I am delighted to be here. I welcome the presence of Members of Seanad Éireann on the joint committee and look forward to exchanging views with them, as well as with the Members of Dáil Éireann who are present.
I am determined to lead my Department's efforts to deal with the very demanding agenda facing Ireland on the global stage. I look forward to working closely with the committee and would greatly welcome and appreciate members' co-operation in the Oireachtas in advancing our shared foreign policy objectives.
As Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, it is my responsibility and that of my Department to restore Ireland's international reputation. I do not think there can be any doubt that its reputation did suffer damage during the years of the recession. I agree with the point made by Deputy Sean Ó Fearghaíl at the previous meeting that it does not serve a great deal at this stage to engage in the attribution of blame. What we must concentrate on is restoring Ireland's reputation to ensure we can continue to export and trade. Some 80% of everything we produce is exported. It is important that Ireland's reputation is restored to encourage inward investment and the creation of jobs here. For this to happen the message must go out that Ireland is open for business. It is important that Ireland's reputation is restored to strengthen our hand in the negotiations in which Government must engage with the EU, the ECB and the IMF. This means we must build the political relationships at EU level and wider. Work remains to be done in this area. It is important for Ireland's reputation to be restored, as Brendan Gleeson said famously on College Green during the visit of President Obama, to enable Irish people to feel proud again. This is an important part of the work we do. The restoration of Ireland's reputation means pursuing an active foreign policy, working hard within the European Union, maintaining a world class development co-operation programme and pursuing every opportunity to promote Ireland's foreign trade. This is a wide agenda, not all of which is within our span of control. However, I will concentrate our resources on our priority areas of foreign policy, those areas where we have acknowledged strengths and where we are globally recognised as having something to contribute.
Naturally, it is important that we use our foreign policy reach to benefit and advance our national interests in an appropriate way as well. I will devote significant resources to ensure that the highest priority is given to the protection of our citizens throughout the globe. In the time available today, I will not be able to address all the policy issues facing me and my Department but I am keen to share some of the key priorities with the committee.
With regard to the Middle East peace process, I will maintain the strong commitment of successive Irish Governments and the Oireachtas to the earliest possible achievement of a sovereign state of Palestine, living in peace with Israel. Therefore, I will consider our response to any move by the Palestinians at the UN this autumn to seek recognition of a Palestinian state when I examine what is proposed. It is my belief that the Palestinian people deserve the dignity of their own state. However, I wish to see a Palestinian state in reality, not only one contained in a UN resolution. On this island we all know too well that a permanent and lasting comprehensive peace can only be achieved through dialogue and negotiation. When we take on the chair of the Organization for Security and Co-operation, OSCE, in Europe next January we will be in a position to enhance our contribution to ongoing promotion of comprehensive security throughout the OSCE region. Our experience of conflict resolution will be a particular asset in this work.
As the committee may be aware, we have decided to seek election to the UN Human Rights Council and I hope we can win. I believe that given the global recognition of Ireland's commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights, we continue to be uniquely placed to facilitate other nations in finding common ground and achieving consensus in this area.
Ireland has a deservedly high reputation in the area of development co-operation. The Government's aid programme is inspired by the values of the people. It has consistently been assessed independently as one of the best in the world. The programme is concentrated on some of the poorest countries in sub-Saharan Africa with a strong focus on the fight against poverty and hunger. On my recent visit to Tanzania I witnessed how Ireland has been working in partnership with governments and communities in Africa to end extreme poverty and hunger in the world. Working with the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, and African leaders on hunger and nutrition brought home to me how effective Ireland is on the world stage when we take a lead internationally on an issue of importance to us as a people and when we back it up with our actions and programmes on the ground.
Ireland's aid programme is highly effective. We are committed to it because it is the right thing to do and because it is in our interests as a small country in an interconnected world. The Government is committed to the UN target of spending of 0.7% of GNP on official development assistance. We will seek to do so by 2015, the date set by the EU. This is a challenge but it is one we can meet if we can restore growth to the Irish economy.
