Tuesday, 9 Apr 2024

Written Answers Nos. 1-20

Departmental Data

Questions (1)

Richard Bruton

Question:

1. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Taoiseach if he will indicate the life expectancy at birth and at age 65 in 1950, 1970, 1990, 2010 and the most recent year for which data is available. [13516/24]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) produce life expectancy tables every 5 years. Population figures from the most recent census, and the number of deaths recorded the year prior the census, of the census, and the year after the census are utilised to produce life expectancy for men and women.

The most recent data published by the CSO is for the period 2015-2017 and the next iteration will utilise 2022 census figures and deaths for the period 2021-2023. This will be published after the 2023 Vital Statistics Annual report which is released in October 2025.

The table below is taken from the 2015-2017 Irish life tables publication which was published in June 2020. A breakdown is published for both males and females and provides life expectancy estimates at birth but also at various age ranges.

From 2015-2017, life expectancy at birth was estimated to be 79.6 years for males and 83.4 years for females. For those aged 65 at the time of the census, a further 18.3 years was estimated for life expectancy for males and 21.0 years for females.

Eurostat also produce life expectancy statistics, but the methodology utilised in their compilation are different to that of the CSO. Current figures are available for 2022 and the table in the annex includes the breakdown for Ireland. For 2022, life expectancy is said to be 80.9 years for males and 84.2 years for females.

Life expectancy by age

Life Expectancy at birth, and age 65, by sex, 20222
Cohort	At Birth	At 65
Total	82.6	20.5
Male	80.9	19.4
Female	84.2	21.6

Departmental Data

Questions (2)

Richard Bruton

Question:

2. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Taoiseach the numbers of people aged 65-74, 75-84, and 85+ in 2000, 2022, and projected for 2040, and the corresponding ratio each represents as a proportion of those of working age in those years. [13517/24]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach

The usually resident population is estimated and published by the CSO in its annual Population and Migration Estimates publication. The CSO also publishes population projections in the Population and Labour Force Projections publication after each Census. The last set of projections were published in June 2018 and cover the years 2017 – 2051. Work has started on the formulation of the next set of projections that will use the latest 2022 Census of Population data as a baseline, these projections will be published in 2024 and cover the years 2023 – 2057.

Figures from the Population and Migration Estimates and the Population and Labour Force Projections reference April and the table below shows the estimated population, for April 2000, April 2022 and the estimated projected population for April 2040 (the April 2040 figures refer to the M1F2 projection criteria, where M1 is the high migration assumption and F2 is the low fertility assumption). The number of people aged 65-74, 75-84, and 85+ in 2000, and 2022, and projected for 2040 are shown in the table as well as the corresponding percentage that each represents as a proportion of those aged 15-64 years.

-	65 – 74	75 – 84	85 +	% 65 – 74 of 15 – 64	% 74 – 85 of 15 – 64	% 85 + of 15 – 64
Population Estimate			(thousand)	(%)
2000	240.6	144.7	39.4	9.5	5.7	1.6
2022	445.2	251.8	84.4	13.1	7.4	2.5
20401	625.0	433.3	208.6	16.4	11.4	5.5

1 Figures for 2040 refer to the M1F2 projection criteria from the Population and Labour Force Projections 2017 – 2051 publication.

Departmental Data

Questions (3)

Richard Bruton

Question:

3. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Taoiseach the ratio of those aged 65+ to the population of working age in each local authority. [13518/24]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach

The total population aged 65 years and over in the State was 776,315 in Census 2022. This was 23.1% of the population aged 15-64 years (3,360,537).

The following table shows the percentage of people aged 65 years and over as a percentage of the working population (people aged 15-64 years) in each local authority.

