Léim ar aghaidh chuig an bpríomhábhar
Gnáthamharc

Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 26 May 2016

Vol. 910 No. 3

Priority Questions

Passport Services

Darragh O'Brien

Ceist:

1. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the waiting time for the passport express service; if he has extended these due to the volume of applicants; the number of passports awaiting dispatch; the number that have not been issued within the usual 15-day deadline; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12236/16]

I congratulate Deputy Darragh O’Brien on his appointment as foreign affairs and trade spokesperson for his party and on his election to the Dáil. I wish him good health and success in that position. I offer him the support and co-operation of my office at all times and trust that we will have a fruitful relationship. I also congratulate Deputy Crowe on his reappointment as spokesperson on foreign affairs and trade for his party and similarly offer him the support and co-operation of my office. I also welcome the appointment of the new Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy McHugh. He has for many years expressed an interest in foreign affairs issues. I wish him every success in his position and the same to Deputy Dara Murphy, the Minister of State with special responsibility for European affairs. I have not had the opportunity of meeting Deputy Gino Kenny. I welcome him to the House and wish him every personal and professional fulfilment in his role as a Member of Dáil Éireann.

The passport express service, operated in partnership with An Post, offers a target turnaround time of 15 working days from posting for correctly completed passport renewal applications. I would like to underline that this is a target turnaround time and not a stated guarantee. First time passport applications take longer as the person's identity and entitlement to citizenship must be established.

As of 23 May, compared with the same period last year, demand is up by 13%, which is exceptional. There were more than 68,200 passport applications being processed on the same date. In the case of passport express renewal applications, which account for approximately 90% of all applications in the State, correctly completed applications are being processed within the target issue date at 13 to 14 working days.

I thank the Minister for his kind wishes and I wish him well on his reappointment as Minister and the same to the Ministers of State, Deputy McHugh and Deputy Dara Murphy. I very much look forward to working with the Minister in a spirit of co-operation.

In respect of my question, I am aware that the target turnaround time is 15 working days. The problem at the moment is that turnaround time is not being met. People who have applied, assuming a 15-day turnaround, are being told now that is being extended to 30 days. I am aware there has been a significant increase in the volume.

What steps is the Passport Office, through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, taking to deal with the increased workload? It is causing a great deal of stress for families who have saved hard to go on holiday and travel. The Department needs to focus on bringing the average turnaround time back to 15 days.

Applications for brand new passports or to replace lost or stolen ones require the production of the new public service card. Many people have not been issued with a public services card. They then have to make an appointment, further elongating the process.

This is a major issue. We receive many complaints about it and it is causing a lot of anxiety for people who have spent significant sums of money on foreign holidays and find now that they may not be able to travel.

The public services card is used increasingly as an efficient and secure means to access Government services, including social welfare services for the purposes of the free travel. Already there are in excess of 1.8 million such cards in circulation. It is important that this measure be recognised in the context of the fight against fraud.

Every effort is being made to ensure our targets are being met. A total of 223 temporary clerical officers have been recruited so far this year, which is an increase of 52 officers on last year. In view of the sustained increase in applications over past year, processing work has been redistributed across passport offices in recent months and staff redeployed from other areas of the Department as needed to respond to the increased workload. The passport service will continue to monitor the situation closely.

I advise people intending to travel to check their passport validity before booking holidays. I remind them that children’s passports vary in length of validity and that they should follow best practice and allow at least six weeks before the intended date of travel.

I appreciate the Minister's reply. This needs to be kept as a watching brief. I will be keeping an eye on it as well. I will pass on the Minister's response to those who have been in touch with me.

I remind all Deputies that the passport service updates its website weekly with turnaround times. An Post's passport express renewal applications are taking 13 to 14 working days to process. The first-time application takes somewhat longer. However, every effort is being made to meet this unprecedented challenge within the Passport Office and I will keep the Deputies fully informed having regard to the points raised by Deputy Darragh O'Brien.

Irish Prisoners Abroad

Seán Crowe

Ceist:

2. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he is aware that a person (details supplied) has been unjustly imprisoned in Egypt for more than 1,000 days and faces an unfair mass trial; and if he has raised this case with his Egyptian counterpart since his re-appointment. [12272/16]

I assure the Deputy that this case remains a top priority for the Government and the Department. We continue to pursue every constructive avenue to secure the release of this citizen and we will continue to bring all of our influence to bear on his behalf through all appropriate channels. The Egyptian Government is fully aware of the priority the Irish Government attaches to this case, and there continues to be, on my part and that of my officials, engagement at all levels with the Egyptian authorities. The key focus of our engagement is to achieve the release of this citizen by the Egyptian authorities at the earliest opportunity and to provide consular support for his welfare while he remains in detention.

