Written Answers Nos. 318 - 339
318. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which the age profile of those on the live register continues to be monitored with a view to making any adjustments necessary to assist those most in need; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36296/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Live Register, which captures those registering for unemployment benefits (including those working part-time and in casual work who draw partial unemployment payments), is an administrative record. It is not the official measure of unemployment, but can give indicative trends. The official measure of unemployment is sourced from the Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS). Measures of unemployment from the QNHS are based on International Labour Office (ILO) definitions. To be ‘ILO unemployed’ a person must in the week before the survey be without work but available for work and have recently taken specific job-search steps.
My Department uses both Live Register and QNHS data for reporting and monitoring trends and adjusting policies accordingly at national level. This includes providing data and trends broken down by age categories. The QNHS data, being prepared as part of the EU-wide Labour Force Survey, also allow Irish trends to be compared with international developments.
The Youth Guarantee Implementation Plan and the Pathways to Work strategies, key policy documents to facilitate the young unemployed and the long-term unemployed, respectively, back into work, are underpinned by analyses of the labour market situation based on the statistical sources mentioned above.
By allocating activation resources to persons on the Live Register, the government’s policy tends to focus on those areas and age-groups in which unemployment is most concentrated. The focus on those most in need is further reinforced by the use of profiling to identify, among the newly unemployed, those most likely to face severe difficulties in re-entering employment. People identified as having a low PEX (probability of exit from unemployment) score are prioritised for intensive engagement and support from the Intreo employment service.
319. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which the self-employed can qualify for various social protection supports now and in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36297/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraSelf-employed persons, who earn €5,000 or more in a contribution year, are liable for PRSI at the Class S rate of 4%, subject to a minimum annual payment of €500. This provides them with access to the following benefits: State pension (contributory), widow’s, widower’s or surviving civil partner’s pension (contributory), guardian’s payment (contributory), maternity benefit, paternity benefit and adoptive benefit.
Core to the Programme for Government focusing on improving the position of the self-employed, is the commitment to introduce an improved PRSI scheme for the self-employed.
In Budget 2017, I announced the extension of cover for invalidity pension to the self-employed on the same basis as employees, with effect from December 2017. Gaining access to invalidity pension will provide the self-employed with a much stronger safety net to protect them in the event of significant injury or disablement.
In addition the self-employed will have access to the treatment benefit scheme which provides partial dental, optical and aural services to qualified people, from March 2017. Treatment benefit entitlements will be extended further from October 2017 for the self-employment and employees, providing additional dental and optical benefits.
In 2017, my Department will carry out detailed work to establish how to provide a better safety net for self-employed workers whose business fails. The outcome will be considered in a Budgetary context.
320. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications for exceptional needs payments received by his Department in each of the past 12 months to date; the number approved; the number refused; the number pending; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36298/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, my Department may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off and unforeseen expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. The Government has provided €30.3 million for the ENP scheme in 2016.
The ENP scheme is demand led and payments are made at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the case in order to ensure that the payments target those most in need of assistance.
Statistics are collated relating to payments under the ENP scheme, however they are not maintained on the number of applications or the outcome of those applications. Some 90,500 ENP payments have issued over the past 12 month period and a monthly breakdown of these cases is provided in the tabular statement. For reporting purposes this data also includes the numbers of urgent needs payments (UNP). A UNP is a once-off payment made to persons who would not normally qualify for SWA but who have an urgent need which they cannot meet from their own resources or an alternative is not available at that time.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Number of Exceptional Needs Payments and Urgent Needs Payments in each month for the past twelve months to October 2016:
|
Month |
Number of Payments |
|
November 2015 |
8,167 |
|
December 2015 |
8,841 |
|
January 2016 |
7,178 |
|
February 2016 |
7,453 |
|
March 2016 |
7,918 |
|
April 2016 |
7,484 |
|
May 2016 |
7,628 |
|
June 2016 |
7,003 |
|
July 2016 |
6,810 |
|
August 2016 |
7,304 |
|
September 2016 |
7,324 |
|
October 2016 |
7,433 |
|
TOTAL |
90,543 |
322. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of recipients of deserted wives benefit eligible for receipt of payment in the past five years to date; the extent to which their entitlement has changed in the period in question; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36300/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraDeserted Wife's Benefit is a payment made to a woman deserted by her husband. The Deserted Wife's Benefit scheme was closed off to new applications with effect from 2 January 1997, when One-Parent Family Payment was introduced. Entitlement to payment is based on social insurance contributions paid by the wife or her husband. A person who qualified for Deserted Wife's Benefit before 2 Jan 1997 and continues to meet the qualifying criteria may remain on the payment. The qualifying criteria have not changed since the scheme closed. There is no earnings limit operational for persons in receipt of Deserted Wife's Benefit where the claim was made on or before 30 August 1992. For persons whose Deserted Wife's Benefit claims were made on or after 31 August 1992 an earnings limit of €20,000 applies. A person might cease to have an entitlement to Deserted Wife's Benefit for a variety of reasons including: transfer to another Social Welfare payment (State Pension Contributory, or Widow's Contributory), re-marriage/civil partnership, co–habitation, resumed living with her husband, deceased, or in certain cases if means exceed the limit.
