Written Answers Nos. 148-62
148. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she supports calls for the establishment of community courts as recommended in the 2007 crime council report; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19533/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy may be aware, I have undertaken to consider the issue of Community Courts in Ireland and I have taken note of the recommendations set out in the National Crime Council's report "Problem Solving Justice - The Case for Community Courts in Ireland" published in 2007. It will be important to learn from international experience, and I have asked my Department to evaluate how the Community Court model will work in the Irish context, drawing from best practice, with a view to setting up a Community Court on a pilot basis in the Dublin city centre area. I envisage an initial project where stakeholders will engage in partnership, in conjunction with the local business community.
It was not possible to progress the initiative during 2014 due to the need to dedicate resources to other priority projects including the establishment of the new Court of Appeal and also to progress other ongoing projects, such as the judicial appointments review and the reform of the family law courts. However, I can assure the Deputy that the matter is currently under active consideration in my Department and it is my intention that the proposal will be further progressed in the coming months.
The Community Court is a problem-solving court and the model operates in different ways in different jurisdictions. The research and analysis in the National Crime Council's report will be of benefit in our further consideration of establishing a pilot Community Court. Work commenced on setting parameters for a pilot last week with a meeting brokered by my Department among the key Justice sector stakeholders. This meeting confirmed that a considerable amount of preparatory work will need to be undertaken in collaboration with all stakeholders - both within the Justice sector and the wider community of agencies and groups whose active participation and buy in will be necessary - before the pilot project can be established successfully. Proper planning is essential and a needs assessment will first be undertaken to guide the identification of the goals and priority objectives of the pilot Community Court. It is also essential that the proposal is fully evaluated to ensure that it delivers the required results. Each of the stakeholders involved is operating with limited resources so the preparation and planning stages of the project are essential to ensure that the resources involved are used effectively. It is also important that the project would operate in a fully integrated way. The Justice sector group which met last week has identified a number of steps to be taken pending a further meeting to be held in June and my Department will be actively progressing consideration of the Community Court proposal in the coming months.
149. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when the independent review mechanism will complete its work; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19529/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy is referring to the mechanism established for the independent review of certain allegations of Garda misconduct, or inadequacies in the investigation of certain allegations, which have been made to me as Minister for Justice and Equality, or the Taoiseach, with a view to determining to what extent and in what manner further action may be required in each case. A panel consisting of two Senior and five Junior Counsel was established for the purpose, all selected on the basis of their experience of the criminal justice system.
A total of 319 complaints were referred to the Panel for consideration. It was originally anticipated that the review would last some ten to twelve weeks. The volume and complexity of cases has led to the review taking longer than originally anticipated, but it is important that counsel take the time necessary to consider each case fully and carefully. It is therefore considered inappropriate to place a time constraint upon the working of the Panel. Nevertheless counsel are making every effort to conclude their work as soon as is reasonably practicable.
The review of each complaint consists of an examination of the papers in the complaint by a counsel from the Panel. Following the review of each complaint a recommendation will be made as to whether any further action is desirable and could practicably be taken.
Although counsel have not yet completed their work, my Department has received a number of recommendations. The first batch of draft submissions and letters of notification of the outcome of the review have been submitted to me for consideration. I believe that it would be in the best interests of all concerned that an independent element should now be brought into this part of the process. I have decided to appoint a former judicial figure to oversee the preparation of these summaries. That person appointed will be able to independently vouch for the fact that the summaries of conclusions and the reasoning behind them are a fair reflection of the advice which has been made available to the Department.
The House will appreciate that the IRM was an unprecedented process which went far beyond anything which any previous Government has done to address the type of issues which had arisen. I hope the House can accept that what I have decided about communicating decisions is the right course of action to take.
150. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Justice and Equality her plans to reform the current holiday visa system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19368/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department is constantly seeking ways in which the visa system may be developed to facilitate legitimate travel to the State for the purpose of tourism and business. In doing so, officials in INIS maintain regular close contact with relevant Government Departments and agencies. It is, however, important to emphasise, at the outset, that the vast majority of tourists visiting the State - over 96% - are from countries whose citizens do not require a visa to travel to the State e.g. the United Kingdom, other EU states, the United States, etc.