Percentage of population aged 65 years and over to the population of working age (15-64 years), by Local Authority, 2022.
Local Authority	%
Ireland	23.1
Carlow	23.1
Dublin City	18.7
Dún Laoghaire - Rathdown	26.3
Fingal	16.6
South Dublin	20.2
Kildare	18.0
Kilkenny	25.8
Laois	20.1
Longford	24.7
Louth	21.9
Meath	18.9
Offaly	24.4
Westmeath	23.1
Wexford	26.3
Wicklow	23.7
Clare	26.6
Cork City	21.7
Cork County	24.7
Kerry	30.1
Limerick City & County	24.6
Tipperary	27.9
Waterford City & County	25.7
Galway City	17.7
Galway County	26.7
Leitrim	30.6
Mayo	32.4
Roscommon	30.2
Sligo	29.4
Cavan	24.3
Donegal	28.7
Monaghan	25.6

Departmental Data

Questions (4)

Richard Bruton

Question:

4. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Taoiseach the numbers of people at work who have pension coverage beyond the social insurance pension, and the number who do not, distinguishing the pattern for male versus female workers, and for those aged under 50 years, and those 50+ years. [13519/24]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach

The Central Statistics Office carries out a survey on supplementary pension coverage on an annual basis, in the third quarter of the year, using the Labour Force Survey (LFS) survey instrument. The first iteration of this annual data collection on pension coverage in the State commenced in Quarter 3 2018.

This survey does not measure pensions provided through the State Social Welfare Scheme and instead relates to occupational and personal pension cover (supplementary pension coverage) only for persons in employment aged 20 to 69 years. It also covers occupational pension coverage from previous employments (also for self-employed persons) and personal pensions where payments have been deferred or are in current draw-down mode.

Table 1 below shows supplementary pension coverage (excluding the State Social Welfare pension) for persons in employment aged 20 to 69 years, distinguishing the pattern for male versus female workers, and for those aged under 50 years, and those 50+ years. The most recent data relates to Quarter 3 2023.

Table 1  Pension coverage in the State for persons in employment (ILO) aged 20 to 69 years, Q3 2023
Pensions in current contribution2				Pensions from current/previous employments and and personal pensions, including deferred pensions and pensions in draw-down mode3
		Yes	No	Yes	No
State		57	43	68	32
Sex by age
Male
	All males1	57	43	68	32
	Under 50 years	55	45	64	36
	50+	60	40	77	23
Female
	All females1	57	43	67	33
	Under 50 years	56	44	65	35
	50+	59	41	73	27
Total
	Under 50 years	56	44	64	36
	50+	59	41	75	25
	Total1	57	43	68	32

1 In employment aged 20 to 69 years.

2 Includes only occupational pensions from current employment and personal pensions in current contribution.

3 Includes occupational pensions from current/previous employments and personal pensions, including deferred pensions and pensions in draw-down mode.

Departmental Data

Questions (5)

Richard Bruton

Question:

5. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Taoiseach the number of people aged 65-69, 70-74, and 75+ who are still in employment. [13520/24]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach

The Labour Force Survey (LFS) is a household survey which provides quarterly statistics on employment and unemployment and is the official source of labour market estimates in the State. The classification of employment status in LFS results is determined according to ILO (International Labour Organisation) concepts and definitions.

It should be noted that as per Eurostat’s operational implementation, the upper age limit for classifying a person as employed in the LFS is 89 years.

In Q4 2023, that latest period for which LFS results are available, 72,100 people aged 65-69 were in employment; 26,900 people aged 70-74 were in employment; 18,700 people 75 years and over were in employment – see Table 1.

Persons in employment (ILO) 65-89 years, Q1 2022 - Q4 2023, 000s

-	Q1 2022	Q2 2022	Q3 2022	Q4 2022	Q1 2023	Q2 2023	Q3 2023	Q4 2023
Age group 65-69 years	58.1	63.0	59.7	63.8	68.6	68.4	69.8	72.1
Age group 70-74 years	29.1	28.5	27.2	24.5	25.7	26.7	30.2	26.9
Age group 75+ years	15.8	16.8	14.9	15.1	15.6	15.9	16.5	18.7

Data may be subject to future revision.
Data may be subject to sampling or other survey errors, which are greater in respect of smaller values or estimates of change.
Reference period: Q1 Jan-Mar,Q2 Apr-Jun,Q3 Jul-Sep,Q4 Oct-Dec.