The number of recipients of Deserted Wife's Benefit for each of the past five years from 2011 to date is as follows:
|
2011 |
8,071 |
|
2012 |
7,753 |
|
2013 |
7,457 |
|
2014 |
7,281 |
|
2015 |
6,867 |
|
2016 |
6.740 |
323. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons currently in receipt of unemployment assistance or unemployment benefit in County Kildare at present; the extent to which such numbers have fluctuated in the course of the past five years to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36301/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested by the Deputy is detailed in the tabular statement.
Number of persons in receipt of unemployment assistance or unemployment benefit in County Kildare at end of December 2012 and the end of October 2013 to 2016
|
Jobseeker’s Allowance |
Jobseeker’s Benefit |
|||
|
Recipients |
Percentage Change |
Recipients |
Percentage Change |
|
|
October 16 |
8,446 |
-19.7% |
1,637 |
-11.7% |
|
October 15 |
10,524 |
0.9% |
1,854 |
-1.5% |
|
October 14 |
10,427 |
-11.3% |
1,883 |
-21.7% |
|
October 13 |
11,759 |
-0.5% |
2,404 |
-32.5% |
|
December 12* |
11,823 |
- |
3,560 |
- |
* Prior to 2013 recipient numbers were only segregated by county on an annual basis for inclusion in the Department’s Annual Statistical Report.
324. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection the cost of the State pension in 2015; the number of recipients at year end; the total number of beneficiaries, that is, counting qualified adults; if he will provide a breakdown of these figures by State pension contributory recipients and by State pension non-contributory recipients; and the projected equivalent figures in 2016, 2020, 2025 and 2030. [36345/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe following table provides the data requested by the deputy for 2015 and 2016:
|
- |
State Pension Contributory |
State Pension Non-Contributory |
Total |
|
- |
€000 |
€000 |
€000 |
|
2015 expenditure |
4,475,691 |
972,206 |
5,447,897 |
Beneficiaries at end December 2015
|
- |
State Pension Contributory |
State Pension Non-Contributory |
Total |
|
Recipients |
361,725 |
95,179 |
456,904 |
|
Qualified adults |
68,561 |
3,207 |
71,768 |
|
Qualified children |
2,201 |
580 |
2,781 |
|
Total beneficiaries |
432,487 |
98,966 |
531,453 |
Beneficiaries at end December 2016
|
- |
State Pension Contributory |
State Pension Non-Contributory |
Total |
|
Recipients |
376,530 |
95,400 |
471,930 |
|
Qualified adults |
67,650 |
3,250 |
70,900 |
|
Qualified children |
1,976 |
450 |
2,426 |
|
Total beneficiaries |
446,156 |
99,100 |
545,256 |
Note: 2015 data is published in the Statistical Information on Social Welfare Services 2015, while 2016 data is an estimate based on end-October 2016 data.
The number of recipients of the State Pension Contributory has been increasing by around 15,000 each year over the last few years while the number of State Pension (Non-Contributory), recipients has been relatively stable over the same period.
The main driver of the increase in pension related expenditure is attributable to the ageing of the population. Social welfare legislation provides that actuarial reviews must be completed five years after the completion of the last review and that a copy of each review be laid before each House of the Oireachtas. The last review (The Actuarial Review of the Social Insurance Fund, 2010) was carried out by KPMG on behalf of the Department and was published in 2012. This review projected (as part of its base case assumptions) that the number of persons aged 65 and over in the population would increase from 514,000 in 2010 to 750,000 in 2020 (and increase of nearly 46%) before rising again to 1,034,000 in 2030 (a further increase of nearly 38%). The published actuarial review does not include data on the numbers of pensioners on a scheme by scheme basis. However, this data will be included in the next review which is imminent.