In July, 2011, the Government launched the first ever Irish Short-Stay Visa Waiver Programme. Under this Programme, tourists or business people who have lawfully entered the UK, including Northern Ireland, on a valid UK visa are able to travel on to Ireland without the requirement to obtain an Irish visa. The Programme covers eighteen countries including major emerging tourism and business markets such as China and India. The Programme has proven extremely successful leading to a 68% increase in visits from the countries covered by it from 2010 (the last full year before its introduction) and 2013.
Building on the success of this programme, negotiations took place with the United Kingdom authorities on the development of a reciprocal programme i.e. of also allowing visitors with an Irish visa to travel to the UK on the basis of that visa. These negotiations led to the establishment of the British Irish Visa Scheme which I launched, with the UK Home Secretary, in October last year. This Scheme was implemented in China later that month and in India in February of this year. The Scheme, which will supersede the Waiver Programme, allows visitors to travel to and around the Common Travel Area between Ireland and the UK, including the north and south of the island of Ireland, on a single visa. A formal joint review of the Scheme with the UK is due to be carried out shortly and both Governments have committed to the worldwide rollout of the Scheme to be substantially completed by the end of this year. I am confident that this Scheme will build on and expand the growth in visitor numbers resulting from the original Waiver Programme.
In addition to these measures, a liberal multi-entry visa regime for business travellers and other regular visitors with a good visa history, has been implemented in the Irish Visa Offices in Beijing, Moscow, Abu Dhabi and New Delhi over the last few years. This regime allows for the issue of multi-entry visas for up to five years' duration for applicants with a good previous visa history.
I am satisfied that the existing visa regime continues to support and facilitate tourism growth from countries whose citizens are visa-required for travel to the State.
151. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the current strength of the Garda Reserve; her plans for the future of the Garda Reserve; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19375/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of personnel among the Garda Regions, Divisions, and Districts. Garda management keep this distribution under continuing review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities so as to ensure that the best possible use is made of these resources.
I have been informed by the Garda Commissioner that the current strength of the Garda Reserve on the 31 March 2015, the latest date for which figures are readily available, is 1,079.
I fully support the important role of the Garda Reserve in the delivery of the policing service. I am informed by the Garda Commissioner that she is currently finalising arrangements to extend the powers and functions of Reserve members with a view to implementation at an early date.
152. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she acknowledges that the incident of an incursion by at least one armed member of the Police Service of Northern Ireland into County Donegal during March 2013 was part of a surveillance operation; further to Parliamentary Question No. 224 of 28 April 2015, the reason it was decided it was inadvertent as indicated in her reply; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20222/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am informed by the Garda Authorities that the incident in question refers to an occasion on which a PSNI vehicle inadvertently entered the State and then left the State again shortly afterwards. The Garda authorities were informed of this incident by the PSNI who set out the circumstances in which it occurred.
As I stated to the Deputy previously, such incidents are not desirable, however, they may occur on occasion given the open nature of the border with Northern Ireland. If such incidents occur the relevant authorities here are informed. It was not considered that any further action was required in this case.
153. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Justice and Equality her views on changes to current debt collection practices. [20221/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraResponsibility for the licensing of the financial activity of debt collectors does not come within the area of responsibility of my Department. However, I am assuming that the Deputy is referring to my proposal, approved by Government on 6 May 2015, for the drafting of the Civil Debt (Procedures) Bill which will provide for the introduction of additional measures for the enforcement of civil debt.
The proposed Bill will implement a number of recommendations of the Law Reform Commission (LRC) in relation to the enforcement of debt. The LRC Report published in 2010 on Personal Debt Management and Debt Enforcement made a number of recommendations for wide scale reform of the existing personal insolvency and debt enforcement regimes. Key elements of that Report were implemented through enactment of the Personal Insolvency Act 2012.
The new Bill seeks to implement further recommendations of the Report aimed at enforcement and recovery of debts which could be developed to streamline the existing enforcement procedures. Under the proposed Civil Debt (Procedures) Bill, creditors may apply to the court for an order enabling either attachment of earnings or deductions from social welfare payments, as appropriate, for the purpose of enforcement of debts to which the legislation will apply. Attachment of earnings would arise where a court orders the debtor’s employer to deduct specified sums from the debtor’s earnings to pay over to the creditor. Deduction from social welfare payments would arise where the court orders the Department of Social Protection to deduct specified sums from the debtor’s social welfare payments to pay over to the creditor. However, these provisions will be subject to a number of safeguards for debtors and will have regard to the debtor's capacity to repay the amount owed.
