Parliamentary questions

Irish Prisoners Abroad

Micheál Martin

328. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he or the Taoiseach has spoken recently to the Prime Minister of Egypt about a person (details supplied). [23024/17]

Dublin-Monaghan Bombings

Micheál Martin

329. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of discussions at political or official level regarding the Dublin and Monaghan bombings. [24363/17]

North-South Ministerial Council

Micheál Martin

330. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on the North-South Ministerial Council. [24679/17]

Dublin-Monaghan Bombings

Brendan Smith

331. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will ensure that the need for the British Government to release the papers and files pertaining to the Dublin and Monaghan bombings of 1974 is a priority issue in discussions that will be held at Government level following the British general election; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25668/17]

Passport Services

Seán Crowe

332. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if persons applying for passports from autumn 2017 will need to have public services cards; the reason for this change; if he has considered the negative consequences it will have for persons living in Northern Ireland; and his views on whether it impinges and places unnecessary burdens on the right of Irish citizens resident there to apply for Irish passports. [25675/17]

Human Rights

Richard Boyd Barrett

333. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the persecution being suffered by the Guarani-Kaiowá people in Mato Grosso do Sul in Brazil including their forced removal from their ancestral lands at the hands of agribusiness, the Brazilian Government and paramilitaries; if he will contact the Brazilian Government and convey the State's indignation at the crimes that are being inflicted on the Guarani-Kaiowá; if he will insist that the Brazilian Government and the UN intervene to protect the human rights and land rights of the Guarani-Kaiowá; if the State and the UN will send observers to the area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25646/17]

Arms Trade

Richard Boyd Barrett

334. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on whether it is appropriate that the State should trade with Israel, particularly in the area of armaments, in view of the ongoing denial of basic human rights to the Palestinian population, the continued expansion of illegal settlements into Palestinian terriroty and the current freedom and dignity hunger strike of 1,500 Palestinian prisoners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25649/17]

Irish Prisoners Abroad

Richard Boyd Barrett

335. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on his efforts to have a person (details supplied) released from prison in Cairo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25650/17]

Foreign Conflicts

Darragh O'Brien

336. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the steps that have been taken by the European Union to address the ongoing situation in Turkey which has resulted in a shutdown of the media and the arrest of thousands of persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25720/17]

UN Commission on the Status of Women

Mick Wallace

337. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the current system in which voting on membership of certain bodies takes place in secret which was highlighted by the recent controversy surrounding the election of Saudi Arabia to the UN Commission on the Status of Women in view of his Department's role in UN human rights bodies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25825/17]

Human Rights

Mick Wallace

338. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade further to Question No. 267 of 28 March 2017, if he has raised the issue of China's classification of all Democratic People's Republic of Korea, DPRK, citizens fleeing the regime and entering illegally into China as economic migrants at the UN level or bilaterally with China, in view of the fact that this classification prevents the UNHCR from carrying out its work in determining the status of DPRK citizens as refugees and results in many DPRK citizens being sent back to a regime in which they face grave danger in violation of China's obligations of non-refoulement under the UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees 1951; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25826/17]

Trade Sanctions

Mick Wallace

339. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will consider an official boycott of goods from illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories in view of the UN position that these ongoing settlements constitute a flagrant violation of international law and a serious obstacle to peace in the region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25827/17]

Refugee Resettlement Programme

Mick Wallace

340. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the imminent closure of three Elliniko refugee camps in Greece; if his Department is playing a role in the resettlement of the camps' inhabitants, in particular unaccompanied minors; if his Department has a presence on the ground in these camps; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25828/17]

Human Trafficking

Mick Wallace

341. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to UNICEF's recent finding of a 500% rise in unaccompanied and separated child refugees since 2010-11 and the increasing dangers posed by traffickers; the steps he is taking to address the deteriorating situation for unaccompanied refugee children trying to reach Europe and Ireland in particular; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25829/17]