The Taoiseach has twice met President el-Sisi, making clear the Irish Government’s concerns and objectives in this case. Since my appointment as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in 2014, I have been in regular contact with my Egyptian counterpart, Minister Shoukry, on the case. Irish Government representatives have worked with this citizen’s legal team in Egypt and supported petitions to the court when asked to do so, including providing formal Government support for an application under Decree 140 and an application for release on bail. We continue to supply significant resources in Cairo and in Dublin to provide a comprehensive consular assistance to the citizen at the heart of this case.

My Department has arranged exceptionally regular and frequent consular visits to the individual in prison since his arrest. The most recent was undertaken by my ambassador, Damien Cole, last month. A further visit is being arranged over the coming weeks.

Ibrahim Halawa has been in jail for 1,013 days. He is living in appalling conditions, with inedible food and is sleeping on a mat. He has no chance of a fair trial and is facing the death penalty. After that length of time, people are asking what can be done differently. He went missing within the prison system in Egypt. Our embassy was misled about his whereabouts. Has a formal complaint been lodged in respect of that matter? Peter Greste, who was a cell mate of Ibrahim Halawa, said that if it was not for the pressure put on politicians and diplomats by his family in Australia, he would still be in prison. He was critical of the Irish Government and said its quiet diplomacy is doing nothing to bring about the release of Ibrahim. Given that 1,013 days have elapsed, is it now time to ratchet up the pressure on the Egyptian authorities? Is there a need for us to put our heads together and come up with a new plan to ensure the release of Ibrahim Halawa?

There are many different suggestions in regard to the action that can be taken in this case. All options for action are kept open by the Government, and we keep these activities under review at all stages. However, I again stress that we are at all times guided by the action that is most likely to achieve positive practical progress for our citizen at the earliest possible opportunity.

Reference was made to other cases, and I wish to record my welcome for those who have been released. Our focus remains firmly on our citizen and his case. I must caution against any over-reliance on the detail relating to other cases being employed as a strict precedent in respect of the operation of the presidential decree. It is important to note that different facts and circumstances apply to each case and it is at times unhelpful to make what I would describe as over-simplistic comparisons. I assure all Members of the House that we will continue to engage positively and actively until we achieve a successful outcome in respect of the case.

I again refer to the fact that he disappeared within the system. Has a formal complaint been made? The European External Action Service monitors trials in Egypt, yet it is not monitoring the trial of a European citizen. Has it been formally asked to attend a trial? That is something that could be done. We know that there have been communications from the UN calling for bail or unconditional release to be granted to Ibrahim in order to halt the alleged violations that are occurring. Does the Minister endorse such communication? Has he followed up on them with the Egyptian authorities? Ibrahim's next court hearing is on 29 June. We know it will be another mass trial and that Ibrahim has no chance of receiving a fair trial. Does the Minister believe it is likely that we will see a verdict announced for the defendant and sentences handed down on 29 June?

The next hearing of this case is scheduled for 29 June. Embassy officials will be in attendance, as they have been at every hearing over the course of his trial. They will monitor and report on the developments of the day. It is my hope that this matter will be completed in its entirety on that day, although I do not have absolute control over the listing or hearing of court cases in the jurisdiction of Egypt.

I do not believe there is any deliberate intent on the part of the Egyptian authorities to mislead us in regard to the whereabouts of the citizen. There are serious security issues in Egypt. Since the beginning of this year, 48 members of the security forces have been killed and the law and order situation is somewhat challenging and fragile. I ask the House to acknowledge the fact that prison moves are regularly made for operational reasons. Information is never provided in advance in order to ensure the safety and security of prisoners and personnel. I assure the Deputy that I have raised this matter with the ambassador and will continue to raise our concerns about a range of issues relating to this case.

UK Referendum on EU Membership

Darragh O'Brien

Ceist:

3. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his contingency plans in the event of a British exit from the European Union; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12237/16]

A fully developed plan B for Ireland is not possible without knowing the terms and conditions of the future relationship between the UK and the European Union. However, Government Departments, including mine, have been working for some time to identify the key strategic and sectoral issues that will arise for us if the UK votes to leave the European Union. We will continue to deepen our analysis of the risks and key issues that would require priority attention in the event of a UK vote to leave the Union, having regard to the fact that such an outcome would represent a major challenge for this jurisdiction.