Importantly, the Bill will also make provision to provide for the abolition of imprisonment of debtors except in the case of maintenance arising from family law proceedings. This implements one of the key recommendations of the Law Reform Commission in this area. Under existing law, arrest and imprisonment remains a possibility as an enforcement mechanism of last resort in cases where a creditor has proved beyond all reasonable doubt the judgment debtor has failed to comply with an instalment order due to his or her wilful refusal or culpable neglect. The proposed Bill removes this possibility for the vast majority of debtors.
154. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she is aware of the continued drowning of migrants in the Mediterranean; that hundreds of thousands of impoverished and vulnerable men, women and children may attempt to cross the Mediterranean in overcrowded boats this summer; and if she has discussed Irish involvement in any life saving measures and programmes with her European counterparts. [19339/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware the Government has sent the LE Eithne to the region to engage in search and rescue, by agreement with the Italian authorities. This is a significant contribution given the size of Ireland's fleet limited and it reflects the Government's desire to assist where it can in this crisis. I would refer the Deputy to my more detailed response to Parliamentary Question No 20217/15 answered today.
155. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will report on the progress of the ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combatting Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence; if she will also report on the work to date to ensure the victims directive may be transposed before the deadline of November; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20216/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraIt is my intention is to seek Government approval for Ireland to sign the Istanbul Convention in the coming months. This is a matter of priority for me.
My Department has been working with other Government Departments and agencies to establish precisely the actions which would need to be taken in order to ratify and implement the Istanbul Convention. The advice of the Attorney General has been sought in relation to legislative amendments which might be necessary. I expect to receive the Attorney's advice shortly.
I intend to include the actions necessary for ratification of the Istanbul Convention in the new National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence. I expect to publish the strategy, which will cover a multi-year period from 2015, in the coming months.
In addition, I will shortly bring the General Scheme of a consolidated bill on domestic violence to Government which will strengthen protections in relation to such violence.
Work on the General Scheme of the Criminal Justice (Victims of Crime) Bill is at an advanced stage in my Department. The Bill will strengthen the rights of victims of crime and their families and will transpose into Irish law EU Directive 2012/29/EU establishing minimum standards on the rights, support and protection of victims of crime. I hope to bring to bring the Scheme of the Bill to Government for approval to publish before the end of this Dáil term. As part of the development of the Scheme of the Bill, I have held two very successful round table meetings with firstly, the leaders of organisations in the Justice Sector and then, on 19 May, with those representing victims. The views of all parties will be considered in the context of the final drafting of the Heads. The Justice Sector agencies are also working to ensure the appropriate administrative procedures will be in place by the transposition deadline.
156. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will report on current youth diversion projects; their successes and outcomes; her plans for future expansion of these projects; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19365/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department continues to invest heavily in Garda Youth Diversion Projects. My Department through the work of the Irish Youth Justice Service has committed to strengthening the evidence to support policies and services and to further develop targeted interventions to divert young people from the criminal justice system. The set of actions by which we intend to do so, is detailed in Tackling Youth Crime, a Youth Justice Action Plan 2014-2018; which also forms part of ‘Brighter Options, Better Futures’ the National Framework for Children and Young People 2014-2020’. The focus is to continue the downward trends in high volume crime and reduce the necessity for detention through proven and innovative approaches to youth diversion.
My Department has secured €2.8 million under the Dormant Accounts Action Plan for Garda Youth Diversion Projects which are funded by the Community Programme Unit (CPU) of the Irish Youth Justice Service (IYJS). I was pleased to announce on 15 May last, the details of the first tranche of that funding, totalling €1.37 million, which has been allocated for expenditure. I have given my approval for 10 new GYDPs to open in areas which have not previously been served by a GYDP. This will increase the total number of GYDPs in operation to 110. In addition, the funding will be used to support the recruitment of additional staff to 16 existing Garda Youth Diversion Projects, in order to respond to higher levels of youth crime or to expand the geographical remit of the project. Funding will also be provided for the expansion of an initiative in the Mid West area to engage with “hard to reach” young people involved in criminal activity. The locations for the new GYDPs and additional staff in existing projects is available on both the Department of Justice and Equality and IYJS' websites.