Departmental Data

Questions (6)

Imelda Munster

Question:

6. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Taoiseach the total number of overseas visitors/tourists to the island of Ireland; and if this is not possible, the total number of overseas visitors/tourists to the State in 2023. [13388/24]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) publishes the Inbound Tourism statistical series, which reports the number of overseas foreign visitors to the state each month, based on passenger surveys at airports and seaports. Foreign visitors are those who are normally resident outside of the State and who stay for one or more nights. Day visitors are not included.

This series commenced in April 2023, following a break in tourism statistics due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The results to date are tabulated below.

Foreign resident overseas visitors departing Ireland on overseas routes, April 2023 - January 2024
2023									2024
Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan
461,900	573,300	619,900	650,200	737,600	582,100	577,400	447,500	445,200	451,900

Full data for the year 2023 will be published in May 2024.

The CSO does not report the number of overseas foreign resident visitors to Northern Ireland. These statistics are compiled by the Northern Ireland Statistical Research Agency (NISRA). NISRA has not published visitor numbers since the pandemic. Therefore, it is not possible to provide tourism statistics for the island of Ireland at present.

Departmental Data

Questions (7)

Carol Nolan

Question:

7. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Taoiseach to list all payments made to a person (details supplied) in relation to the establishment and operation of the constitutional conventions or citizens assemblies from 2011 to date. [13772/24]

Written answers

The Taoiseach

In 2017, the Department of the Taoiseach made two separate payments to the Irish Research Council (IRC), to the total value of €23,746.20. This represented the Department’s contribution to a co-funded IRC grant to Professor David Farrell as Research Leader for the Citizens’ Assembly 2016-2018.

Official Travel

Questions (8)

Peadar Tóibín

Question:

8. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Taoiseach the amount spent by his Department on travel and accommodation costs associated with Ministerial visits abroad to date in 2024, in tabular form. [13814/24]

Written answers

The Taoiseach

From January to March 2024, the Department has incurred expenditure of €86,852.74 on foreign travel. Detailed information on the destination and costs of foreign travel for the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Government Chief Whip, including advisers and senior officials who travel with them and the Minister of State for European Affairs, are published on a monthly basis on the website of the Department of the Taoiseach under the heading Foreign Travel Reports at this link - www.gov.ie/en/collection/8991b0-corporate-reports/. Details of expenditure for trips is published once invoices are received and processed for payment and not all invoices have been received yet for 2024. The Department seeks at all times to ensure best value for money is sought in respect of each official trip undertaken, consistent with the requirements of official business.

Departmental Properties

Questions (9)

Peadar Tóibín

Question:

9. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Taoiseach the number of properties either owned or leased by his Department, which are currently vacant; the length of time the properties have been vacant for; and the location of the properties, in tabular form. [13832/24]

Written answers

The Taoiseach

The Department of the Taoiseach does not own or lease any properties. Accommodation used by the Department is provided and managed by the Office of Public Works and is fully utilised.

Departmental Data

Questions (10)

Seán Sherlock

Question:

10. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Taoiseach the amount of exports to Israel in 2023 and 2024 year to date segmented by value and type of export, in tabular form. [13946/24]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach

The data requested by the Deputy is set out in the table below.

Table A: Exports to Israel 2023 - 2024

Exports	Jan-Dec 2023	Jan 2024
Product Group	Value (€000)	Value (€000)
Food and live animals	31,937	5,198
Beverages and tobacco	3,107	350
Crude materials, inedible, except fuels	858	60
Mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials	3,058	222
Animal and vegetable oils, fats and waxes	18
Chemicals and related products	264,660	31,245
Manufactured goods classified chiefly by material	6,255	496
Machinery and transport equipment	184,959	24,231
Miscellaneous manufactured articles	25,550	1,948
Commodities and transactions not classified elsewhere	0	0
Total	520,401	63,750

Passport Services

Questions (11, 21, 25, 27, 29, 31)

John Brady

Question:

