Vol. 859 No. 2
6. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on his recent visit to the US; the progress on the issue of the undocumented Irish; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44970/14]
Having listened to the Minister earlier, I wish to echo his comments regarding the announcement by President Obama last week. It is a very positive step forward and I warmly welcome it, particularly for grandparents here in Ireland. The Minister is right to acknowledge it is down to the efforts over a long period of people like Billy Lawless, Cyril Regan, Breandán McGee and many others in the United States, but also our own Ambassador, Anne Anderson, who has done an outstanding job, and the Minister's predecessor in the job, Deputy Eamon Gilmore. What efforts are being made to explain to people exactly what this announcement means, what it is and what it is not?
I want to acknowledge the comments of the Deputy, with which I agree fully. During my visit to the US in September, I had a wide range of meetings on this important issue across a range of Irish community groups in Washington, New York and Boston, and with high level government contacts, including Vice President Joe Biden, White House Chief of Staff, Denis McDonough, and Secretary of State John Kerry. I wish to acknowledge the role of the Coalition of Irish Immigration Centers, the Ancient Order of Hibernians, the Gaelic Athletic Association, in particular the New York branch, and the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform. I want to acknowledge the Consul General in Chicago, Aidan Cronin, along with those who were mentioned by Deputy Naughten. I also acknowledge the representatives from this House, representing all parties and none, and, indeed, Deputy Naughten himself played no small role in ensuring this issue was high on the agenda.
Last Thursday, President Obama announced new measures which will benefit thousands of undocumented Irish immigrants based in the US. Pending further possible measures being considered by Congress, these measures are a step forward. We are now in the process of providing information through the centres. The views of the wider Irish community are being canvassed so the information is filtering through, not only through the media but through social media in particular. The websites of our centres have detailed information in so far as it is available.
Thank you, Minister.
Perhaps the House will permit me to refer specifically to the question of travel. Details as to how the travel provision will work in practice have yet to be confirmed but, through our embassy in Washington, we are following up on this point directly with the White House and the US Department of Homeland Security.
I thank the Minister for his last comment. It is of critical importance that we try to get clarity as quickly as possible on the travel issue. My interpretation of what has been announced is that the freedom of travel will be very limited and will be on humanitarian grounds such as illness and funerals. Anything we can get to expand that definition would be extremely welcome.
There is a need to ensure that as many undocumented Irish as possible can avail of this scheme. To do that we need to successfully resource the coalition of Irish immigration centres across the USA so that they have the capacity to deal with the applicants that come before them. Can the Minister assure the House that resources will be made available from his Department to ensure that happens? We also need to ensure that vehicles to provide information such as the website www.undocumentedirish.com have the necessary resources available to ensure that clear, concise and unambiguous information is available on both sides of the Atlantic.
I want to confirm to the House that there are a number of Irish immigrant centres across the USA which receive funding from the Government and are providing the information and advice on the changes as we speak. Information on who to contact is available on my Department's website, www.dfa.ie, and on the websites of Irish embassies and consulates in the USA. I agree with Deputy Naughten. It is essential that there be a thorough process of information in order to ensure that people are fully informed.
On the assistance provided by the Government to the Irish in the USA, Deputy Naughten will be aware that since 2003, on behalf of the people of Ireland, the Government has awarded almost $27 million to Irish organisations across the USA that provide vital support to the Irish community there. This funding is provided through the emigrant support programme and it is a source of pride that, despite the severe economic downturn of recent years, we maintained the ESP funding at significant levels.
During my recent visit and that of my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Jimmy Deenihan, he announced that funding for 2014-15 will amount to $2.3 million, granted across 34 organisations. I take the point that resources are vital and they are an issue in the context of ensuring that adequate information is available to our citizens abroad.
I thank the Minister for his acknowledgement of that because it is an important issue. We do not want to miss the boat simply because we do not have the necessary capacity and capability on the other side of the Atlantic. We now need to redouble our efforts in regard to the undocumented Irish which do not fall under President Obama's announcement. The Minister has continued his communications with people in Capitol Hill, both directly and through the ambassador. What progress is being made on that?
A suggestion was made at a meeting in Leinster House attended by Mr. Bruce Morrison, who has a long track record in this area. Fundamentally important to ensuring that we do not have a recurring problem in the long term is having some reciprocal arrangement such as an E3 visa to ensure that there is a legitimate mechanism to allow for people from Ireland to work in the USA and for US citizens to come and work here.