I am also pleased to have launched last week the first Divisional model of Garda Youth Diversion Project provision. Kerry Empowering Youth – KEY, a Kerry Garda Youth Justice Divisional Model is a new model of Garda Youth Diversion project delivery developed in partnership by Kerry Diocesan Youth Service (KDYS) and Kerry Garda Division, with support from the IYJS of my Department. The new service delivery model has been very successful and has enabled KDYS in partnership with Kerry Divisional Gardaí to reach over 100 additional young people so far who would not have otherwise received support from trained Youth Justice Workers. The IYJS is currently rolling out an expansion of the Divisional Youth Diversion model in partnership with Gardaí and Community Based Organisations in Cork City.
From the start of this year, GYDPs and some Young Persons Probation (YPP) are being co-funded under the Programme for Employment, Inclusion and Learning (PEIL) of the European Social Fund 2014-2020. It is planned that a total of €84 million will be expended over the course of the Programme.
While there is no specific research linking the drop in youth crime to diversion projects, all stakeholders in the area, both statutory and non-statutory are extremely positive about their impact and success. The Garda Youth Diversion Programme has made significant inroads in targeting supports to young people to effectively divert them towards more positive life choices. I will shortly be publishing the 2013 Annual Report of the Committee to Monitor the Effectiveness of the Garda Diversion Programme which will show that the trend of falling numbers of young people coming to the attention of An Garda Síochána and being referred to the Garda Diversion Programme is continuing.
157. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Taoiseach when the next collection of data for the census 2016 will take place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20016/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra158. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Taoiseach the reason the census does not ask if a person has deaf-blindness as a disability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20017/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 157 and 158 together.
The census is a major undertaking for the Central Statistics Office. The census will give a comprehensive picture of the social and living conditions of the country - information that only a census can provide in such complete geographical and fine grained detail. Similar to Census 2011 there will be detailed demographic results covering topics such as age profiles, employment, housing, families, migration, ethnicity, religion, health, education and commuting patterns. Census Enumerators will call at every doorstep of every home in Ireland to deliver in the region of 1.8 million census forms.
Given the recent budgetary environment that Ireland has experienced the Central Statistics Office conducted an extensive user consultation on the continuing need for a five-yearly census in Ireland. The response to that consultation showed overwhelming support for a five-yearly census and the enormous value that the data brings, with particular emphasis on the value of small area data that only the census can provide. The Government accordingly decided that a census will be undertaken in 2016. Census day will be 24 April 2016.
The expected cost of the 2016 Census is €50 million, spread over the 3 years of 2015-2017; the field staff pay is the largest component at some €26 million.
The CSO will recruit over 5,180 temporary staff to conduct the field operation, made up of 50 senior managers, 430 field supervisors and some 4,700 enumerators. The recruitment campaign began on 30 April with the advertisement of the 50 senior manager positions; interviews for these positions will take place in June and the first of these staff are due to take up duty on 28 September. The recruitment of the 430 field supervisors, who will be employed for 6 months on the census, will begin in mid-September and they are due to be appointed in early January 2016. Finally, the enumerators positions will be advertised at the end of December and they will be appointed for a 10 week period from mid-March until the end of May 2016. Applications for all positions on the census are being accepted through an on-line application form on the CSO web site and are being advertised in advance through Intreo, on Publicjobs.ie and in the national press.
The CSO works hard to ensure that the information collected and provided from the census remains current, relevant and of maximum use to the public. It has been common practice in advance of each census to conduct a public consultation on possible new questions and changes to existing questions, which are then considered by a specially convened Census Advisory Group in advance of testing in the field in the form of a pilot survey of some 12,000 dwellings. Unfortunately given the very tight budget circumstances in 2013 and 2014, with constraints on resources right across the public sector, it was not possible to pursue this route for census 2016. Accordingly the 2016 census will be run as a ‘no-change’ census with the questions on the 2016 questionnaire remaining unchanged from those used in the 2011 census, with the exception of the question on marital status.