11. Deputy John Brady asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if a passport application (details supplied) can be escalated as the applicants travel date is imminent and the application has passed the target issue date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13564/24]

Paul McAuliffe

Question:

21. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if a passport will be expedited for a person (details supplied). [14244/24]

Niamh Smyth

Question:

25. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if an application for a passport (detail supplied) can be expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14365/24]

Niamh Smyth

Question:

27. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if a passport will be expedited for person (details supplied). [14486/24]

Niamh Smyth

Question:

29. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs for an update on a passport application by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14603/24]

John Brady

Question:

31. Deputy John Brady asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if a passport application (details supplied) can be escalated as the applicants travel date is imminent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14700/24]

Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs

I propose to take Questions Nos. 11, 21, 25, 27, 29 and 31 together.

The Passport Service has issued over 300,000 passports to date this year. The majority of online adult renewal applications issue within two working days and over 90% of applicants now apply online. The Passport Online service offers Irish citizens the ability to apply online for their passport 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is a user-friendly, efficient service that consistently offers processing times up to 4 times faster than paper-based passport renewal applications. Passport Online is now available to 99.9% of all applicants across the world. I would ask the Deputies to encourage their constituents to apply online for the quickest, cheapest and most efficient service.

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

Middle East

Questions (12)

Matt Carthy

Question:

12. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Ireland’s position regarding reform the P5 veto on the United Nations Security Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13646/24]

Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs

Ireland has consistently opposed all use of the veto at the UN Security Council. During Ireland's term as an elected member of the UNSC (2021-2022) we saw first-hand how the veto can be used to prevent the Council from fulfilling its mandate.

Ireland has consistently called for the power of the veto held by the Permanent Five (P5) members of the Security Council to be abolished. The veto is an anachronism and has no place in the 21st century. Permanent membership should be about timeframes, institutional knowledge, representation and effectiveness, not access to unilateral power.

Ireland has been actively engaged in the Intergovernmental Negotiation process to reform the Council, ongoing since 2009, consistently making the case for abolition of the veto.

Ireland was a member from the outset of the core group of states, led by Liechtenstein, who proposed the resolution on veto use that was adopted by the General Assembly on 26 April 2022. This initiative does not prevent the use of the veto. However, it does mean that now, whenever a veto is used, the Permanent Member responsible must explain their decision to the General Assembly. We hope that this will seek to raise the political cost of using it. At the very least, it gives the wider UN membership, at the General Assembly, a voice, when the Security Council has been prevented from acting by the use of a veto. Ireland has joined more than 100 other UN Member States in signing up to the France-Mexico initiative, which calls for the suspension of veto powers in the case of atrocity crimes.

Ireland is actively engaged in seeking reforms and making a positive impact across the work of the entire United Nations. We can have particular influence when we serve on decision-making bodies such as the Security Council and the Human Rights Council. Ireland is seeking membership of the Human Rights Council for the period 2027 – 2029, where we will continue to use our voice to push for accountability, compliance with international law and the promotion of human rights.

United Nations

Questions (13)

Éamon Ó Cuív

Question:

13. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the process of consultation he intends following in considering whether Ireland should change the “Triple Lock” arrangement in relation to sending troops on missions abroad; whether at present UN sanction for a mission can only be given if there is unanimity amongst the members of the Security Council or if there is another route involving both the Security Council and the General Assembly not requiring unanimity on the Security Council; the efforts Ireland has made to get agreement for a change in the protocols to be followed in approving missions by the UN; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13665/24]

Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs

At its establishment in 1945, the UN Security Council was given primary responsibility in the UN Charter for maintaining international peace and security. UN Peacekeeping Operations are deployed with the assent of the Council. Under Article 25 of the UN Charter, all UN members agree to accept and carry out the decisions of the Security Council. While other organs of the UN may make recommendations to Member States, the Council alone has the power to take decisions which Member States are obligated to implement.

The adoption of a UN Security Resolution mandating a UN Peacekeeping Operation requires the affirmative vote of nine of the 15 Security Council members. However, due to the veto power of the five permanent members of the Security Council (China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America), each of them must also either vote in favour of the resolution or abstain. A UN Peacekeeping Operation resolution cannot be adopted if one or more of the Permanent Five vote against it.