Refugee Resettlement Programme

Mick Wallace

342. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will consider sending officials from his Department to assist, in the first instance, and to promote Ireland as a favourable destination for refugees and unaccompanied minors in particular, in view of the reports that fast-track migrant centres in Greece and Italy are overwhelmed; the details of discussions he has had to this effect with his counterparts in the Department of Justice and Equality, and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25830/17]

Refugee Resettlement Programme

Richard Boyd Barrett

343. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on whether the chemical attacks on civilians in Syria shows the need for a greater effort by Ireland in taking in refugees from the region fleeing this war; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25836/17]

Trade Strategy

Bernard Durkan

344. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the degree to which his Department continues to pursue trade and market opportunities throughout the European Union and beyond with a view to compensating for losses arising from Brexit or other geopolitical activities or development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25984/17]

EU Development

Bernard Durkan

345. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which, in the context of the White Paper on EU reform, the issues most likely to affect Ireland and the European Union in its entirety have so far emerged; his plans to address such issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25985/17]

Refugee Resettlement Programme

Bernard Durkan

346. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which the EU expects to be in a position to respond to the issue of refugees, including those crossing the Mediterranean by boat; the extent to which all EU countries are likely to support measures to address the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25986/17]

Brexit Issues

Bernard Durkan

347. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which he expects to be in a position to defend the cause of Ireland and Northern Ireland in the Brexit discussions, having particular regard to ensuring that the island of Ireland is not disadvantaged by Britain's withdrawal from the EU; if it is recognised that the Single Market and customs union are necessary vehicles to ensure unimpeded trade with the EU and access to UK markets via the European Union, with specific reciprocal arrangements for the UK to and through the EU; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25987/17]

Refugee Resettlement Programme

Bernard Durkan

348. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the improved proposals the EU may have to cater for an influx of refugees during the summer; if a unified approach might emerge; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25988/17]

Trade Strategy

Bernard Durkan

349. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on whether Ireland can improve its trade with various African countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25989/17]

Trade Strategy

Bernard Durkan

350. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which his Department continues to pursue market opportunities for products globally; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25990/17]

EU Enlargement

Bernard Durkan

351. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which countries in the western Balkans continue to work towards EU membership; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25992/17]

Humanitarian Aid

Bernard Durkan

352. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which aid continues to be directed towards those for whom it was intended in all areas throughout the globe, with particular reference to the continent of Africa. [25993/17]

Refugee Resettlement Programme

Bernard Durkan

353. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if new initiatives are required and agreed to deal with the refugee situation in Europe, with particular reference to attempting to achieve a Europe-wide approach; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25994/17]

Humanitarian Aid

Bernard Durkan

354. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will identify the most vulnerable locations globally to which aid continues to be directed; the success or otherwise of such operations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25995/17]

International Terrorism

Bernard Durkan

355. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which he and his EU and UN colleagues continue to address the threat of international terrorism; if particular initiatives are likely with a view to protecting peaceful citizens; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25996/17]

Brexit Issues

Bernard Durkan

356. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which he remains assured that all other EU member states continue to support Ireland's position in negotiations on Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25997/17]

EU Development

Bernard Durkan

357. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which efforts are ongoing within the European Union to address the issue of euroscepticism; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25998/17]

Coastal Erosion

Darragh O'Brien

358. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the status of the provision of coastal erosion protection measures at Portrane, County Dublin; the funding he has allocated for this project; the expected commencement date of work on same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25485/17]

Public Sector Pensions

Declan Breathnach

359. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if recently retired public servants and local authority staff will receive an increase to their pension from the partial pay restoration which commenced on 1 April 2017; if future pay restoration measures will increase pension benefits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25335/17]

Pension Levy Data

Alan Kelly

360. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the amount of pension-related deductions deducted in each Department in each of the years 2012 to 2016 in tabular form. [25354/17]

