Tuesday, 5 Apr 2022

Written Answers Nos. 402-424

Passport Services

Questions (402, 403, 417, 425, 426, 430)

James Lawless

Question:

402. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if the passport application by a person (details supplied) will be examined and expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17493/22]

James Lawless

Question:

403. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if a passport application by a person (details supplied) will be examined and expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17566/22]

Bernard Durkan

Question:

417. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs when a passport will issue in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18177/22]

Pearse Doherty

Question:

425. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs when a passport will issue to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18286/22]

Pearse Doherty

Question:

426. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs when a passport will issue to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18309/22]

Pearse Doherty

Question:

430. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if an urgent passport appointment can be facilitated for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18352/22]

Written answers

Minister for Foreign Affairs

I propose to take Questions Nos. 402, 403, 417, 425, 426 and 430 together.

With regard to the specific applications about which the Deputies have enquired, the Passport Service has issued passports to the applicants.

Question No. 403 answered with Question No. 402.

Public Sector Staff

Questions (404)

Michael Ring

Question:

404. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of staff who are currently absent from work on full pay due to suspension or workplace disputes in his Department and in agencies and public bodies within his area of responsibility; the number who have been absent from work for up to three, three to six, six to twelve and over twelve months, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17599/22]

Written answers

Minister for Foreign Affairs

Within the Department of Foreign Affairs there are currently no staff absent from work on full pay due to suspension or workplace disputes. The Department has no agencies or bodies under its aegis.

Passport Services

Questions (405)

Matt Carthy

Question:

405. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 84 of 23 March 2022, if the requested data on the outstanding passport applications will be provided. [17654/22]

Written answers

Minister for Foreign Affairs

The information requested by the Deputy is outlined below in tabular form. This information has also been sent to the Deputy by email.

Passport applications submitted 

Registration Date (as of 20 March 2022)

-	Total	Passport Service Processing	Requires further action from applicant	% Total requiring further action from applicant
more than 1 month	103,939	65,411	38,528	37%
more than 2 months	50,372	24,429	25,943	52%
more than 3 months	34,105	13,905	20,200	59%
more than 4 months	26,367	9,532	16,835	64%
more than 5 months	18,019	6,085	11,934	66%
more than 6 months	11,816	3,562	8,254	70%

The number of complete passport applications that are with the Passport Service for six months or more represents 0.01% of the total number of applications in the system. In the majority of cases, applicants may have applied online six months ago, but it may have taken several weeks and often even months for the applicants to submit the supporting documents that are required to complete the application. The Passport Service cannot process applications until they are fully complete. However, once they are fully complete, they are processed within the normal processing times.

There are a small number of very complex or sensitive cases that may involve citizenship, guardianship or legal issues. These require very thorough examination by experienced staff and can take longer to process.

Passport Services

Questions (406)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

406. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of full-time fraud experts working in the Passport Office in each of the past three years; and the grade of staff that this staff member is normally assigned. [17711/22]

Written answers

Minister for Foreign Affairs

The Passport Service takes its responsibility to protect the integrity of the Irish passport very seriously.  The Irish passport has a strong international reputation due to the strength of the security features within the passport book and the robust processes involved in its issuance. The Irish passport was recently ranked 5th in the Henley Global Passport Index as it provides our citizens with visa-free access to 187 countries.

The Integrity Unit of the Passport Service was established in 2015 to improve all aspects of passport fraud detection and prevention. Significant resources have been invested in the Integrity Section with an increase in staff numbers and new and improved systems being put in place. A considerable investment in technology and structures has helped to improve the detection and recording of instances of fraud. These resources, along with new procedures introduced by the Passport Service, have prevented fraudulent applications from being submitted and have closed down avenues of access previously used by fraudulent applicants.

The Integrity Unit has been staffed by an average of 22 officers in the grades of Clerical Officer, Executive Officer, Higher Executive Officer and Assistant Principal over the period of March 2019 to March 2022. All officers in the Integrity Unit receive training in various types of fraud relevant to fraudulent passport applications. This training is conducted by in-house experienced officers and complimented by additional training from external experts.  Some officers concentrate on particular areas within the unit and become very proficient at uncovering certain types of fraud, which is of significant benefit to the work of the unit. In addition, Integrity Unit staff can be assigned to this critical area because of the expertise or experience they bring to their role.

Official Engagements

Questions (407)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

407. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he plans to invite his Portuguese counterpart to Dublin later in 2022. [17712/22]

Written answers

Minister for Foreign Affairs

Following parliamentary elections held at the end of January, my colleague and outgoing Minister for National Defence H.E. João Gomes Cravinho was appointed as Portugal’s new Minister for Foreign Affairs last week.