In short, the UN General Assembly cannot approve a peacekeeping operation. In certain instances, where a matter has been considered by the Security Council and has been the subject of a veto, the General Assembly may consider the matter and make a recommendation to UN Members for collective action (under the Uniting for Peace Resolution). However, these recommendations are not legally binding and the General Assembly cannot compel action. That power is reserved to the Security Council.

Only once has the UN General Assembly invoked the Uniting for Peace Resolution and recommended a peacekeeping operation, establishing the first UN Emergency Force in 1956 in the Middle East. UNEF was not a peace-enforcement operation, as envisaged in Article 42 of the United Nations Charter, but a peacekeeping operation to be carried out with the consent and the cooperation of the parties to the conflict.

Ireland has consistently called for the power of the veto held by the Permanent Five members of the Security Council to be abolished. This includes our active engagement in the Intergovernmental Negotiation process to reform the Council, where we have consistently made the case for abolition of the veto.

On the matter of the so-called Triple Lock mechanism, this sets out the conditions for the deployment of Irish Defence Forces' personnel for peacekeeping operations overseas. These include that the operation must be mandated by the UN, approved by the Government and it must be approved by way of resolution of Dáil Éireann, where the size of the Defence Force contribution is more than 12 personnel.

Last year’s Consultative Forum on International Security Policy featured a well-informed discussion on the issue of UN peacekeeping and the Triple Lock, which was reflected in the Chair’s report. As I have set out in the Dáil, we clearly need a new process to replace the current system which effectively allows UN Security Council members to bind Ireland’s hands in its international engagement. Arising from this, I have instructed officials in the Department of Defence to prepare legislative proposals without delay that would govern future overseas deployments of our Defence Forces. Work on the preparation of those legislative proposals is advancing, with a view to proposals being brought to Government very shortly. It is important that I emphasise, however, that any legislative proposals will remain fully consistent with the principles of the UN Charter and international law.

As the Deputy will be aware, the General Scheme of any Bill will be brought for pre-legislative scrutiny consideration by the Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence to determine if pre-legislative scrutiny is required. Any proposals agreed by Government will then have to be presented to, debated and approved by the Dáil and Seanad, thus providing the Oireachtas with ample opportunity to scrutinise any such proposals.

Any modification to the Triple Lock will continue to require Government and Dáil approval, where appropriate, for the dispatch of Defence Forces’ personnel to take part in peacekeeping and similar missions and will do nothing to change Ireland’s traditional position of military neutrality, which is characterised by Ireland's non-participation in any military alliance.

Middle East

Questions (14)

Alan Dillon

Question:

14. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will share the plans related to the dispatch of Irish military aircraft to the Middle East for the purpose of delivering crucial humanitarian aid to Gaza; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13668/24]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs

The priorities in Gaza must be an immediate ceasefire, the unconditional release of hostages held by Hamas, ensuring accountability for violations of international humanitarian law, and addressing the stark humanitarian needs of the Palestinian people. Humanitarian access to Gaza and a massive scaling up of aid are essential to meet the extreme levels of need of the population.

Ireland’s response to the crisis has included the provision of in-kind assistance in addition to significant humanitarian funding. We have has provided €40 million in humanitarian assistance in response to the suffering caused by the conflict in Gaza since last October. This includes €20 million provided in February in immediate core funding for 2024 for the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). UNRWA is mandated to provide life-saving essential services for 5.7 million Palestinian refugees, across the region. In 2023, we provided €18 million in core funding to UNRWA.

We have also supported the responses of the UN OCHA Occupied Palestinian Territories Humanitarian Fund, the World Food Programme, the World Health Organisation and the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Each of these agencies have the experience and capacity to deliver assistance, to the extent possible in extraordinarily difficult circumstances.

