Parliamentary questions

Foreign Conflicts

Seán Crowe

99. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the attempts of the President of the National Assembly of Venezuela, Mr. Juan Guaidó, to carry out an alleged military coup in Venezuela (details supplied); if he will condemn this alleged coup attempt; and if he will revise his decision to declare Mr. Juan Guaidó as the interim President of Venezuela. [20123/19]

Economic Sanctions

Seán Crowe

100. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the Government of the United States of America is intensifying its alleged illegal blockade of Cuba and that a person (details supplied) confirmed that the American Government would fully implement Title III of the Helms-Burton Act allowing Cuban Americans to sue foreign companies; and if he will condemn the continued alleged illegal blockade of Cuba and intensification of the blockade. [20125/19]

Office of Public Works Projects

Seán Crowe

209. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the reason for the clearing of a large number of trees and hedgerows along Whitechurch stream in St. Enda’s Park and the Pearse Museum, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16, in late March 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18490/19]

Archaeological Sites

Seán Crowe

1625. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if the National Monuments Service has analysed the full report into recent bronze age discoveries in an archaeological dig on land on Scholarstown Road, Templeogue, Dublin 16; and if she will request a full independent archaeological survey of the site and publish a plan for the preservation of the significant finds. [20124/19]

Good Friday Agreement

Seán Crowe

49. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the ongoing difficulties being faced by Irish citizens in Northern Ireland in asserting their Irish citizenship and that in certain cases Irish citizens are being forced to renounce British citizenship even though they are not and have not claimed to be British citizens; the steps he is taking to ensure that the British Government fully upholds the Good Friday Agreement in all its parts, including those relating to citizenship; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17697/19]

Foreign Conflicts

Seán Crowe

53. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to recent anti-Government protests in Sudan (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17562/19]

Humanitarian Aid Provision

Seán Crowe

59. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the assistance his Department is providing to Mozambique to recover from the devastation brought by Cyclone Idai (details supplied); and if he will report the response of Ireland to the disaster and humanitarian crisis. [17561/19]

Middle East Issues

Seán Crowe

60. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the comments of the Israeli Prime Minister that if he wins re-election he will annex illegal Israeli colonial settlements in the occupied West Bank; if he will condemn these comments; and the response he will take if Israel moves towards annexing illegal Israeli colonial settlements in Palestine. [17558/19]

Foreign Conflicts

Seán Crowe

66. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to renewed fighting in Libya and the fact that the UN is reporting significant civilian casualties and that thousands are fleeing fighting around Tripoli; and the steps Ireland is taking to ensure a new ceasefire is negotiated. [17560/19]

Human Rights

Seán Crowe

86. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to new legislation introduced in Brunei which includes punishments such as death by stoning or whipping for homosexuality; if he will condemn these new laws; and if he has raised the issue directly with the Government of Brunei. [17559/19]

Railway Stations

Seán Crowe

430. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if Athy train station will become a staffless station; and if so, his plans to ensure that assistance is provided to persons who need it to alight and disembark trains. [14776/19]

Human Rights

Seán Crowe

152. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his plans to support a UN binding treaty on business and human rights in 2019; if constructive feedback will be provided on the zero draft of the treaty; if he will participate in upcoming consultations organised by the chair-rapporteur of the open-ended intergovernmental working group; if he will attend and engage constructively at the fifth intergovernmental meeting of the working group in Geneva in October 2019; and if he will use influence to help ensure the EU participates with a negotiating mandate in the fifth session of the working group. [13168/19]

Archaeological Sites

Seán Crowe

1433. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if her attention has been drawn to recent Bronze Age discoveries in an archaeological dig (details supplied); if she has been briefed on the find or given an archaeological report; the status of the find; and her plans for preservation. [13235/19]

Trade Agreements

Seán Crowe

249. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation her views on whether it is appropriate for her Department to object to trade deals that do not satisfy a precondition (details supplied) at EU level; and her further views on the ongoing negotiations regarding two trade agreements with the USA and that with Mercosur, in view of their lack of compliance with the Paris Agreement. [12304/19]

Semi-State Bodies

Seán Crowe

75. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the fact that indigenous and Afro-descendent communities in the state of La Guajira, Colombia, have launched a lawsuit against the coal supplier of the ESB in Colombia (detailed supplied); if the embassy in Colombia is following the legal case; if his Department has raised the issue with the ESB; and if he has discussed the issue with the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment. [11076/19]