I wish to assure the House that the funding will continue. I agree that further action will be needed to resolve immigration reform in the USA. While President Obama's action is of course welcome and is a major step forward, it does not end the debate on further immigration reform. He has made it clear that he considers that there is a need for further legislation in this area and that such action, in the form of legislation, would supersede the executive action he took last week. While there appears to be a certain amount of willingness to consider further action in Congress at some future date, this is dependent, as the Deputy will appreciate, on many factors and will not be easily achieved. However, we are keeping in close contact with high level opinion formers, influencers and leaders on the Democrat and Republican sides.
I wish to acknowledge the work of Deputies in the House to ensure high level contacts are not only maintained but enhanced. I acknowledge the work of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputies from the west of Ireland and those in Deputies Crowe and Smith's parties. This is an issue of significant importance to all Irish families. While progress can be reported, much work remains outstanding.
7. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views with regard to the plight of the Rohingya persons in Myanmar, the fact that their human rights are being taken from them through discrimination at all levels of society; and if he will offer support to the Rohingya community here which focuses on bringing change to this unjust treatment. [44977/14]
My question concerns the Rohingya people in Myanmar, where they suffer a lot of discrimination, and whether there is any support for the small Rohingya community in Ireland.
The Government continues to follow closely the situation of the Rohingya people in Myanmar-Burma. I believe strongly that the underlying root causes of ethnic tensions in Rakhine State between the ethnically distinct Muslim population and the Buddhist population must be addressed as a matter of urgency. I also strongly believe that it is imperative that there should be a guarantee of respect for human rights and the rule of law for all people in Myanmar-Burma.
Ireland is committed to the pursuit of progress on human rights in the area. Towards this end, just last Friday Ireland supported a resolution, which was led by the European Union, on the human rights situation in Myanmar-Burma at the current session of the UN General Assembly Third Committee in New York. The resolution was adopted by consensus at the committee. It is a comprehensive resolution through which the UN General Assembly urges the Government of Myanmar-Burma to accelerate its efforts to address discrimination and human rights violations affecting various ethnic and religious minorities. In particular, by way of this resolution the Government of Myanmar-Burma is urged to address attacks against Muslims and other religious minorities.
The resolution also specifically references the Rohingya community in Myanmar-Burma and calls upon the Government there to allow immediate and unhindered access for humanitarian assistance in Rakhine State, where many Rohingya people are resident. Importantly, there is a call in the resolution for the Rohingya to have equal access to full citizenship so as to ensure that there is no discrimination in respect of fundamental issues which should be guaranteed as part of normal life, such as education, health care and welfare.
This latest resolution builds on the March 2014 EU-led resolution at the UN Human Rights Council, of which Ireland is currently a member, on the situation of human rights in Myanmar-Burma. That Human Rights Council resolution also urged the Government of Myanmar-Burma to step up its efforts to put an end to the human rights violations and abuses in the area.
I thank the Minister. It is clear that the human rights of the Rohingya people are not respected. They have been described as the most persecuted ethnic minority in the world and are referred to by certain Burmese politicians as a virus. There is a long way to go before their human rights are respected. There has been a lot of propaganda and brainwashing of the general public against the Rohingya people. They have been denied citizenship in Myanmar, which means that they are denied certain fundamental rights and cannot access basic services. Their travel is restricted, therefore they cannot do business or pursue education, and their mosques and religious centres have been closed down. As we now have a full accredited ambassador to Myanmar, can he be asked to address this group, visit the area where they live and make the same points made by the Minister with the Myanmar Government?
The Irish Embassy in Vietnam, which is accredited to Myanmar, as the Deputy will be aware, is closely monitoring the situation. In September 2013, the ambassador travelled to Rakhine State to assess the situation. Most recently, the ambassador visited the area on 23 May 2014 and met the Minister for Foreign Affairs in the region. At that meeting he expressed Ireland’s concerns about the situation of the Rohingya people in Rakhine State and the need for unhindered humanitarian access to the region.
At EU level, EU Foreign Ministers, at the Foreign Affairs Council on 12 May 2014, approved the establishment of a formal EU-Myanmar human rights dialogue.
The first dialogue took place in Myanmar on 20 May. During that dialogue, the EU and Myanmar took stock of the current situation of human rights on both sides. They covered major issues of concern for human rights, in particular, the area of political prisoners, freedom of expression, hate speech, economic, social and cultural rights, land rights, business and human rights. The situation in Rakhine state was also discussed. I acknowledge the interest of Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan in this area and I assure her and other Members of the House of an ongoing Government commitment towards assisting in this region.
