Written Answers Nos. 82-96
82. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of former county managers and CEOs of local authorities who are currently working within his Department and any agency or body under the remit of his Department, including details for persons employed in any format such as on a contract or advisory basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36299/22]
View answerAll recruitment to my Department is administered either through the Public Appointments Service, Top Level Appointments Committee (TLAC) or by the Department’s Human Resources Department, in accordance with procedures set by the Commission for Public Service Appointments. The details of previous employment history are recorded in accordance with the rules for each recruitment competition. There are no former county managers or CEOs of local authorities currently employed by my Department.
There are no agencies or bodies under the remit of the Department of Foreign Affairs.
83. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs to examine and expedite the passport application of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36340/22]
View answer96. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the status of a passport application for a person (details supplied) given that the application has exceeded the target issue date and date of travel is imminent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36558/22]
View answer97. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the status of a passport application for a person (details supplied) given that the application has exceeded the target issue date and date of travel is imminent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36559/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 83, 96 and 97 together.
With regard to the specific application about which the Deputies have inquired, the Passport Service has provided an update as to the steps the applicants must take to progress their passport applications.
84. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if there is a pathway for an applicant for a foreign birth registration (details supplied) to have their personal documents returned before the end of the application process given that there is currently a two-year period from the receipt of supporting documentation for processing of foreign birth registration applications and that the applicant had to submit important personal documents belonging to other persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36367/22]
View answerAll supporting documentation submitted in support of Foreign Birth Registration (FBR) applications must be retained for authentication and verification when applications are checked for entitlement. Applications must ordinarily be cancelled when documentation is returned to applicants before checking. Requests for the return of documentation before the Entitlement stage can only be considered in exceptional circumstances, and the returned documentation may need to be resubmitted at a subsequent stage. Such applicants should contact the Passport Service directly by telephone or webchat.
85. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if information will be provided in relation to an application (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36445/22]
View answerAll passport applications are subject to the provisions of the Passports Act 2008, as amended. The Act provides, among other things, that a person must be an Irish citizen before a passport can be issued to that person. In order to meet this requirement, each passport applicant must demonstrate an entitlement to Irish citizenship by providing acceptable documentary evidence of this entitlement when making a first time passport application.
For a person born outside the island of Ireland who does not have an Irish parent or grandparent, citizenship can be established by obtaining a naturalisation certificate from the Department of Justice. Once a person has obtained a naturalisation certificate they can then apply for an Irish passport, submitting the original naturalisation certificate along with the following supporting documents:
- Identity verification form.
- Full original civil birth certificate (version that includes the name(s) of the parent(s)).
- Original Civil marriage or Civil Partnership certificate (if applying for a passport in your married name).
- Proof of address such as Government correspondence, such as a letter from the Department of Social Protection or the Revenue Commissioners. If you do not have these, original utility bills, or bank statements can be considered.
- Proof of name such as Government correspondence such as a letter from the Department of Social Protection or the Revenue Commissioners. If you do not have these, original utility bills, or bank statements can be considered.
- You must submit one document as proof of name and one document as proof of address. It cannot be the same document.
- Government issued photographic identification.
86. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the dates that either the Irish Ambassador and or Deputy Head of Mission in Lisbon have visited the Albufeira area of the Algarve region in 2021 and to date in 2022; and the purpose of each visit in tabular form. [36470/22]
View answerWhile no visits to Albufeira by the Ambassador and or Deputy Head of Mission in Lisbon have taken place during 2021 or 2022 to date, due in part to restrictions on travel caused by prevailing public health situation over that period, the Embassy engages extensively with the Algarve region on a number of levels.
A key area of such engagement involves the provision of consular assistance to the significant numbers of Irish citizens who visit the Algarve region throughout the year and/or who are resident there.
In July 2021, the Ambassador and Deputy Head of Mission travelled to the region to meet with a range of local and emergency service authorities in order to develop and strengthen the Embassy’s working relationships in each case and thereby optimise the level of consular support available to Irish visitors and residents alike. This included meetings with the Mayor of Loulé and Head of Office of the Mayor of Faro (both adjacent to Albufeira); the regional Director of Portugal’s Immigration and Border Service; the Algarve Regional Emergency Services Command Centre; Commanders of the local PSP (municipal) and GNR (National Republican Guard) police forces; and the Director of Faro Airport, through which many direct flights operate to and from Ireland. The Ambassador and Deputy Head of Mission also met during the same visit with the President of the ‘Safe Communities Portugal’, a non-profit volunteer group which provides crime prevention support and daily information on public safety for English-speaking residents of Portugal.