Naturalisation Eligibility

Seán Crowe

136. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to review the policy of not granting citizenship or naturalisation to spouses of Irish citizens living abroad and who do not comply with residency requirements laid down in legislation. [11075/19]

Hospitals Data

Seán Crowe

317. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health the number of elective surgeries and procedures cancelled by specialty at Tallaght University Hospital by month in 2017, 2018 and to date in 2019, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10508/19]

State Bodies

Seán Crowe

432. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the oversight responsibilities his Department has towards ESB International and its investment projects abroad; and if he will report on the projects of ESB International taking into consideration compliance with the Paris Agreement. [10819/19]

Motor Insurance Costs

Seán Crowe

44. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Finance if he has discussed the statistics on motor insurance prices with the CSO; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9957/19]

Sectarian Violence

Seán Crowe

2. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland has found that significant and sensitive information about the activities of loyalist paramilitaries between 1988 and 1994 was withheld by the Police Service of Northern Ireland from the investigators of the ombudsman; his views on this development; if he has raised this matter with the British Government; and if he will meet the families and victims of the Irish citizens killed in the cases that the ombudsman was investigating. [9758/19]

Middle East Issues

Seán Crowe

10. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the refusal by the Israeli Government to extend the mandate of the Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH); if his attention has been drawn to the work of TIPH in monitoring the breaches of a protocol (details supplied); if his attention has been further drawn to the fact that the work of the TIPH is enshrined in the Oslo II accords in 1995; and if the decision by the Israeli Government to refuse to extend the mandate of the TIPH will be condemned. [9634/19]

Foreign Conflicts

Seán Crowe

27. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the amassing of troops from the United States of America on the border between Colombia and Venezuela (details supplied); if the calls on the Venezuelan military to enter the political arena and engage in a coup will be condemned; and if he will support the Montevideo dialogue initiative. [9636/19]

International Agreements

Seán Crowe

30. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade when the EU-Cuba Political Dialogue and Co-operation Agreement will be ratified (details supplied). [9637/19]

Foreign Policy

Seán Crowe

44. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the United Nations Human Rights Council, UNHRC, resolution on Sri Lanka 30/1, extended by resolution 34/1, which is due to expire in March 2019 (details supplied); if efforts to ensure a new strong UNHRC resolution on Sri Lanka post-March 2019 will be supported; and if requests for the creation of an international tribunal into the allegations of war crimes in Sri Lanka which have yet to be properly investigated and the perpetrators punished will be supported. [9635/19]

Foreign Policy

Seán Crowe

45. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a Kurdish Member of Parliament (details supplied) is on a hunger strike since November 2018; and if concerns for their health and well-being will be raised with his Turkish counterpart. [9638/19]

Ministerial Meetings

Seán Crowe

85. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Skills when he last met formally with the chief executive officer and chairperson of the State Examinations Commission; the issues discussed; and when he will next meet the CEO and chairperson. [9982/19]

Garda Resources

Seán Crowe

90. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if funding has been made available in 2019 to replace the boats in the Garda water unit. [9980/19]

Naturalisation Applications

Seán Crowe

101. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to review the policy of not granting citizenship or naturalisation to spouses of Irish citizens living abroad. [8809/19]

Local Authority Housing

Seán Crowe

72. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the situation facing residents at a location (details supplied); if the local authority has raised the case with his Department; and if supports will be provided for the affected tenants. [8253/19]

Chemical Weapons

Seán Crowe

74. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to reports that the Indonesian armed forces have been accused of deploying chemical weapons suspected to be white phosphorus, banned under international law in West Papua (details supplied); if he will request that the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons investigate the issue as a matter of priority; and if he will raise the issue with his Indonesian counterpart. [7294/19]

Trade Sanctions

Seán Crowe

144. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the fact that the Government of the United States of America may implement Title 3 of the Helms-Burton Act (details supplied); and if he will raise the matter with his US counterpart. [7137/19]

Passport Applications Administration

Seán Crowe

53. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade further to Parliamentary Question No. 53 of 31 January 2019, the reason Part 10 of the Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 does not address those who conceive through assisted human reproduction; the amendments that would need to be made in order to recognise mothers here legally regarding their legally registered child; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6113/19]