The format of the question on disability used in 2011, and being repeated in 2016, was agreed by the Census Advisory Group which was established to assist the CSO in developing the 2011 questionnaire. This group comprised representatives of central and local government, the social partners, universities, research bodies and other users of census data, along with the relevant CSO personnel. The group reviewed over 90 submissions for new questions or changes to existing questions during the course of their work. In addition a specific sub-group, comprised of representatives from the National Disability Authority, the Equality Authority, the Disability Federation of Ireland and the National Federation of Voluntary Bodies was convened to consider the disability-related questions on the census form. The current format of the disability question was tested successfully in the April 2009 Census Pilot Survey and the Government subsequently accepted the advice of the CSO and the Census Advisory Group to accept this format of the question.
The exact format of the questions are outlined below, and persons can choose multiple categories of disabilities. As censuses of population are traditionally held at five-yearly intervals in Ireland it is intended that should there be a census in 2021 a full public consultation on the questions to be asked will be conducted in advance.
Q. 16. Do you have any of the following long-lasting conditions or difficulties?
(a) Blindness or a serious vision impairment Yes No
(b) Deafness or a serious hearing impairment Yes No
(c) A difficulty with basic physical activities such as walking, climbing stairs, reaching, lifting or carrying Yes No
(d) An intellectual disability Yes No
(e) A difficulty with learning, remembering or concentrating Yes No
(f ) A psychological or emotional condition Yes No
(g) A difficulty with pain, breathing, or any other chronic illness or condition Yes No.
Q.17. If ‘Yes’ to any of the categories specified in Question 16, do you have any difficulty in doing any of the following?
(a) Dressing, bathing or getting around inside the home Yes No
(b) Going outside the home alone to shop or visit a doctor’s surgery Yes No
(c) Working at a job or business or attending school or college Yes No
(d) Participating in other activities, for example leisure or using transport Yes No.
In conclusion, I am happy to report that preparations for the 2016 census are progressing well and that with the full participation of the public at the time of the census the results will be an important input into planning the future of this country.
159. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach the Central Statistics Office's estimate of the number of unemployed persons who are not on the live register. [20353/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra162. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach with regard to the latest Central Statistics Office quarterly national household survey for the first quarter of 2015, the number of those counted as unemployed under Central Statistics Office figures who are not counted on the live register. [20566/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 159 and 162 together.
The exact information requested by the Deputy is not available.
The Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS) is the official source of estimates of unemployment in the State and the latest estimated number of persons unemployed as of the first quarter of 2015 was 212,800.
The primary classification used for the QNHS results is the ILO (International Labour Office) labour force classification. The classification for unemployed persons includes those persons aged 15 years and over who, in the week before the survey, were without work and available for work within the next two weeks, and had taken specific steps, in the preceding four weeks, to find work. The QNHS does not capture a respondent's status as measured by the Live Register.
The Live Register is compiled from returns made for each local office to the Central Statistics Office by the Department of Social Protection. It comprises persons under 65 years of age in the following classes:
- All Claimants for Jobseeker's Benefit (JB) excluding systematic short-time workers.
- Applicants for Jobseeker's Allowance (JA) excluding smallholders/farm assists and other self-employed persons.
- Other registrants including applicants for credited Social Welfare contributions but excluding those directly involved in an industrial dispute.
It should be noted that the Live Register is not designed to measure unemployment as per the ILO unemployment classification used by the QNHS. It includes part-time workers (those who work up to three days a week), seasonal and casual workers entitled to Jobseeker's Benefit or Allowance.
160. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his meeting with Chinese Premier, Li Keqiang, and other Chinese officials on 17 May 2015. [20483/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI held official talks with Chinese Premier, Mr Li Keqiang, during his visit to Ireland on 17 and 18 May.
We had positive and constructive discussions on a range of topics, including the economic situation in Ireland and China, the strength of our bilateral trade relationship and the potential for growth, including through increased investment in Ireland by Chinese companies and enhanced air connectivity. We agreed to further strengthen people-to-people links, including through educational exchanges. We discussed a range of global issues including EU-China relations, the post-2015 development agenda, UN issues, human rights and climate change.