Recently my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, announced the launch of our review of the 2006 White Paper on Irish Aid. This will involve wide consultation and will ensure that we have a clear and renewed set of priorities for the aid programme in the years ahead. Our programme will remain strongly focused on the poorest countries in Africa and on the fight to end global hunger. In the coming months I intend to ensure that we strengthen our engagement with Africa. We will bring together all the strands in a more coherent approach to our development co-operation, to our political relations and to building economic co-operation as growth takes hold in the economies of sub-Saharan Africa. Today, the Government decided that Ireland will recognise the new state of south Sudan and that we will have the recognition in place for the declaration of independence by south Sudan on 9 July. I am determined to ensure that our embassy network and the resources of my Department are more sharply focused than ever on the challenging task of restoring Ireland's international economic reputation and bolstering the export-led growth that is crucial to our recovery. I have instructed our ambassadors throughout the globe to attach the highest priority to these tasks in their work. I will use my leadership role as chair of the export trade council to ensure the effective implementation of the joined-up approach to trade promotion the Government has adopted for the export sector, involving all relevant Departments and State agencies. I hope to chair the first meeting of the export trade council later this month.
Traditionally, Ireland's major trading partners and significant markets have been the UK, the US and Europe. My Department recognises the importance of these markets and we are working through the embassy network and in close co-operation with State agencies and other Departments to increase our trade levels with these countries and maintain our good relationships with them. In keeping with this approach, we are actively seeking ways to broaden Ireland's trade base and to develop better relationships with new and emerging markets. We have had successes in these markets in recent years and I will use the export trade council, the strategy for trade, tourism and investment, our joint economic commissions and all other available tools to ensure that we continue to grow our exports to these countries. Person to person contacts are essential for developing business in these markets. In recognition of this I intend to schedule several visits to priority markets, beginning with a visit to Japan and Korea in the autumn.
I am aware committee members and all Members of the Oireachtas share my concerns for the welfare of our citizens overseas especially those who were less prepared for the emigrant experience or who have fallen on hard times after emigration. My Department has allocated almost €13 million this year to the emigrant support programme which supports front line welfare services. I am confident that this support has a tangible and positive impact on Irish communities, especially on the lives of our most vulnerable citizens in Britain. I have already met representatives of community organizations in New York and I am planning to visit London next month to meet many of these organisations, to gain first-hand knowledge of the work they do and to gauge current issues of concern to those who work on the front line. Building strategic links between Ireland and the diaspora will be the aim of the second global Irish forum in October. I also attach a high priority to addressing the situation of the undocumented Irish in the United States in our engagements with the US Administration and Congress.
The restoration of Ireland's standing as a committed and influential member of the European Union is a vital element to our strategy of economic recovery. In this context, our Presidency of the EU Council in 2013 is an important opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to playing an active and constructive role in EU and related global affairs. A successful EU Presidency can strengthen our reputation as a credible and capable partner not only to the other member states, but to other global partners that interact with the EU during the term of our Presidency. The EU Presidency presents us with a unique opportunity to lead the EU in developing policies that matter to the lives of all our citizens and to uphold the values and freedoms on which the EU is founded.
The only direct contact most people have with my Department is in the context of obtaining a passport or when they or a family member need our assistance overseas. I acknowledged in my earlier contribution that there is ongoing unhappiness with the delays citizens experience during the summer months in obtaining a passport. Any delay is unacceptable but, for the record, I point out that the current delay is of up to five working days in processing applications submitted through the recommended passport service. My Department has allocated exceptional resources to meet the unprecedented level of demand this year. I am confident this turnaround time will be reduced during the coming weeks and will return to normal levels in the short term.
On the consular front, I am pleased that my Department has continued to develop its capacity to assist our citizens in crisis situations overseas. This year has unfortunately been particularly busy for my Department which has had to respond to political crises in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Bahrain as well as earthquakes in New Zealand and Japan. I am very pleased by the positive feedback I get from the public in recognition of these efforts.
Given our time constraints today this has necessarily been a rather brief synopsis of my priorities as Minister and of the major international issues facing the country. I will be very happy to discuss them further with the committee today and also in more depth as specific matters arise during my term in office.
