Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 June 2023
123. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of expressions of interest received by the set closing date of 26 May 2023 for the election observer role; the percentage of those expressing interest who are women; and the percentage of those expressing interest who have previously expressed interest. [27166/23]
View answerThe Department of Foreign Affairs maintains and administers a voluntary roster of suitably skilled and vetted individuals who are available to participate at short notice in election observation missions, organised by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the European Union (EU).
The current Election Observation Roster was established for a period of five years, from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2023. To inform planning, expressions of interest were sought from those who were interested in applying to be a member of Ireland's next election observation roster. A deadline will be set for the submission of applications in the near future.
By 26 May 2023, the Department had received 250 expressions of interest. Of these, 141 are members of the current roster.
Based on the names provided, it is estimated that 33% of expressions of interest were from women. However, specific information on gender was not required at this stage of the process and will be sought at the application stage.
It is likely that the number of applications will exceed the number of expressions of interest received. All relevant information will be available on the Department's website at Election observation - Department of Foreign Affairs (irishaid.ie).