The Department of the Taoiseach is responsible for cross-Government co-ordination on this issue, in close partnership with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and all other Government Departments. In the event that the referendum results in a decision to leave, the response and scenario planning across Government will be closely co-ordinated and actively managed.

In addition, there is already a clear framework in place for bilateral co-operation between the Irish and UK Governments under the joint statement which the Taoiseach and Prime Minister David Cameron signed in 2012. For my part, I have an excellent working relationship with my UK counterpart, the Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond.

Such bilateral engagement will continue whatever the outcome of the UK referendum, but will become particularly important in the event of vote by the United Kingdom to leave the European Union.

Ireland has a range of national concerns and issues that we wish to see addressed at EU bilateral level in the context of a negotiated withdrawal by the United Kingdom. These include the operation of the Single Market and the effects on trade between us, as well as the impact on the common travel area and energy interconnection between our respective islands.

In the weeks ahead, my Department and all Government Departments will continue to prepare for all outcomes. Notwithstanding these preparations, it is the earnest wish of the Government that the people of the United Kingdom will vote to remain in the European Union on 23 June.

I am somewhat perplexed by the Minister's answer. He said a fully developed plan B is not possible. I understand that, and the matter of whether Britain stays in the European Union is a matter for the British people, which we respect. The clear view of Fianna Fáil is that we believe a British exit from the Union is not in the best interests of the European Union, Britain or Ireland. A recent report from the ESRI indicates that there could be a reduction of up to 20% in our bilateral trade flows, at a cost of approximately €3 billion per annum.

I hope the scenario planning the Minister mentioned is much more advanced than outlined in his reply. Should Britain vote to exit on 23 June, there would be initial shocks for which we need to be prepared. I am not necessarily referring to a full plan B, but rather to how we will respond. It is my earnest hope that does not happen, but I hope the Departments of the Taoiseach and Foreign Affairs and Trade would be at an advanced stage of scenario and contingency planning.

I wish to assure all Deputies that we all will be as prepared at as it is possible to be in the circumstances. It is not possible for the European Union or any individual member state to fully prepare for a possible vote by the UK to leave the European Union. This is because the terms and conditions of the arrangements to be put in place would only become clear through a long process of negotiation, which could well be at least two years.

If the United Kingdom votes to leave the European Union, a number of very different scenarios could be envisaged. I assure the Deputy that the Government will continue to plan in order to be fully prepared for any and all contingencies that may arise. Accordingly, all Government Departments have been working for some time to identify key strategic and sectoral issues that could arise in terms of our national interest should the UK decide to vote to leave the European Union. In the meantime, our priority is to ensure the Irish voice is heard on this issue.

It is within our national strategic interest and in the interests of the ever-improving British-Irish relations that the British people and those in Northern Ireland, having been fully informed, will vote to remain within the European Union.

What work, if any, is being done by the Government in relation to the Irish community in Britain in advance of the referendum? While I fully understand that we cannot, nor should not, get involved in a referendum in another country, given the large Irish population and diaspora there, could the Minister provide an update on the contacts he has had with the Irish community in Britain? We are entitled to put our view, as a Government and as a Parliament, and to make sure that Irish citizens living in Britain are aware that it is in the best interests of their home country that Britain stays within the European Union. Could the Minister provide a short supplementary reply on what work is being undertaken by his Department in that regard?

The Deputy is right. We will continue to make every effort to ensure our position is clearly set out bilaterally and at European Union level. While we recognise that the referendum on 23 June is solely a matter for the UK electorate to decide, I am co-ordinating a package of visits by Ministers. I was in London recently and I met once again with Secretary of State, Philip Hammond. I met also with members of the Labour Party parliamentary party there and representatives of 35 Irish community organisations in London. I intend to make a number of further visits to the UK in advance of the referendum. My next visit is to Liverpool and Manchester on 1 and 2 June. My Department is co-ordinating a package of visits by other Ministers who will visit the UK in the coming weeks. The destinations include Birmingham, Leeds, Newcastle, Edinburgh and Glasgow where there is a strong Irish community. Last night my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Paul Kehoe, visited Birmingham. I urge all Deputies in the House to become involved and engaged and to make contact with business, friends and associates. I include Deputy O'Brien and his party in that regard and trust that they will do the necessary because it is in our national strategic interest that the UK remains firmly engaged with the European Union.

We are doing very well. We might meet the deadline yet.

