Written Answers Nos. 775-798
775. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the situation of an Irish national (details supplied); if he has made representations regarding same; the details of any representations made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20711/22]
View answerI can reassure the Deputy that I am aware of this case and it remains both a concern and priority. My Department is continuing to provide consular assistance to the citizen through our Consular Assistance Unit in Dublin, the Embassy of Ireland in Abuja, and with assistance from the Embassy of France in Togo - as Ireland does not have diplomatic representation in the country.
My Department is also liaising with the Irish Council for Prisoners Overseas (ICPO) which communicates regularly with the citizen, while we continue to provide consular advice and support.
There has also been, and will continue to be, engagement with the Togolese authorities in relation to the humanitarian aspects of this case, and the importance of the citizen being allowed to return home as soon as possible.
As the Deputy will appreciate, as with all consular cases, it would not be appropriate to comment on the specific details of the case. However, you can rest assured that I and my Department will remain engaged on the matter.
777. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on his most recent meeting with the Russian Ambassador to Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20774/22]
View answerActing on my behalf and instructions, officials from my Department have had numerous engagements with the Russian Ambassador and other officials at the Embassy since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. During such engagements, we have consistently made clear to Russia that we view its war against Ukraine as illegal and utterly unacceptable. We have also been clear on the need to uphold international law, especially the UN charter. We have also called for an immediate ceasefire and withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory. We have been unwavering in our expression of solidarity to Ukraine, and insisted on its sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.
On 19 April, I used Ireland’s seat at the UN Security Council to brief Council Members about the destruction of civilian infrastructure throughout Ukraine, and the mass grave at Bucha, which I witnessed during my visit to the country on 14 April. I called for full accountability and demanded that Russia end its war.
778. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if assistance will be provided to a person (details supplied) who has been arrested in Togo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20778/22]
View answerI can reassure the Deputy that I am aware of this case and it remains both a concern and priority. My Department is continuing to provide consular assistance to the citizen through our Consular Assistance Unit in Dublin, the Embassy of Ireland in Abuja, and with assistance from the Embassy of France in Togo - as Ireland does not have diplomatic representation in the country.
My Department is also liaising with the Irish Council for Prisoners Overseas (ICPO) which communicates regularly with the citizen, while we continue to provide consular advice and support.
There has also been, and will continue to be, engagement with the Togolese authorities in relation to the humanitarian aspects of this case, and the importance of the citizen being allowed to return home as soon as possible.
As the Deputy will appreciate, as with all consular cases, it would not be appropriate to comment on the specific details of the case. However, you can rest assured that I and my Department will remain engaged on the matter.
779. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will address a matter (details supplied). [20859/22]
View answerOver 5 million people have fled Ukraine since Russia’s further, large-##scale invasion began on 24 February.
With our partners in the international community, Ireland is resolute in our solidarity and support for Ukraine. Ireland has welcomed over 25,000 people fleeing the war in Ukraine to date. Ireland, along with other EU Member States, activated the Temporary Protection Directive to offer immediate and effective assistance, and clear legal status to those fleeing Ukraine.
I visited Poland last month to meet Polish Foreign Minister, Zbigniew Rau, and speak to humanitarian organisations on the ground assisting those fleeing the war. Earlier this month I visited Kyiv and Bucha, to meet Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov, and to see for myself the horror the war has brought to Ukraine and its people.
Ireland has provided €20 million in humanitarian aid which is being disbursed through UN (including UNHCR) and NGO partners in Ukraine and in neighbouring countries, including Poland.
While I recognise the work being undertaken on a voluntary basis by some individuals, the Government does not have a role in terms of voluntary operations in another country. Our assistance in response to the Ukraine crisis is being provided through international organisations, accredited NGOs as well as through the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism.
Matters relating to the UNHCR operation on the ground should be addressed to the UNHCR directly.
781. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of passports currently awaiting processing in Cork; and if consideration has been given to printing passports in Cork. [20914/22]
View answerThe Passport Service of my Department is a unified service composed of three constituent offices located in Lower Mount Street and Balbriggan in Dublin and South Mall in Cork, respectively. Passport applications from all citizens - whether at home or abroad - are distributed for processing across the three Passport Offices, on the basis of the type of application rather than county or country of residence of the applicant.
The Passport Office in Cork primarily processes domestic paper-based as well as non-domestic online applications. An Urgent Appointment Service is also available at the Passport Office in Cork for applicants who need to travel within four working days. It can also facilitate the issuance on the spot of an emergency passport where there is an urgent need to travel for medical reasons or due to a bereavement abroad.
There are currently 48,000 applications in the system at the Passport Office in Cork. Of these, 25,000 (52%) have been fully completed by the applicant and are being processed by the Passport Service. The other 23,000 (48%) are incomplete, which means the Passport Service is waiting for the applicant to submit the necessary documentation required. While the Passport Service makes every effort to contact applicants in such circumstances, it is often the case that many applicants take weeks and sometimes months to send in the necessary documents. The Passport Service cannot process incomplete applications until such time as all documentation has been received.