Additional information not given on the floor of the House
Regarding the Rohingya in Myanmar-Burma, Ireland calls for more investment in early recovery and support for livelihood opportunities for both communities in Rakhine state. Economic integration and inter-dependency can be a vehicle for co-operation and peace between the communities. A longer-term Government of Myanmar-Burma strategy for rehabilitation and reconciliation is also required.
In terms of our support for the Rohingya community here in Ireland, 82 members of the Rohingya community were settled in Carlow and five others were settled in Dublin in 2009 in response to the UNHCR’s call for temporary arrangements to be made for the Rohingya until the situation stabilises in Rakhine. Currently, the EU is providing around €70 million to the people of Rakhine state, most of which is used to meet the humanitarian needs of the people of the region. The EU will provide €688 million in development aid to Myanmar-Burma over the period 2014 to 2020. The EU will also provide more than €46 million in funding to neighbouring states that have received Rohingya people fleeing from Rakhine due to inter-ethnic violence. Ireland will continue, through relevant bilateral and multilateral channels, to press the authorities in Myanmar to address the serious situation in Rakhine state, as part of a continuing process of democratic transformation.
The term "silent genocide" has been used in regard to the Rohingya people in Myanmar. Considerable EU aid is going into the region. The provision of approximately €700 million in aid is planned from 2014 to 2020 and the provision of aid is also planned for neighbouring countries where Rohingya people have fled. As well as the provision of aid to the region, it is important that political dialogue occurs. I note what the Minister said about the human rights dialogue there. However, resolutions being passed are not always effective. I note a recent one where 188 members of the UN voted against the UN blockade of Cuba, yet that blockade continues. There is need for much more engagement. I know that Irish Aid is working in Myanmar but is any particular work being done with the Rohingya people by Irish Aid?
In terms of the Irish Government support, as well as at political level, in the context of our participation at the UN and the passing of resolutions and the need to ensure that the resolutions are implemented, we also have expressed our support for members of the Rohingya community here in Ireland, and 82 members of the community were settled in Carlow and five others were settled in Dublin in 2009 in response to the UNHCR's call for temporary arrangements to be made until the situation in region stabilises.
In terms of aid, currently the European Union is providing around €70 million to the people of Rakhine state, most of which is used to meet the humanitarian needs of the people of the region. The EU will provide €688 million in development aid to Myanmar over the period 2014 to 2020. The House might like to be aware that since 2007, more than €7 million has been provided by Irish Aid, through non-governmental organisations and Irish missionaries, for both long-term development and emergency and recovery responses in Myanmar. Last December Ireland announced an additional programme of funding worth more than €500,000 for a bilateral development assistance programme. The same level of funding has also been agreed for this year. Funding of €800,000 was provided to Trócaire, World Vision and Concern in response to the cyclone in 2008 and, in addition, the Irish Centre for Human Rights received €88,000 for research in human rights.
I apologise to the Minister for intervening but we must move on to the next question.
I will provide the balance of the reply to Deputy O'Sullivan on the outline of our funding to the region.
8. Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he is responsible for the invitations with respect to foreign dignitaries for 1916 commemoration events; when a final list will be drawn up; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44973/14]
My question relates to how and when the invitations to foreign dignitaries and overseas guests will be drawn up for the 1916 commemoration events. What input will the Minister and his Department have into that progress? Unfortunately, the commemoration has been mired in quite a degree of controversy, especially during recent months. The views of many of the relatives of the 1916 leaders have been well-aired. Given the sensitivities and the huge symbolic importance of the commemoration for Irish citizens and for the State, it is important that we get this right. I would be interested to hear the Minister's views on that.
The centenary of the Easter Rising in 2016 will be the centrepiece of the Government’s decade of commemorations programme. The Taoiseach launched the outline plans for the commemoration of the Easter Rising 1916 on Wednesday, 12 November last. These outline plans are now subject to a period of consultation to enable members of the public to comment and to submit ideas in regard to this important commemoration. Details of the proposed plans, and a facility for submitting comments and ideas, can be found on the dedicated website www.ireland.ie. My colleague, Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Heather Humphreys, whose Department has lead responsibility for the commemoration, has also tasked a team from her Department with visiting every county in the country to listen to people’s views on how best we might commemorate 1916. Once this consultation process has concluded and final decisions are made on the overall programme of events, the Government will then be in a position to consider the question of attendance by Ireland’s international partners.