Colombian Peace Process

Seán Crowe

Ceist:

4. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he raised the continued attacks and assassinations of civil society and community activists in Colombia during the discussion on Colombia at the meeting of the European Union Foreign Ministers on 18 and 19 April 2016; and if he will directly raise this issue with his Colombian counterpart. [12273/16]

Ireland strongly supports the peace negotiations in Colombia. The advances made in the talks over the past year are highly encouraging and there is now a historic opportunity to bring a definitive end to more than 50 years of violence and internal displacement of people. Ireland, through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and our embassy in Mexico, is actively engaged in assessing how we can best contribute to the successful implementation of a peace accord. I have discussed developments in Colombia with the EU Special Envoy, Eamon Gilmore, on a number of occasions and I have also had the opportunity to discuss the peace process with the UN special rapporteur, Pablo de Grieff. In addition, I met the Colombian Deputy Minister, Patti Jaramillo, when she visited Dublin last year to discuss the peace processes in Colombia with specific reference to Northern Ireland.

At the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg in April, my fellow EU Foreign Ministers and I were briefed on recent developments in the peace process by the Colombian Government’s High Representative for Peace, Dr. Sergio Jaramillo. Dr. Jaramillo spoke of the challenges of the implementation of a peace agreement between the Colombian Government and the FARC and ELN guerrilla groups and stressed the need for continued support from the EU and its member states.

Further to those meetings I dispatched a group of officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and our embassy in Mexico to Colombia in January of this year for discussions with the Government of Colombia, the United Nations and representatives of civil society, including groups involved in the promotion and defence of human rights. The reports to which the Deputy refers are stark reminders that Colombia still faces significant challenges in overcoming decades of violence in order to secure a lasting peace.

Prior to Question Time today I wrote to the Minister and asked him to raise urgently and directly the cases of 30 political and community activists who have been assassinated in Colombia with the Colombian Government. The dead include 16 political activists, including trade unionists and 14 others who were active in the community. They were assassinated over the course of 30 days, which is one person per day, from 21 February to 18 March. The list was compiled by Justice for Colombia, an NGO group. Did the Minister raise the issue specifically with his European counterparts? The Minister referred to the historic opportunity that exists but if the events I outlined are the backdrop to what is happening, we must examine the issue again.

When we debated the Colombia-EU free trade agreement in this Chamber, I argued strongly that horrendous human rights abuses were being perpetrated. A total of 534 political activists were murdered in Colombia between 2011 and 2015. Speakers from the Government side repeatedly suggested that we were wrong and that free trade would somehow improve human rights in Colombia but the 30 assassinations of political activists and trade unionists flies in the face of that. Were any of those issues discussed with European Ministers and will there be any action from the EU on what is happening in Colombia on the ground?

I assure the Deputy that we continue to raise human rights issues in relation to matters in Colombia in keeping with our commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights and human rights defenders. It is one of our core foreign policy objectives. We condemn unreservedly all attacks and threats against human rights defenders, wherever they take place.

Human rights are also a priority for the European Union and all its member states. The issues were addressed in detail in the context of EU-Colombia human rights dialogue. Through that mechanism, the Union engages with the relevant and appropriate Colombian authorities in a structured manner across a full range of human rights issues, including human rights defenders, trade unionists, land restitution and economic and environmental issues. It is our firm belief that this ongoing, regular, structured policy of engagement, dialogue and scrutiny is the best way to promote an atmosphere of human rights in Colombia.

There is no doubt there have been considerable positive change in regard to Colombia, including the historic talks in Havana. There are positive elements but at the same time people are being executed. An attempt was made on the life of Imelda Daza, one of the leaders of the left-wing Patriotic Union on Friday, 6 May. Such things are happening. We ask people to stand up for peace, politics, justice, equality and the use of democratic means but at the same time, people are being executed by death squads who are linked to groups and individuals in Colombia. We must ensure there is a positive input to bring about peace and to improve conditions. What can the Government and the EU do in relation to the decades of conflict that have been ongoing? The talks are going at a positive rate but what can we do as Europeans who are concerned about peace and stability in the region?

There are a number of issues in which we can become involved. Deputy Crowe is correct to talk about the importance of ensuring that Ireland plays its part. I am very pleased to record the work of the former Tánaiste and my ministerial predecessor, Eamon Gilmore, in his capacity as envoy with special responsibility. He was appointed by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs. His role is to provide political support to the ongoing peace negotiations. Part of the mandate of the team of officials I dispatched to Colombia in January of this year was to assess the extent to which there was an interest in learning more about the Irish experience. We continue to raise issues of human rights, including those referred to by the Deputy, and we also provide funding by way of financial aid towards peacekeeping projects in Colombia. Our officials met teams from the Government of Colombia and there was also involvement from the United Nations and other stakeholders across civil society. We will continue to prioritise this matter in the context of our broader support for the Colombian peace process.