Middle East Issues

Seán Crowe

54. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the most recent report by EU diplomats in Ramallah (details supplied); his views on the report; if he has discussed the report with his counterparts in other EU member states; if his attention has been further drawn to the comments by a person (details supplied); and his views on whether such systemic legal discrimination amounts to apartheid. [6114/19]

Passport Applications

Seán Crowe

53. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if an Irish citizen legally registered in Britain as the mother of a child conceived through assisted human reproduction with her British spouse who is the birth mother is eligible to apply for an Irish passport for the child. [4735/19]

Trade Agreements

Seán Crowe

44. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the UN-recognised representative of the Saharawis has stated that it will again take a case against an EU-Morocco trade deal to the European Court of Justice (details supplied); if his attention has been further drawn to the fact that the EU and member states continue to ignore this ruling; his views on the December 2016 ECJ ruling that established that Western Sahara is separate and distinct from Morocco; and if he has raised the continued neglect of this ruling with EU officials and his counterparts in other EU member states. [3963/19]

Foreign Policy

Seán Crowe

46. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the two Catalan civil society activists and seven Catalan politicians that remain imprisoned in Spain (details supplied); and if he has raised the continued detention of the persons with his Spanish counterpart. [3966/19]

Human Rights Cases

Seán Crowe

70. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the mass hunger strike of over 200 Kurdish political prisoners in Turkey; if he is concerned for the health and well-being of a person (details supplied); and if he has raised the hunger strike and the continued jailing of political activists by Turkey with his Turkish counterpart. [3965/19]

Human Rights Cases

Seán Crowe

91. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to reports of violent state backed attacks on LGBT persons in Chechnya (details supplied); and if he has raised this matter with his Russian counterpart. [3962/19]

Human Rights Committees

Seán Crowe

92. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on the inaugural meeting of the business and human rights implementation group which took place on 16 January 2019; the plan of work for the group in 2019; and if the group will be working with semi-State companies here to ensure effective human rights due diligence is taking place. [3964/19]

Home Care Packages Provision

Seán Crowe

216. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health if a person (details supplied) residing in hospital after a recent illness has been awarded 21 hours of care but remains unapproved on a financial basis; the reason for the delay; and when this care package will be finalised and approved. [3467/19]

Human Rights

Seán Crowe

48. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to recent protests in Sudan (details supplied); if the violence and repression carried out by the Sudanese forces against civilians will be condemned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2087/19]

Referendum Campaigns

Seán Crowe

267. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government when it is planned to hold a referendum on lowering the voting age; the reason for the delay of the original proposed date of May 2019; if the referendum will take place in 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2117/19]

Speech and Language Therapy Data

Seán Crowe

320. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health if a child (details supplied) was referred to the school age team in September 2017 and has not received supports; the reason for the delay; the approximate timescale for support for the child; the further length of time the child will have to wait; the number of children awaiting speech and language support in this catchment area; and the average waiting time for a child in need of speech and language therapy in this area. [53085/18]

EU Agreements

Seán Crowe

148. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of the EU-Morocco fisheries agreement and protocol; if he will be attending the next meeting of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council on 17 and 18 December 2018; if the agreement will be discussed; and if he will oppose the agreement (details supplied). [51140/18]

Foreign Conflicts

Seán Crowe

124. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the security situation that human rights defenders are facing in Guatemala (details supplied); and if he will raise the deteriorating situation with his Guatemalan counterpart and request that the Government of Guatemala conducts prompt investigations and legal prosecution of those responsible for murders, attacks and harassment against defenders. [50329/18]

Middle East Issues

Seán Crowe

127. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has discussed issues (details supplied) with his Israeli counterpart; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50630/18]

Foreign Conflicts

Seán Crowe

128. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the support he is providing to ensure the peace in South Sudan holds and moves to a sustainable peace process; the further supports he is providing for the humanitarian crisis in the country; his plans to increase same; and if he will support the conflict resolution and peacebuilding being carried out by civil society organisations and non-governmental organisations in the country. [49157/18]

Trade Agreements

Seán Crowe

129. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his views on the EU-Mercosur trade deal have altered to take into account the new incoming far right Government in Brazil. [49158/18]

Trade Agreements

Seán Crowe

132. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has had communications with the Brazilian Government regarding Brazil's regressive climate action policies including the appointment of climate-denying Ministers-elect, and the increase in the rate of deforestation in the country. [49304/18]

Climate Change Negotiations

Seán Crowe

492. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he has submitted a request to make a statement during the high-level segments of COP24; and if not, the reason. [49159/18]