Willie O'Dea
Question:31. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs his plans for a formal recognition of the state of Palestine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41715/23]
View answerMiddle East
Questions (31)
Written answers
The Programme for Government states that the Government will “honour our commitment to recognise the State of Palestine as part of a lasting settlement of the conflict, or in advance of that, when we believe doing so will progress efforts to reach a two-State solution or protect the integrity of Palestinian territory”.
In the absence of progress towards a two-State solution, I would be prepared to recommend to the Government recognition by Ireland of a State of Palestine, if and when it might be helpful, and this is a matter which I discuss regularly with EU colleagues.
The timing and context of any such decision would affect whether the resulting loss of influence would be matched by a commensurate benefit for the Palestinian people and a positive impact on the peace process and a two-State solution. My judgement at present is that this is not the case.
Question No. 32 answered orally.
United Nations
Questions (33, 34)
Bernard Durkan
Question:33. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the extent to which he sees the need for change and improvements in the structure and operation of the United Nations in order to meet any challenges of the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41804/23]
View answer
Richard Bruton
Question:34. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will outline the progress being made in reforming the operation of the United Nations. [41750/23]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 33 and 34 together.
Recent global crises such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the COVID-19 pandemic and the climate crisis have once again highlighted the need for a reformed UN. Ireland is making a positive impact across the work of the United Nations and is engaged in seeking reforms, including in support of the UN Secretary General’s efforts, and his vision on the future of global cooperation: ‘Our Common Agenda.’ This included a proposal to hold a Summit of the Future which the UN General Assembly welcomed and agreed to hold the Summit on 22-23 September 2024. An action-oriented Pact for the Future is expected to be agreed by Member States through intergovernmental negotiations on issues they decide to take forward.
In addition, Ireland is a strong supporter of the reforms to the UN Development System (UNDS), considering them as essential for our global capacity to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and build back better after COVID-19. UN Development System reforms of recent years are having an impact with stronger, more independent Resident Coordinators leading UN Country Teams, supported by coordinated analysis and planning. Ireland is a longstanding committed donor to the UN Development System, prioritising core funding.
The General Assembly considers reform of the Security Council through ongoing Intergovernmental Negotiations. Ireland is active in these and is consistently clear on the need to increase the size of the Security Council; to address geographic under-representation, particularly for Africa; and, to see an end to the use of the veto, particularly in cases of atrocity crimes.
There are significant challenges but we continue to push for change. Ireland was part of a core group of States, led by Liechtenstein, which brought the ‘veto initiative’ to the General Assembly in April 2022, where it was adopted by the wider membership. This now means that, whenever a veto is used, the General Assembly will automatically hold a debate, require the Council to submit a report and invite the Member State which used its veto to make a statement.
Question No. 35 answered with Question No. 24.
Departmental Reports
Questions (36)
Michael Moynihan
Question:36. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs when he expects to receive the report of the Consultative Forum on International Security Policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41687/23]
View answer
Awaiting reply from Department.
Question No. 37 answered with Question No. 12.
Foreign Policy
Questions (38)
Catherine Connolly
Question:38. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the details of any engagement he has had with his US counterpart with regard to the provision by the US of cluster bombs to Ukraine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41732/23]
View answerWritten answers
Ireland has held a strong and unwavering commitment to the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) since its adoption in Dublin in 2008. Along with the other over 100 States Parties to the CCM, Ireland's position remains that these weapons are, by nature, indiscriminate and imprecise.
In line with our obligations under the CCM, Ireland will not use, develop, produce, acquire, stockpile, retain or transfer (directly or indirectly), cluster munitions under any circumstances, and Ireland will continue to discourage all actors from using these weapons, even those not party to the Convention.
Senior officials in my Department acting on my behalf have raised this matter with their US counterparts at meetings on the margins of the recent UN General Assembly High Level Week in New York, where Irish policy on this issue was outlined. The Deputy has raised this important matter previously in the Dáil, prior to the above meeting, and to which I responded setting out our position. I am pleased to provide the above update.
Our position is well known and is fully understood by the United States and other international partners.
There are currently 112 States Parties to the CCM. Neither USA, Ukraine, nor Russia are party to the Treaty and so are not directly bound by its provisions.
Ireland will continue to do our part to support Ukraine and its people against the Russian Federation’s unlawful aggression. However, we maintain, in line with our CCM obligations, that these weapons should not be used in any circumstances.
Question No. 39 answered with Question No. 28.
Question No. 40 answered with Question No. 21.
Question No. 41 answered with Question No. 12.
Foreign Policy
Questions (42)
Brendan Griffin
Question:42. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the latest breakdown of known Russian presence at the Russian embassy in Dublin, if a person (details supplied) is still in situ; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41760/23]
View answerWritten answers
There are currently 18 officers at the Embassy of the Russian Federation to Ireland who have been notified to my Department under Article 10 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations - 7 Diplomats and 11 Administrative and Technical staff. This includes the Russian Ambassador, Yury Filatov.
Prior to Russia's invasion of Ukraine there were a total of 30 officers at the Embassy - 14 Diplomats and 16 Administrative and Technical staff.
Ireland continues to coordinate closely with other EU Member States on our engagement with Russia, including keeping numbers of embassy personnel under review.
Question No. 43 answered orally.
Question No. 44 answered with Question No. 20.
Question No. 45 answered orally.
Question No. 46 answered with Question No. 14.