I was accompanied at the talks by the Ministers for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Finance, Education and Skills, Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Ministers of State with special responsibility for European Affairs and Data Protection and Food, Forestry, Horticulture and Food Safety.
The Premier was accompanied by eight Ministers: Mr. Wang Yi, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Mr. Xu Shaoshi, Minister of National Development and Reform Commission; Mr. Gao Hucheng, Minister of Commerce; Mr. Xiao Jie, Deputy Secretary-General of the State Council; Mr. Ning Jizhe, Director, Research Office of the State Council; Mr. Wang Chao, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs with responsibility for European Affairs; Mr. Shi Gang, Director of the Office to Premier Li Keqiang and Mr. Han Changfu, Minister for Agriculture.
During the visit, the Premier also visited a family-run beef and dairy farm in Headford which demonstrated that Ireland has the highest standards of food safety, quality and traceability in our food production systems and which showcased Ireland as a tourist destination.
The Premier and I also witnessed the signing of two bilateral agreements between Ireland and China, on agricultural co-operation and diplomatic visa waivers.
161. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Taoiseach if he will provide details of all official foreign trips he and Ministers of State in his Department plan to take between now and the end of 2015; if he will provide details of whom he and the Ministers of State in his Department will be meeting while on these trips; the purpose of these trips; the duration of these trips; his plans to use all of these trips to promote Ireland as a good place for doing business and as a destination for foreign direct investment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20447/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe following are the details of my official travel and those of the Ministers of State in my Department, confirmed to date between now and the end of 2015.
My EU engagements for the rest of 2015 include attendance at European Council meetings with Heads of State and Government and attendance at informal meetings of EU Heads of State and Government in Brussels.
The meetings confirmed are:
25/26 June - European Council Brussels
15/16 October - European Council Brussels
17/18 December - European Council Brussels
It is my intention to participate in the EU-CELAC Summit (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States), which will be held in Brussels on 10/11 June. This summit brings together European, Latin American and Caribbean leaders to strengthen relations between both regions. The theme of the Summit is: "Shaping our common future: working for prosperous, cohesive and sustainable societies for our citizens". I also hope to meet other Heads of State over the coming months.
I plan to attend the British Irish Council Summit in London in November.
Mr. Dara Murphy T.D., Minister of State with special responsibility for EU and Data protection will attend the meetings set out below:
15/16 June - Justice and Home Affairs Council
23 June - General Affairs Council, Luxembourg
25/26 June - European Council Brussels
It is envisaged that Minister Murphy will attend the following Council engagements subject to the finalisation of the Luxembourg Presidency calendar:
14 September - General Affairs Council
13 October - General Affairs Council
15/16 October - European Council Brussels
17 November - General Affairs Council
15 December - General Affairs Council
17/18 December - European Council Brussels
Minister Murphy will also attend the EU-CELAC Foreign Ministers’ Summit (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) in Brussels in June.
Some additional travel related to the Minister’s responsibilities in both the EU and Data Protection areas is likely, but has not yet been scheduled.
The Minister for Diaspora Affairs, Jimmy Deenihan T.D., will travel to Colorado, Denver, Austin and San Antonio from 20-24 June. The purpose of the trip is to engage with the Irish Communities in these cities, including members of the business community.
Minister Deenihan will also travel to London on 30 June where he will launch an Irish Design 2015 ‘We Built this City’ event. The aim of the event is to highlight the contribution the Irish Diaspora has made to the building of cities such as London. While the Minister’s main role is to engage with Irish communities overseas, in those contacts and others, he will avail of every opportunity that arises to promote Ireland as a good place to do business and as a destination for foreign direct investment.
Mr. Simon Harris T.D. Minister of State with special responsibility for the OPW, Public Procurement and International Banking will undertake a series of visits abroad to promote Ireland as a hub for international financial services and the advancement of the IFS 2020 Strategy. He will meet with existing and prospective IDA clients and explore opening new markets for EI clients in the financial services area.
His visits include:
08-10 June: - Brussels, Frankfurt
09 September - Frankfurt
14 -18 September - Boston, New York
6 November - London
13 November - Brussels - Ecofin Budget Council
Minister of State Paul Kehoe does not have any plans for official travel in 2015.