All these contacts have proved helpful in the context of the Embassy’ ongoing provision of necessary consular support to Irish citizens.
The Embassy is also active in supporting Irish business interests in the Algarve region through the Ireland-Portugal Business Network. Assisted by the Department of Foreign Affairs’ Emigrant Support Programme and by the Embassy at board level, the Network has a dedicated Algarve Committee which organises regular master class and networking events for its members. In addition to those in the tourism sector, these events focus on opportunities in the financial and legal services sectors among others.
The Embassy also supports Irish community and cultural activities in the region. In April 2022, the Deputy Head of Mission attended the region’s first-ever GAA tournament in Loulé, an event in which teams from across Portugal and the south of Spain participated. The region’s first-ever local GAA team was assembled for this occasion and the Embassy will continue its active engagement with local GAA structures to support the growth of Gaelic games across Portugal. The Embassy also maintains contact with the St. Patrick’s Society of the Algarve.
87. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs when discussions on improving ties between the European Union and the United Arab Emirates were last held at the EU Foreign Affairs Council Meeting. [36471/22]
View answerAt the February Foreign Affairs Council, representatives of the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries (including the UAE) were invited to an EU-GCC Ministerial discussion on enhancing co-operation between the EU and the Gulf.
In May, the EEAS and Commission published a Joint Communication on Strategic Partnership with the Gulf. This sets out a range of areas to enhance EU/Gulf cooperation, including on trade, energy, climate, political dialogue, human rights, and visa liberalisation. The Joint Communication also proposes the appointment of an EU Special Representative for the Gulf.
The June Foreign Affairs Council adopted conclusions endorsing this Joint Communication, and welcoming plans to enhance engagement between the EU and the Gulf. They are available at data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-10038-2022-INIT/en/pdf
88. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if a passport application by a person (details supplied) will be examined; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36522/22]
View answer90. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the status of a passport application for a child (details supplied) given that it has exceeded the target issue date and applicant's travel date is imminent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36535/22]
View answer100. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the status of a passport application for a person (details supplied) given that all supporting documentation has been submitted and the applicants date of travel is imminent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36562/22]
View answer104. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the status of a passport application for a person (details supplied) given that the applicants date of travel is imminent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36566/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 88, 90, 100 and 104 together.
With regard to the specific applications about which the Deputies have enquired, these applications are within the current turnaround times and have not yet reached their issue by date.
91. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of occasions on which he or his Department have met with representatives from the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation in 2019, 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022; and to outline the purpose of those meetings. [36538/22]
View answer92. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his Department has held any meetings with representatives of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation to discuss potential membership. [36539/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 91 and 92 together.
Ireland’s relationship with NATO operates within the framework of the Partnership for Peace (PfP), which Ireland has been a member of since 1999.
Ireland’s membership of the PfP framework has served to improve the capacity of the Defence Forces to participate in international peace support operations and has been of significant importance in the development of their interoperability with other potential peacekeeping contributing nations.
Our participation in PfP enables us to build an individually tailored relationship with NATO, selecting priorities for cooperation. Recent policy priorities for cooperation have included the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security and related resolutions, the protection of civilians, and the protection of children in armed conflict. Potential additional areas of engagement include efforts to counter cyber and hybrid threats, building on the Government’s recent decision to participate in NATO’s Malware Information Platform and our involvement in the Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence in Tallinn.
Ireland’s partnership is conducted via our PfP Liaison Office in Brussels. My officials meet on an ongoing basis with NATO officials to take forward work on our shared priorities. In addition, EU-NATO cooperation is a regular item on the agenda of the Foreign Affairs Council in Defence format, which I attend in my capacity as Minister for Defence. This involves regular exchanges of views with the NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg. In common with other EU Member States who are not members of NATO, Ireland recognises the importance of enhanced cooperation between the EU and NATO, particularly where it benefits international peace and security, is focused on avoiding duplication of structures, systems and interoperability standards, and adds value in combating cyber or hybrid threats.
93. Deputy Joe Flaherty asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will retrieve the tracking numbers in respect of the passport applications of two children (details supplied). [36544/22]
View answerWith regard to the specific applications about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service has provided an update on the status of the passport applications to the applicants parent and provided them with the application numbers.