Overseas Development Aid

Darragh O'Brien

Ceist:

5. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade how he will reach the United Nations target of 0.7% of gross national product for overseas development assistance as per the programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12238/16]

Tá mé ag súil go mór leis an obair atá romhainn maidir le cúrsaí forbartha idirnáisiúnta agus cúrsaí diaspóra. Tá mé ag súil go mór freisin le bheith ag obair le chéile le mo chomhghleacaithe ar an taobh seo den Teach agus le mo chomhghleacaithe éagsúla i dTeach Laighean. Ar nóta pearsanta, ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil leis an Teachta O'Brien mar ag an am a tháinig mé isteach i bpost Aire Stáit na Gaeltachta fuair mé cuidiú mór uaidh agus spreagadh freisin. Bhí mé fíorbhuíoch de mar bhí mé faoi bhrú agus bhí mé sa choirnéal.

I will give this English language a go now. The Government is strongly committed to Ireland’s overseas aid programme and to its place at the heart of Ireland's foreign policy. The Government has restated this clearly in the programme for Government. The Government's policy for international development, One World, One Future, articulates clearly its commitment to the UN target of providing 0.7% of gross national product, GNP, as official development assistance, ODA. The programme for Government sets out the Government's ambition to make progress towards the UN target as resources permit. It is important that such progress be made in a sustainable and manageable way that strengthens Ireland's recognised role as a reliable and effective partner in providing humanitarian assistance and contributing to the fight to end global poverty and hunger.

Since 2011, Ireland has provided more than €3.8 billion in ODA. This has involved significant annual contributions in excess of €600 million at a time of great economic difficulty. Over this time, the Taoiseach and Ministers have stated consistently that we would make progress towards the 0.7% target once economic conditions allow.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit agus ba mhaith liom comhghairdeas a dhéanamh leis arís. Obviously, the target of 0.7% of gross national product for ODA was set in 2000 and for various reasons, some of which were valid, successive Governments have never achieved that target. My issue with regard to the programme for partnership Government is that it does not set out any type of roadmap to achieve this but merely states: "We will continue to make progress towards achieving the UN target of 0.7% of gross national product for ODA." In budget 2016, a total of €640 million is provided for official development aid assistance. This represents a small increase of approximately €40 million, which will bring the amount up to approximately 0.36%, and we are way behind the curve in this regard. As a Parliament and as a Government, we should commit to this target. It is a good thing to do and it is appropriate, morally right and just to so do. I ask the Minister of State to outline in greater detail how it is intended to move towards that target over the term of the Government.

It is a major challenge in terms of financial resources to get to the 0.7% target. Moreover, as GDP widens, that percentage also narrows and consequently there are challenges in this regard. In this new era of new politics and new co-operation, I am open to working with Members to try to work out a way of moving towards this benchmark because it is an area of such great importance. Even during the period since 2011, some €3.8 billion has been spent in overseas aid on important work at both humanitarian and development levels. At what is a very early stage in this job, I have found that new methods of best practice are being introduced to try to draw a more effective linkage between humanitarian and development aid. Moreover, Ireland is perceived to be a world leader in this regard. At the humanitarian summit in Istanbul in recent days, it was obvious that the world is looking to Ireland for ways to try to make progress in this regard. I am open to ideas and to working with the Deputy on a more coherent roadmap to achieve the target.

I am open to working with the Minister of State on this issue and in the context of the forthcoming budget and the new budgetary process to be put in place in the Dáil, it is incumbent on all parties and Independents to work towards and to make commitments on improving Ireland's standing in this regard. The Minister of State is correct that our international standing is good but we are well short of the target Members from all sides have set for Ireland and have agreed to achieve. I note the dreaded phrase that is used, the fiscal space for budget 2017, could be in the region of €900 million and Members must work together to ascertain what elements of that can be used appropriately towards ODA and to increasing Ireland's level of contribution. Finally, it might be useful for Members on this side of the House were the Minister of State to arrange a briefing for them with Irish Aid in order that Members can work together in a co-operative and collegiate way to achieve the nation's goals in this regard.

That absolutely can be organised.

Barr
Roinn