I have written to Minister Cravinho to convey my best wishes in his new role. I have also indicated that I hope to travel to Lisbon to meet with Minister Cravinho for in-person discussions at an early stage over the period ahead and likewise to invite him to visit Dublin in due course thereafter. Our respective officials will liaise to identify suitable dates in each case.

I also look forward to engaging with Minister Cravinho along with other EU colleagues at our regular Foreign Affairs Council meetings. The next such Foreign Affairs Council meeting is scheduled to take place on 11 April.

Passport Services

Questions (408, 418, 427, 428, 429, 431)

Michael Ring

Question:

408. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs when a passport will issue to a child (details supplied) in County Mayo in view of the fact that this application was received on 7 January 2022 in the Passport Office and the supporting documentation has been submitted for a number of weeks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17726/22]

Michael Collins

Question:

418. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if a passport application by a person (details supplied) will be expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18218/22]

Pearse Doherty

Question:

427. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if a passport will issue for a person (details supplied) on time for a travel date; if the documents that were supplied are correct; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18321/22]

Niamh Smyth

Question:

428. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if an update will be provided with regard to a passport application by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18328/22]

Pearse Doherty

Question:

429. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if a passport will issue on time for a school trip to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18335/22]

Michael Ring

Question:

431. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs when a passport will issue in respect of a minor (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18389/22]

Written answers

Minister for Foreign Affairs

I propose to take Questions Nos. 408, 418, 427 to 429, inclusive, and 431 together.

With regard to the specific applications about which the Deputies have enquired, the Passport Service has provided an update on the status of the passport applications to the applicants. 

Passport Services

Questions (409)

Louise O'Reilly

Question:

409. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the steps that will be taken to help a person (details supplied) who needs to retrieve their passport which was submitted as part of the application process for their son given they require the document in order to travel due to an emergency. [17849/22]

Written answers

Minister for Foreign Affairs

With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service has returned the requested passport to the applicant's parent.

Departmental Expenditure

Questions (410)

Brian Stanley

Question:

410. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the total value of expenditure from his Department’s annual accounts in 2019, 2020 and 2021, in tabular form, that related to financial transactions with the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation; and if he will provide a breakdown of the nature of expenditure. [17866/22]

Written answers

Minister for Foreign Affairs

Ireland is not a member of NATO, and accordingly does not contribute to NATO common costs or common funding.

Ireland’s relationship with NATO is set within the framework of Partnership for Peace (PfP), which we have been a member of since 1999. Over the last two decades, Ireland’s participation in PfP has been of significant importance in the development of the peacekeeping capabilities of our Defence Forces and their interoperability with other potential peacekeeping contributing nations. This has allowed the Defence Forces to operate seamlessly alongside other countries on UN peacekeeping operations and other crisis management missions overseas.

Ireland’s engagement at NATO is tailored in line with Ireland’s policy of military non-alignment and non-membership of military alliances. There is no membership fee to be part of PfP.

In order to manage our partnership with NATO, Ireland maintains an office in a NATO building in Brussels, the rental and maintenance costs of which are directly payable to NATO.

Separately, Ireland has also made a number of voluntary contributions to NATO Trust Funds which provide capacity-building support to partners such as Ukraine, Jordan, Georgia, Tunisia and Moldova, as well as other UN Troop Contributing Countries. We have provided this support only where the activities supported by the Trust Funds align with Ireland’s foreign and security policy. Irish contributions have primarily been in support of disarmament activities.

In 2021, Ireland made a contribution of €100,000 to the NATO Trust Fund to build the capacity of African UN Troop Contributing Counties by the provision of medical training, communication training and countering improvised explosives device training by NATO experts. A member of the Defence Forces has also been seconded to the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) in Uganda to provide expertise as part of the implementation of this wider UN-NATO package. Ireland also provided €50,000 to the Trust Fund for Jordan in 2021. Ireland made no other voluntary contributions to NATO Trust Funds in the period 2019 – 2021.

Irish Liaison Office Costs

Year	Description	Amount
2019	Rent & phone costs	€170,681
2020	Rent & phone costs	€66,989
2020	Pro rata contribution to renovation of office space	€407,328
2021	Rent & phone costs	€66,303

NATO Trust Funds

Year	Description	Amount
2021	Trust Fund for African UN Troop Contributing Counties	€100,000
2021	Trust Fund for Jordan	€50,000

Cybersecurity Policy

Questions (411)

Michael Creed

Question:

411. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if Ireland has sought to be joined as a notice party in a court case in the United States against Russian Government employees in relation to malicious cyber activity in which the evidence suggests that this activity targeted Irish infrastructure in a period between 2012 and 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17883/22]

Written answers

Minister for Foreign Affairs

The Government is aware of the charges brought in US courts against four Russian government employees in relation to malicious cyber activity, targeting a range of critical energy infrastructure across 135 countries, including Ireland, between 2012 and 2018.  We will continue to engage with the United States, our fellow EU Member States and other international partners on next steps in relation to this case.