The Passport Service operates three passport printing machines, two of which are located in the main production facility in Balbriggan and the third in the Passport Office in Lower Mount Street, Dublin. All production facilities can print a passport, irrespective of the channel through which the application is processed. The printing system allows for flexibility between printing machines if any one machine has reached capacity. Each passport printer has a printing capacity of 250 passports per hour. I am satisfied that the printing capacity of production equipment currently employed by the Passport Service is sufficient to meet the current and anticipated future demand for passports.
789. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the status of a passport application by a person (details supplied). [21146/22]
View answerWith regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service has issued a passport to the applicant, and all supporting documents have been returned.
790. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on the situation of an Irish citizen (details supplied) who was arrested in Togo in December 2018 and has been detained without trial since; the actions he is taking to ensure their release; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21149/22]
View answerI can reassure the Deputy that I am aware of this case and it remains both a concern and priority. My Department is continuing to provide consular assistance to the citizen through our Consular Assistance Unit in Dublin, the Embassy of Ireland in Abuja, and with assistance from the Embassy of France in Togo - as Ireland does not have diplomatic representation in the country.
My Department is also liaising with the Irish Council for Prisoners Overseas (ICPO) which communicates regularly with the citizen, while we continue to provide consular advice and support.
There has also been, and will continue to be, engagement with the Togolese authorities in relation to the humanitarian aspects of this case, and the importance of the citizen being allowed to return home as soon as possible.
As the Deputy will appreciate, as with all consular cases, it would not be appropriate to comment on the specific details of the case. However, you can rest assured that I and my Department will remain engaged on the matter.
793. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the way that he plans to respond to calls from an organisation for the release of a person (details supplied) to Ireland on medical grounds, following allegations that they have been denied medical treatment in a prison in Bahrain. [21191/22]
View answerI note with concern the details in the case referred to by the Deputy.
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 urges all States to safeguard the human rights of prisoners and detainees, including provision of healthcare services, as set out in the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, also known as the Mandela Rules.
The EU Special Representative for Human Rights, Eamon Gilmore, has made representations to the Bahraini authorities on the detention of a number of individuals, including Mr Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja.
Mr Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja is a Bahraini-Danish national and officials from my Department have been in contact on an ongoing basis, including this month, with the relevant Danish authorities who are providing consular assistance. It would not be appropriate to comment further publicly on an ongoing consular case.
795. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will provide an update on a foreign births registration application made in October 2020 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21222/22]
View answerMy Department is responsible for citizenship by descent through the Foreign Births Register under the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended.
The processing of Foreign Birth Registration (FBR) has resumed and will be gradually scaling 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 approximately 2 years from the receipt of supporting documentation for processing of FBR applications at this time. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, and the subsequent reassignment of FBR staff to assist in the provision of essential passport services, the Foreign Birth Registration Service was paused for nearly 15 months across the 2020-2021 period.
The application referenced was registered on 21 October 2020, and is being stored in a secure environment.
FBR staff continue to provide an emergency service for Foreign Birth Registration in cases of exceptional urgency, such as expectant parents, or stateless persons. Such applicants may continue to contact the Passport Service directly. For other applications, 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.
796. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if a piece of surveillance technology (details supplied) is being used by his Department or any agencies under his remit in view of the fact that there are security and privacy concerns associated with the use of same; the data protection policies on the use of artificial intelligence with respect to instances in which this technology is being used; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21235/22]
View answerMy Department prioritises the security of its people, facilities and systems in Ireland and across our global network. We do not comment on security matters. The Department adheres to its obligations under the GDPR and all other relevant data protection legislation.
797. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Defence the status of the Reserve Defence Forces company headquarters building on Green Road, Carlow; if the building is still assigned to the Reserve Defence Forces or has been sold; if not, the body that controls the property; if the State has contracted private security for the property; and if so, the length and total cost of that contract to date. [19417/22]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that the Reserve Defence Forces occupied a property at Green Road, Carlow via a Lease arrangement with Carlow County Council. A Deed of Surrender was executed by my Department in October 2016 effectively releasing its leasehold back to the County Council as the property was no longer in use by the Reserve Defence Forces. This property is not in the ownership of my Department nor does it have any legal interest in same.
798. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Defence the reason that a report that was commissioned by his Department in 2019, titled Review of Recruitment Practices and Processes in the Permanent Defence Forces, at a cost of €42,900, has not been published to date; if he intends to publish this report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19541/22]
View answerThe Defence Forces recruitment process is subject to continuous monitoring and appraisal to ensure it remains fit for purpose. To complement this practice, in 2019 a Review Group was established to review recruitment methods in the Defence Forces, which subsequently incorporated the relevant recommendations of the Public Service Pay Commission.
The Review Group was comprised of senior civilian and military personnel. An external HR expert was appointed as Chair to support the process, oversee the review, and advise the group on the basis of professional expertise in the recruitment field. The report of the Review Group was not intended to be published as it does not contain final proposals and is being used to inform deliberations and decisions within the organisation relating to recruitment.