Ireland is also using our well-established partnership with the UN Humanitarian Response Depot (UNHRD) to deliver aid supplies to Gaza. As this involves humanitarian supplies which we have already pre-positioned in the region, there is no requirement for the use of an Irish military aircraft. This method of delivering aid has proven to be effective, with 50 tonnes of Irish Aid shelter items delivered to Gaza in December.

A further delivery of Irish Aid humanitarian supplies has left the UNHRD in Dubai and is expected to arrive in Amman in the coming days for onward transport to Gaza. This involves 66 tonnes of humanitarian supplies, including tents, tarpaulins, water tanks, hygiene kits and kitchen sets from our supplies in the UNHRD warehouse in Dubai.

Official Travel

Questions (15)

Peadar Tóibín

Question:

15. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the amount spent by his Department on travel and accommodation costs associated with Ministerial visits abroad to date in 2024, in tabular form. [13806/24]

Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs

The tables below outline the dates and destinations of each Ministerial visit to date in 2024 and the associated travel and hotel costs for the relevant Ministers and other members of travelling delegations.

In some cases, there were no travel costs charged to the Department or reduced costs, as Ministerial Air Transport was organised by the Air Corps, while in other cases there were no accommodation costs or reduced costs, as the host authorities covered some or all costs. Such cases are denoted by an asterisk.

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin TD

Dates	Destinations	Delegation members, in addition to Tánaiste	Total Travel Costs	Total Accommodation Costs
07/01/2024 - 12/01/2024	Mexico and Bogotá	4	€24,035	€4,731
17/01/2024 - 19/01/2024	Berlin	4	€1,342	€1,600
21/01/2024 - 22/01/2024	Brussels	4	€209*	€1,794
05/02/2024 - 08/02/2024	Chicago and Washington	4	€8,195	€3,252
16/02/2024 - 18/02/2024	Munich	5	€426*	€2,884
18/02/2024 - 19/02/2024	Brussels	5	€356*	€1,345
12/03/2024 - 18/03/2024	Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto	4	€17,793	€5,313*

Minister of State with responsibility for EU Affairs, Peter Burke TD

Dates	Destinations	Delegation members, in addition to Minister	Total Travel Costs	Total Accommodation Costs
28/01/2024 - 29/01/2024	Brussels	1	€520	€388
31/01/2024 - 01/02/2024	Brussels	1	*	€354
26/02/2024 - 28/02/2024	Geneva	1	€1,477	€1,014
04/03/2024 - 06/03/2024	Copenhagen	1	€738	€450
11/03/2024 - 18/03/2024	Atlanta	1	€6,617	€3,835
19/03/2024 - 20/03/2024	Brussels	1	€232	€388
01/04/2024 - 02/04/2024	The Hague	1	€740	€145*

Minister of State with responsibility for International Development and Diaspora, Sean Fleming TD

Dates	Destinations	Delegation members, in addition to Minister	Total Travel Costs	Total Accommodation Costs
01/02/2024 - 02/02/2024	Brussels	2	€933	€179
11/02/2024 - 12/02/2024	Brussels	3	€1,142	*
22/02/2024 - 23/02/2024	New York	2	€3,432	€427
12/03/2024 - 20/03/2024	Abuja-Lagos	2	€4,199	€3,958

Departmental Properties

Questions (16)

Peadar Tóibín

Question:

16. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of properties either owned or leased by his Department, which are currently vacant; the length of time the properties have been vacant for; and the location of the properties, in tabular form. [13824/24]

Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs

The Department of Foreign Affairs does not own or lease any properties within this jurisdiction. The Office of Public Works is responsible for all accommodation utilised by the Department of Foreign Affairs within the state.

Passport Services

Questions (17)

Niamh Smyth

Question:

17. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs to review a case (details supplied) and expedite a passport application. [13922/24]

Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs

The Passport Service has issued over 300,000 passports to date this year. The majority of online adult renewal applications issue within two working days and over 90% of applicants now apply online.The Passport Online service offers Irish citizens the ability to apply online for their passport 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is a user-friendly, efficient service that consistently offers processing times up to 4 times faster than paper-based passport renewal applications. Passport Online is now available to 99.9% of all applicants across the world.I would ask the Deputy to encourage her constituents to apply online for the quickest, cheapest and most efficient service.