In general terms, hybrid threat actors seek to exploit the vulnerabilities of states to their own advantage through the use of a range of coordinated measures, including offensive cyber operations against critical infrastructure. Our open and internationalised economy and society means that we as a country need to be particularly aware of the potential of these threats.  Given the current international context, I know that the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has been operating at a heightened state of preparedness for some months and contingency plans are in place to deal with any escalation of malicious cyber activity.

Passport Services

Questions (412)

Carol Nolan

Question:

412. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will examine the reason that a person (details supplied) is being refused a passport in their chosen name despite having legally changed their name through deed poll; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17953/22]

Written answers

Minister for Foreign Affairs

With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service has contacted the applicant directly in relation to the application. The Passport Service are currently processing this application.

Passport Services

Questions (413)

Pádraig MacLochlainn

Question:

413. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the reason for the delay in processing a passport for a person (details supplied) submitted on 24 November 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18063/22]

Written answers

Minister for Foreign Affairs

With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service has contacted the applicant's parent to provide an update as to the steps they must take to progress the passport application. The Passport Service regrets the delay in processing this application.

Passport Services

Questions (414)

Dara Calleary

Question:

414. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if advice will be provided in relation to the case of a person (details supplied). [18084/22]

Written answers

Minister for Foreign Affairs

Where a passport applicant is unable to provide a civil birth certificate in respect of parent born in Ireland, baptismal records may be considered as part of the overall suite of documents that is submitted in support of their application. These applications will be considered on a case by case basis. 

Civil registration of births, marriages and deaths commenced in Ireland in 1864 and are available from the General Register Office. Their contact details are as follows:

General Register Office,

Government Offices,

Convent Road,

Roscommon Town,

Co. Roscommon F42 VX53,

Ireland

Tel: [phone];

e-Mail: [e-mail];

Website: www.certificates.ie

Passport Services

Questions (415, 420, 432)

Michael Ring

Question:

415. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs when a passport application by a person (details supplied),## which was received by the Passport Office on 28 December 2021, will be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18087/22]

Róisín Shortall

Question:

420. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs when a passport will issue for a person (details supplied) in Dublin 11; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18234/22]

Michael McNamara

Question:

432. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs when a passport will issue in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18394/22]

Written answers

Minister for Foreign Affairs (Deputy Simon Coveney)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 415, 420 and 432 together.

With regard to the specific applications about which the Deputies have enquired, the Passport Service has provided an update to the applicants as to the steps they must take to progress the passport applications.

Flexible Work Practices

Questions (416)

David Stanton

Question:

416. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the current policy with respect to remote working options for staff in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18166/22]

Written answers

Minister for Foreign Affairs

The Department of Foreign Affairs supports the aims of the National Remote Working Strategy and is committed to implementing a model of blended working that will provide flexibility to staff, while supporting the continued delivery of high quality services to Government and the Irish people.

While a formalised policy is currently under consideration and due for implementation in April 2022, it will align with the Blended Working Policy Framework for Civil Service organisations.

At present, those staff whose work activities allow them to work from home can do so remotely up to 3 days a week. This is subject to the exigencies of the Department. 

Question No. 417 answered with Question No. 402.

Question No. 418 answered with Question No. 408.

Ukraine War

Questions (419)

Paul Murphy

Question:

419. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the call for the cancellation of Ukrainian national debt. [18233/22]

Written answers

Minister for Foreign Affairs

I refer the Deputy to the answer by the Minister for Finance to Question 14365/22 on 22 March 2022, on the subject of IMF debt cancellation for Ukraine, which is a matter within the remit of the Department of Finance.

As the Minister for Finance stated in that response, the IFI community has reacted quickly to provide vital financial support for Ukraine. On 9 March, the Executive Board of the IMF approved a disbursement of US$1.4 billion under the Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI) to help Ukraine meet urgent financing needs and mitigate the economic impact of the war. This follows a US$723 million package of support approved by the World Bank; a €668 million immediate financial support package for Ukraine to be provided by the EIB; and a €2 billion ‘resilience package’ approved by the EBRD.