International Agreements
Questions (47)
Christopher O'Sullivan
Question:47. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs for an overview of the Treaty on Marine Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction which he recently signed on behalf of Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41871/23]
View answerWritten answers
The UN Agreement on Marine Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction ("BBNJ") was adopted by consensus at the United Nations on 19 June 2023. It was opened for signature in New York on 20 September and Ireland was among the first countries to sign on that day. Signature is subject to ratification.
The objective of the BBNJ Agreement is the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction, through effective implementation of the relevant provisions of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and closer international cooperation and coordination. The BBNJ Agreement, in broad terms, aims to close significant gaps in global ocean governance by providing a framework to enhance protection of the marine environment.
A crucial feature of the agreement is a global mechanism for establishing marine protected areas (MPAs) in areas beyond national jurisdiction, namely the high seas and deep seabed. These areas comprise two thirds of global ocean space but only 1% are presently protected by MPAs, far short of what is envisaged by the “30 by 30” target of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework agreed at the Convention on Biodiversity COP15 in December 2022.
In addition to its provisions on MPAs, the agreement will strengthen the global regime for the conduct of environmental impact assessments (EIAs) for activities that may have an impact on the marine environment in areas beyond national jurisdiction. Furthermore, the agreement makes provision for a benefit sharing mechanism in respect of marine genetic resources (MGRs) and contains provisions on capacity building and technology transfer to support developing countries.
Ireland participated actively in the negotiations as part of the EU negotiating team. The agreement has the potential to significantly improve the protection of the global marine environment, and Ireland is committed to working with the international community to realise its full potential.
EU Enlargement
Questions (48)
Brendan Howlin
Question:48. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on progress to EU membership of each of the Western Balkan state applicants, the issues to be resolved by each country to advance their applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41901/23]
View answerWritten answers
Ireland is a strong supporter of EU membership for the countries of the Western Balkans, provided that they meet the necessary conditions for membership. We recognise the value of enlargement as a transformative driver for stability and peace in the Western Balkans. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has highlighted the clear need for continuing, ever-closer cooperation between the EU and our partners in the Western Balkans.
Montenegro and Serbia are the two Western Balkans countries furthest along in the accession process. Montenegro has opened all 33 chapters which apply to them, and provisionally closed three. Following parliamentary elections in June, a process of government formation is on-going. I hope to see a government formed soon, which will take forward with renewed energy Montenegro’s reform agenda. Serbia has opened 22 of 35 chapters, and provisionally closed two. As I emphasised to Prime Minister Brnabic when she visited Ireland in April, we expect candidate countries to demonstrate their commitment to EU values, including through full alignment with CFSP. Progress in the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue is also essential in order to advance Serbia’s candidacy.
Accession negotiations opened with Albania and North Macedonia in July 2022. The screening of the acquis is almost complete, setting the stage for the first cluster of negotiating chapters to open. North Macedonia has yet to amend its constitution to recognise its Bulgarian minority, in line with a 2022 agreement, which is a requirement to advance their candidacy. I hope a resolution to this issue can be found quickly, so as to avoid any unnecessary delays to their accession process.
Bosnia-Herzegovina was granted candidate status in December 2022. The government has made positive progress in recent months to address the 14 key recommendations set out by the Commission. I encourage political leaders in Bosnia-Herzegovina to continue to advance those reforms. I remain seriously concerned over secessionist rhetoric and steps to restrict media and civil society in Republika Srpska, which are fundamentally at odds with EU values.
Kosovo formally applied for EU membership in December 2022. As is the case with Serbia, Kosovo’s European perspective will be significantly determined by progress in the normalisation of relations through the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue. In that context, we have joined EU partners in expressing serious concern at the heightened tensions in northern Kosovo, and fully condemned the most recent attacks on Kosovo Police officers.
Question No. 49 answered with Question No. 14.
Dublin-Monaghan Bombings
Questions (50)
Niamh Smyth
Question:50. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on his engagement with the British Government on issues relating to the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41554/23]
View answerWritten answers
The implementation of the All-Party Dáil motions relating to the Dublin and Monaghan bombings continues to be a priority, in fulfillment of the Programme for a Partnership Government. The continuing absence of a substantive response from the British government on these motions is of deep concern and is an issue I consistently raise with UK Ministers.
When I met with the Secretary of State in Dublin on 16 May to discuss legacy matters, I highlighted to him that the following day was the 49th anniversary of the bombings. I raised the matter again at the British Irish Intergovernmental Conference in June, reminding him of the urgent need for a considered response with a view to ensuring access by an independent, international judicial figure to all original documents relating to the Dublin and Monaghan Bombings
I am conscious that the work by Jon Boucher continues and is very relevant to a number of cases North and South, including the Dublin and Monaghan bombings. I have met with Mr. Boucher to hear about his work and that of his team. It is to be hoped that the report being conducted by Chief Constable Boucher will contribute to the long process of justice, truth and acknowledgement for the victims and survivors.
I attended a very moving and powerful memorial in Dublin on 17 May hosted by Justice for the Forgotten, to remember those that lost their lives in those attacks and to meet with the families of those killed and injured. I assured those families that the Government is committed to actively pursuing the implementation of the all-Party Dáil motions, and to maintaining a close and cooperative relationship with Justice for the Forgotten. Justice for the Forgotten are an organisation funded under the Department of Foreign Affairs' Reconciliation Fund.
Next year marks the 50th anniversary of the appalling attacks of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings. I am acutely aware that families have waited too long for answers. The Government will continue to seek the full facts of the events of 17 May 1974 and of other attacks in this jurisdiction during the Troubles.