As the Deputy will be aware, Ireland’s diaspora are keen to mark this centenary and my Department, through its network of overseas embassies, is planning a series of initiatives, including talks, community events, exhibitions, seminars and cultural events, to commemorate the events of 1916 and to present Ireland in 2016 to the world. Highlights of this programme will include a major three-week festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC in May-June 2016, as well as the premiere of a major documentary on 1916 currently under preparation at Notre Dame University.
I am not sure the Minister has fully answered the question I asked but it is interesting and informative to hear about what is planned, particularly for events, seminars, lectures and so on, across our embassy network. It is hugely important we get full value from our embassy network and that our ambassadors and their support teams have an opportunity to inform and communicate with our partners all over the world about this important centenary. However, my specific question focuses on the invitation list, how it will be drawn up and the input, or otherwise, from the Minister's Department. My confidence in the Department of the Minister, Deputy Heather Humphreys, the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, has been shaken. It is important the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade leads on this. That Department's civil servants are the ones who are trained diplomatically and understand the sensitivities. Obviously, there is a huge element of sensitivity and very strong emotions and feelings, particularly when it comes to invitations to be extended across the water to the United Kingdom. Specifically, I would like hear the Minister's view on that. He is the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade. We have had very significant improvements in our relations with the British Government over recent years and indeed with the Queen, and I would like to hear the Minister's views specifically on that.
I would like to reignite the Deputy's confidence in the commemoration process by inviting her to participate. We are now in the process of consultation which is important in the context of any plan. If this Government were to present a plan without any form of consultation, not only with Members of this House but with the wider community, I am sure we would be subject to the type of criticism which in the circumstances would be both fair and reasonable. We are now in the course of this consultation phase. I have an open mind as to who might be invited from overseas. This is a vitally important event in our decade of commemorations, undoubtedly the most important aspect of the commemorative decade, and it is important that there be an international dimension of the type I pointed out in respect of our embassy network abroad. I have no doubt there will be opportunity for dignitaries and other Heads of State to pay a visit in the course of that year. I would welcome that and I look forward to it.
Specifically, I repeat my question. Does the Minister envisage in the process of inviting other Heads of State, a proposal of the Minister's that I support and which I think is the right thing to do, that it will extend to our nearest neighbours?
Let me repeat that all these issues are under active consideration during the course of the consultation period, which is now under way. Members of the Irish diaspora will have an opportunity also to present their ideas and plans to the 1916 project team in the Department of the Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. As Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, I will be keeping in close contact with my Government colleagues on this issue.
I again formally invite Deputy Creighton and her colleagues to submit their plans for consideration. I know that she will have a positive contribution to make to what will be an exciting and dignified event in our country.
9. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will make representations to the ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to Ireland raising concerns about the refusal of his country's independent national electoral commission to register the Socialist Party of Nigeria as a political party; his views regarding democratic freedoms in the Federal Republic of Nigeria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44958/14]
Will the Minister make representations to the ambassador of Nigeria to Ireland about the refusal of the electoral commission to register the Socialist Party of Nigeria, despite the SPN meeting all of the requirements in that regard? Does the Minister agree that that refusal indicates a worrying lack of regard for democratic rights and the ability of people to organise politically?
Nigeria will hold presidential and National Assembly elections on 14 February 2015. These will be followed on 28 February by gubernatorial and state assembly elections. We are following developments in Nigeria closely through our embassy in Abuja. I understand that political associations in Nigeria are constitutionally prohibited from functioning as political parties unless they are registered with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. There are strict criteria for registration laid down in a guidelines document issued by the chairman of the commission in March last year.
I am aware of the decision of the electoral commission to reject an application from the Socialist Party of Nigeria for registration as a political party. This matter is now the subject of proceedings in the Nigerian Federal High Court in Abuja. In the circumstances, it would be inappropriate for me to comment on the specific case. However, as a general point of principle, I have no hesitation in calling for the forthcoming elections in Nigeria to be as inclusive as possible. It is important that they are conducted peacefully, transparently and credibly. The challenge, but also the importance of this, is underlined by the deteriorating security situation in the north east of the country and the violence being perpetrated by the terrorist group, Boko Haram.
I welcome that in September the EU committed €15 million to support Nigeria in preparing for these elections, which involve in excess of 70 million registered voters and 150,000 polling stations. I also welcome the decision of the EU to deploy an electoral monitoring mission to monitor the elections. We have nominated a number of Irish observers for appointment to the mission.