With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service requested further documents for the application on 20th March 2024. The application cannot proceed until the required supporting documents have been received. The Passport Service has advised the applicant of the option of booking an Urgent Appointment for passport renewal.

Foreign Birth Registration

Questions (18)

Michael Fitzmaurice

Question:

18. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs when a decision will be made in the application for foreign birth registration by a person (details supplied), who applied in August 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13981/24]

Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs

My Department is responsible for processing Foreign Birth Registration (FBR) applications for people who are born abroad and claim Irish citizenship through a grandparent born in Ireland or through a parent who has claimed citizenship also through FBR, Naturalisation or Post Nuptial Citizenship.

Foreign Birth Registration (FBR) applications are currently being processed within the normal turnaround time of 9 months from receipt of supporting documents. Applications which require further supporting documents will take longer to process.

Foreign Birth Registration, by its nature, is a detailed and complex process, often involving official documentation relating to three generations and issued by several jurisdictions. Such documents take considerable time to validate.

The Passport Service Customer Service Hub has dedicated agents to deal with Foreign Birth Registration application queries. The contact number for urgent Foreign Birth Registration queries is [phone]. This number is also available on the Department's website.

With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, this application was registered on the 25 August 2023, is within the standard turnaround time and has not yet reached its issue by date.

Foreign Policy

Questions (19)

Richard Boyd Barrett

Question:

19. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he is aware of reports of election-rigging in last February’s election in Pakistan; if he has taken the matter up with the government of Pakistan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14051/24]

Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs

Ireland aligns with the Statement by the EU High Representative on the general election in Pakistan on 8 February. We support the EU's call on the relevant authorities in Pakistan to ensure a timely and full investigation of all reported election irregularities and to implement the recommendations of the EU Election Expert Mission report. The Department of Foreign Affairs has raised these issues with the Ambassador of Pakistan to Ireland.

Ireland engages regularly with Pakistan on political and human rights issues in the country, at both bilateral and multilateral level. Senior officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs held bilateral and political consultations with the Pakistani Foreign Ministry in Islamabad on 18 May 2023, during which the domestic political situation and human rights issues were discussed in detail. On 6 March 2024, the EU and Pakistan held their 9th Political Dialogue in Islamabad. At this meeting, the EU underlined that bilateral relations with Pakistan should be built upon the shared values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law. The EU once again encouraged Pakistan to address the recommendations put forward by the EU Election Expert Mission following the general election. The Embassy of Ireland in Türkiye, which is accredited to Pakistan, continues to monitor the situation in Pakistan closely, in close consultation with the EU Delegation in Islamabad, pending the opening of an Embassy of Ireland in Islamabad later this year.

Departmental Advertising

Questions (20)

Jackie Cahill

Question:

20. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if his Department uses community radio for advertising and public awareness campaigns; if not, the reason, given the vital role community radio often plays in the dissemination of information to local communities; if his Department will consider using community radio for public awareness campaigns in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14169/24]

Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs

My Department uses traditional and online advertising to promote essential services to citizens at home and abroad. This includes campaigns relating to passport and consular services. In recent years, public awareness campaigns in relation to COVID-19 travel restrictions and Brexit have been a significant element of campaigns. The Department also uses traditional and online advertising to communicate to international audiences with the aim of projecting Ireland’s visibility and values abroad.

My Department’s campaigns use a wide range of media to reach as many citizens as possible. This includes digital and social media, video on demand (VOD), print, display touchpoints, as well as a mix of audio ads including national and regional radio stations to maximise coverage across the country and to include urban and rural communities.

In order to reach the greatest audience possible, the majority of this advertising is undertaken using commercial radio stations. However, mindful of the important role community radio can play for individual campaigns, my Department considers all options in this regard. The recent cross-governmental media campaign to raise awareness of Brexit-related UK import controls implemented at the end of January 2024 included radio ads that aired on regional and local radio outlets, as well as Dublin City FM. Dublin City Council facilitated this partnership.