Flood Relief Schemes

Joan Burton

361. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the reason for the delay in the Office of Public Works formally approving the lower Morrell river flood relief scheme and the funding of same in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25524/17]

Heritage Projects

Joan Burton

362. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform further to parliamentary question number 210 of 3 May 2017, if he will review the phase 2 restoration works to Maynooth Castle, Maynooth, County Kildare, in the context of the current capital review, in view of the importance of the castle to Maynooth and the wider region as a tourist attraction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25530/17]

Flood Risk Assessments

Joan Burton

363. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he has approved the draft catchment flood risk assessment and management study, CFRAMS, for the eastern region; if he has set up a framework of consultants to carry out the studies recommended in the finalised report; his plans to carry out further studies on flooding at Hazelhatch, Celbridge, County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25533/17]

Office of Government Procurement

Noel Rock

364. Deputy Noel Rock asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of contracts that have been agreed under the Office of Government Procurement’s framework for media monitoring of all sources - print, online, social media and broadcast media; the annual value of those contracts; if his attention or the attention of the Office of Government Procurement has been drawn to concerns regarding the quality of media monitoring services since the acquisition of a company (details supplied) was announced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25546/17]

Public Service Pay Commission Reports

Róisín Shortall

365. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when he expects the final report of the Public Service Pay Commission to be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25575/17]

Public Sector Pensions

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

366. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans regarding the restoration in full of all State employee pension entitlements cut under the FEMPI measures; the full impact of the cuts that applied; the partial restoration which has taken place to date; the timeframe for full restoration across all State employee sectors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25576/17]

Climate Change Adaptation Plans

Alan Kelly

367. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the specific actions he has undertaken under the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015 to contribute to the national mitigation plan. [25692/17]

Climate Change Adaptation Plans

Alan Kelly

368. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the specific actions the Office of Public Works has undertaken under the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015 to contribute to the national mitigation plan. [25694/17]

Office of Public Works Data

Alan Kelly

369. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if, during each of the years 2005 to 2016, and to date in 2017, the OPW rented out properties owned by it for which it received no rent; the details of the properties concerned; the dates they were rented from; the rent that was not paid to the OPW; and the reason for same in tabular form. [25699/17]

Budget 2017

Thomas P. Broughan

370. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the expenditure carryover from budget 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25814/17]

Public Sector Pay

Clare Daly

371. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the timeframe for ending the pay disparity in the public sector between those that started work in that sector pre-2012 and post-2012. [25858/17]

Legal Advice

Clare Daly

372. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the due diligence processes, including reviews or analysis of professional conduct, competence and background, including allegations of misconduct, that are conducted prior to the appointment of legal advisers to public bodies, including the Standards in Public Office Commission. [25861/17]

Public Services Card

Thomas P. Broughan

373. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will report on the recent announcement that a public services card will be required by persons applying for passports and driver's licences; the reasons for these proposals; if they will apply to renewals or just new applications; when he expects the measures to be introduced; if the Data Protection Commissioner has been consulted; if so, the advice given; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25923/17]

Public Services Card

Thomas P. Broughan

374. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the consideration given to persons living abroad in the recently announced proposals that a public services card will be required by persons applying for passports and drivers licences; the allowances that will be made for such circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25924/17]

Public Sector Pensions Data

John Curran

375. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of persons in receipt of a public sector pension in 2016 in pension bands (details supplied) in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25955/17]

Údarás na Gaeltachta Funding

Bríd Smith

376. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 213 and 214 of 23 March 2017, the grants provided by Údarás na Gaeltachta to client companies that are among the Succeed in Ireland initiative companies credited with providing verified jobs; and the amount provided for all companies that are in this scheme. [25281/17]

Legislative Measures

Peadar Tóibín

377. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the details of her Department’s communications with the European Commission regarding proposed changes to sections of the Wildlife Acts described in the Heritage Bill 2016. [25363/17]