I thank the Minister of State for his reply. In and of themselves the high requirements of the INEC for registration of a political party represent a barrier to freedom of political association. Among these requirements is payment of a so-called administrative fee of 1 million naira, which is non-refundable, and that the party have members in at least 24 states in addition to Abuja. These requirements have been met by the Socialist Party of Nigeria but none the less the registration has not been allowed. It is illustrative that the registration was not, formally speaking, rejected because the deadline for rejection of the initial application had passed. The reply simply stated that the registration is terminated. This would appear to be a politically motivated decision designed to prevent the Socialist Party of Nigeria participating in the elections and, therefore, is contrary to the statements of the President and others about democratic freedoms and rights within Nigeria.
I understand that the case is currently before the courts and is listed for a second hearing tomorrow, 27 November.
I acknowledge that the case is before the courts but I believe that it would be correct none the less to make representations to the ambassador, without, of course, interfering with an independent court process. Fundamentally, I believe this is a political issue. Nigeria is a rich country in terms of resources and ranks fourth highest in terms of income from crude oil. The elite of Nigeria hold massive wealth. It was recently suggested that the President has personal wealth of $100 million and is the sixth richest leader in Africa. Multinational corporations, particularly oil companies such as Shell, are making profits from Nigeria of up to $8 billion despite being implicated in human rights abuses such as the hanging of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni activists. Side by side with massive poverty, three quarters of Nigeria's population is under 25, 68 million of its young adults are without work and more than half its population is living below the international poverty line of $1.25 a day. It appears to me that this is an attempt to prevent a political party representing working-class people standing for socialist ideas challenging the political elite that only serves the interests of the local elite and the multinationals operating within Nigeria.
From an Irish perspective Nigeria has been identified as an emerging high potential growth market in the context of the review of the Government trade, tourism and investment strategy 2010-2015. It is regarded by Enterprise Ireland as the second most important sub-Saharan African market after South Africa. Nigeria is Ireland's largest goods trading partner and largest export market in sub-Saharan Africa. Last year, total merchandise trade was worth more than €500 million and significant amounts of Ireland's exports to Nigeria come from Irish indigenous companies. Ireland's first trade mission to Nigeria took place last year and focused on financial services and education, again supporting Irish jobs and Irish workers. Some 70 Enterprise Ireland client companies are currently engaged in business with Nigeria.
In 1948 the Jews expelled, massacred, destroyed, raped and generally behaved like any other colonialist movement operating in the Middle East and Africa since the beginning of the 19th century.
I am sorry, Deputy, but I was allowing you in on Question No. 9.
As a result of that campaign, 500 Palestinian villages and 11 urban neighbourhoods were destroyed.
Sorry, Deputy.
Nothing much has changed. In regard to the Swedish model and Palestine-----
I am sorry, Deputy, but I was allowing you to put a brief question on Question No. 9. The time for questions has actually expired.
We were late starting.
No, we started on time.
Deputy Wallace has been very patient. He has been in the House since we started.
If the Minister wishes to answer I will allow Deputy Wallace to put his question but very briefly.
10. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will follow the Swedish example and recognise the state of Palestine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44963/14]
I thank the Minister and Leas-Cheann Comhairle. As I was saying, as a result of that campaign, 500 Palestinian villages and 11 urban neighbourhoods were destroyed, 700,000 Palestinians were expelled and several thousand were massacred. It was a genocide at the time. What is happening today is not very different. The Minister said he has not ruled out recognition by Ireland of the Palestinian state, which would be a step towards a two state resolution. Why should we wait any longer? Sweden did not wait. Does the Minister not believe that it is urgent that we do this now?
I acknowledge that the Deputy has been in the House since the start of Question Time. It is unfortunate that time will not allow for a more detailed reply to his question. Ireland as a state has always looked forward to being in a position to recognise a state of Palestine but in reality and not only as a symbolic gesture. I refer the Deputy to the statements and stances of successive Governments in that regard.
Our position is not set in stone. Against the background of the deteriorating situation on the ground, I will continue to consider any option, including early recognition of Palestine, which may advance the prospect of peace and help ensure that the two state solution still has a chance of being realised. On the question of international recognition of Palestine, while that is important, it is not a magic wand to resolve the conflict. I acknowledge what happened in Sweden and that discussions are under way on this issue in many of the European capitals. I contributed to the debate at the Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels last week. In spite of the fact that many states have formally recognised Palestine, the conflict continues. The talks process is not currently under way. I am sure the Deputy will agree that only a comprehensive peace agreement will end the occupation and allow the full establishment of a Palestinian state, in reality as well as in theory. That is the goal and the objective. I will continue to ensure that Ireland plays its full part in this debate.