In the absence of full funding by bilateral donors, debt cancellation or debt forgiveness by the IMF risks impairing the Fund's financial integrity which, in turn, could jeopardise future financing for Ukraine and other countries in need. Instead, the IMF’s ability to provide debt service relief on its loans to members must be underpinned by donor grants for the repayment of those loans. For example, during the COVID-19 crisis, the IMF used the donor-supported Catastrophe and Containment Relief Trust to provide debt relief totalling almost US$1 billion to cover debt obligations owed to the Fund between April 2020 and April 2022.

Ireland remains steadfast and unwavering in its support to Ukraine, including through provision of humanitarian aid, the European Peace Facility package for Ukraine, and the EU's emergency macro-financial assistance operation of €1.2 billion in the form of loans to foster stability in Ukraine.

Question No. 420 answered with Question No. 415.

Departmental Meetings

Questions (421)

Ruairí Ó Murchú

Question:

421. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has had any engagement regrading a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18270/22]

Written answers

Minister for Foreign Affairs

Respect for human rights is an integral part of Ireland’s foreign policy and we consistently seek to raise our concerns on human rights issues through the most appropriate and effective channels.

Ireland is opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances, and we have made this position clear to the Singaporean authorities. The Embassy of Ireland in Singapore, together with our European Union partners has actively monitored the case of Nagaenthran Dharmalingam, including calling on the authorities to halt his execution and to commute his sentence to a non-capital sentence. We learned with grave concern that Mr. Dharmalingam's death sentence has been upheld by the courts in Singapore on 29 March. On 30 March, a spokesperson for the EU's High Representative also issued a statement deeply regretting the execution in Singapore of Abdul Kahar bin Othman, who was the first person to executed in Singapore since 2019.

Ireland is unequivocal in its stance against the death penalty and the abolition of capital punishment is one of Ireland’s international priorities. My Department regularly conveys our stance on this matter to all countries where the death penalty is still in use. Our active participation at the United Nations Human Rights Council is a particularly important fora in which to raise our concerns regarding human rights. At the 48th Session of the Council, Ireland, as part of the EU27, co-sponsored the biennial resolution on the question of the death penalty which was adopted by vote. The resolution calls on those States that have not yet abolished the death penalty to ensure transparency and respect for human rights. In our intervention at the last Universal Periodic Review of Singapore's human rights record in May 2021 Ireland called on Singapore to consider a moratorium on executions as a step towards abolition.

I remain deeply concerned about the use of the death penalty and Ireland will continue to monitor developments in Singapore in this regard.

Foreign Birth Registration

Questions (422, 423, 424)

Ruairí Ó Murchú

Question:

422. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of full, part-time and casual staff processing applications for the foreign births register monthly from January 2020 to date in tabular form. [18271/22]

Ruairí Ó Murchú

Question:

423. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the status of the scaling-up operations in regard to applications to the foreign births register; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18272/22]

Ruairí Ó Murchú

Question:

424. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the month in which the foreign birth register applications currently being worked on were received; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18273/22]

Written answers

Minister for Foreign Affairs

I propose to take Questions Nos. 422 to 424, inclusive, together.

My Department is responsible for citizenship by descent through the Foreign Births Register under the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended.

Before the onset of Covid-19, 18 staff were assigned to Foreign Birth Registration (FBR) entitlement checking. Due to the pandemic, from March 2020, FBR staff were redeployed to assist in the delivery of essential services, which resulted in a pause in overall FBR processing for a total of 15 months across the 2020-2021 period. Despite this pause, 12,000 FBR applications were processed in 2020, and 7,000 applications were processed in 2021 as FBR staff continued to provide an emergency service for Foreign Birth Registration in cases of exceptional urgency, such as expectant parents, or stateless persons.

Given the redeployment of staff from the FBR team to passport checking and other essential services during the pandemic the Passport Service does not have a monthly record of the numbers of staff assigned to FBR entitlement checking during that period. 

Since the reopening of the FBR Service in November 2021, there have been 17 staff assigned to FBR entitlement checking. Three thousand applications have been processed to date in 2022.  The Entitlement Team are currently processing applications for which supporting documents were received in January 2020.

The processing of FBR will continue to gradually scale up in line with the recruitment of additional resources. Due to the complex nature of the FBR process, the large increase in applications received following the Brexit vote in the UK, and the pause in the service due to necessary Covid-19 restrictions, applicants should allow over 2 years from the receipt of supporting documentation for processing of FBR applications at this time. The FBR service operates a transparent general policy of processing applications in order of receipt.

My Department is fully committed to the continued allocation of additional resources over the coming period to assist with the processing of the Foreign Birth Registration applications currently on hand and the high volume of new applications anticipated this year.

Question No. 423 answered with Question No. 422.

Question No. 424 answered with Question No. 422.