment of a Solidarity Trust Fund for Ukraine.
We endorsed the Strategic Compass strategy which will provide enhanced political direction for the EU’s approach to security and defence policy for the next five to ten years.
We discussed energy issues including the significant impact of current high prices, and temporary and longer term measures and approaches to help to reduce them.
We also discussed the latest situation on Covid19 – including vaccine production and sharing; economic prospects; the upcoming EU/China Summit meeting in April; and increased political tensions in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
33. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his most recent conversation with the Prime Minister of Ukraine. [12777/22]
View answer34. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Taoiseach the nature of the dialogue he has had with representatives of Ukraine with particular reference to the ongoing conflict. [12789/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 33 and 34 together.
I spoke to the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, by phone on 16 March.
He expressed his gratitude to the Government and people of Ireland for their support for Ukraine, including in welcoming those fleeing the war; for our support for Ukraine’s application for EU membership; and for our support for the most robust and severe sanctions against Russia.
He also expressed his condolences on the death of Pierre Zakrzewski, the Irish photo journalist killed in Ukraine, alongside his colleague, Ukrainian journalist Oleksandra Kuvshynova, on 14 March.
President Zelenskyy briefed me on the very difficult situation on the ground in Ukraine, including with indiscriminate attacks on civilians.
President Zelenskyy also engaged virtually with the meeting of the European Council that I attended in Brussels on 24 March. He called on the EU to continue to exercise maximum pressure on Russia to end its appalling war.
I also spoke with the Prime Minister of Ukraine, Denys Shmyhal, on 1 March, when he briefed me on the deteriorating humanitarian and security situation on the ground at that time.
I conveyed the Government’s and the Irish public's strong solidarity with Ukraine and its people, and outlined the steps we are taking as a country and as an EU member state to support Ukraine.
40. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the Shared Island Dialogue on Sport. [12778/22]
View answerThe Shared Island Dialogue series is a key part of the Government’s approach to engaging with all communities and political traditions on the island, to build consensus around a shared future, underpinned by the Good Friday Agreement.
Through the Dialogue series, the Government is listening to people’s views on a range of common concerns, and how we can work for a shared future, in practical, meaningful ways.
We are seeking as broad a range of experience as possible, and ensuring the inclusion of underrepresented voices, particularly of women, young people and ethnic minority communities on the island.
The most recent Shared Island Dialogue was convened by Minister of State with responsibility for Sport, Jack Chambers TD, held at the Sport Ireland campus on 24 February, with in-person and online participation.
The Dialogue brought together over 120 sportspeople, organisations, clubs and community groups to examine the role that sport plays in community relations, and how we enhance sports cooperation on the island.
Former world boxing champion, Barry McGuigan gave a guest address, speaking about his experience over the years and of the power of sport to build trust, relationships and empathy across communities.
Nine Shared Island Dialogues and two roundtable discussions have been held to date, including on: the views of young people on the Good Friday Agreement; climate and environment; civil society cooperation; equality; economic recovery; health; the future of education; and, tourism on the island.
In December, I launched a report by my Department on the first year of the Dialogue series. This highlights the views raised in engagements with over 1,000 civic representatives and sets out how the Government is taking account of their contributions. A copy of the report was sent to every Member of the Oireachtas.
The Dialogue series will continue through this year, focusing on key sectoral issues and on societal concerns for whole the island, including on culture and identity.