In this regard, the Department has issued a Request for Tender to carry out a new Actuarial Review and this will be completed by end June 2017. This review will provide more up to date projections of Social Insurance Fund expenditure and income in the coming years based on the most up to date demographic and economic data as well as the impact of social protection changes since the last review was completed.
325. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an appeal for an invalidity pension in respect of a person (details supplied); and when the person can expect a decision on their case. [36355/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 13 October 2016. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. When these papers have been received from the Department, the case in question will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral appeal hearing.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
326. Deputy Eamon Ryan asked the Minister for Social Protection the cost per year of reinstating eligibility for child benefit to persons up to 19 years of age who are still in school; his views on whether such a reinstatement is justifiable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36361/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraChild Benefit is a monthly payment made to families with children in respect of all qualified children up to the age of 16 years. The payment continues to be paid in respect of children up to their 18th birthday who are in full-time education, or who have a disability. Child Benefit is currently paid to around 624,000 families in respect of some 1.2 million children, with an estimated expenditure in the order of over €2 billion in 2016.
Based on figures from the Department of Education and Skills the cost of extending Child Benefit to 19 year olds in second level education is estimated at just over €100 million. As Child Benefit is a universal payment, this proposal would not be targeted.
Budget 2009 reduced the age for eligibility for Child Benefit from 19 years to less than 18 years. A value for money review of child income supports, published by the Department of Social Protection in 2010, found that the participation pattern of children in education supports the current age limit for Child Benefit.
Families on low incomes can avail of a number of provisions to social welfare schemes that support children in full-time education until the age of 22, including:
- qualified child increases (IQCs) with primary social welfare payments;
- family income supplement (FIS) for low-paid employees with children;
- the back to school clothing and footwear allowance for low income families (paid at the full-time second level education rate).
These schemes provide targeted assistance that is directly linked with household income and thereby supports low-income families with older children participating in full-time education.
Any changes to the eligibility criteria for Child Benefit could only be considered in an overall budgetary context.
327. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the actions the Government has undertaken in the case of a person (details supplied); the further actions the State intends to undertake; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35859/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department officials at headquarters in Dublin, at our Embassy in Singapore, which is accredited to the Philippines, and our Honorary Consul in Manila, have all been engaged in this case and have provided consular assistance to this individual and to his family, since they were first made aware of this citizen’s detention in 2013.
Let me assure the Deputy that the individual’s concerns have been raised with the relevant authorities in Manila. I personally raised the case with my Philippines counterpart in New York in September. Our Ambassador in Singapore again raised the case with the Philippines Foreign Ministry on 19 October and the Consul visited the Philippines and met with this citizen on 12 October.
I am very much aware of the extremely difficult circumstances in which this individual, and his family find themselves. This citizen, who remains on bail, has filed an appeal with the Philippines Supreme Court against his conviction and sentence in 2013. The individual has legal representation and it is for the lawyers to advise on legal questions and to act on his behalf in matters before the courts. The Irish Government cannot offer legal advice nor intervene in the judicial processes in other countries.
The individual concerned is in regular and direct contact with Department officials both in Dublin and in Singapore. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Dublin, our Embassy in Singapore and our Honorary Consulate in the Philippines will continue to provide what consular assistance we can to this individual and to his family.
328. Deputy Colm Brophy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the boundary of the Republic of Ireland with Northern Ireland from Magilligan Point and Greencastle to Inishowen Head; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35903/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI reject the UK government’s assertion of jurisdiction over the whole of Lough Foyle, a claim which has never been accepted by any Irish Government.
Uncertainty concerning the extent to which each Government exercises jurisdiction within Lough Foyle has created practical difficulties for the conduct of a number of activities there. This has included difficulty in creating a system for licensing of aquaculture by the Loughs Agency in accordance with the intentions of the two Governments under the 1999 agreement establishing the North/South implementation bodies. I want to see the Loughs Agency working to its full potential which is in the interests of everyone on this island.
Following discussions in 2011 between the then Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and the British Foreign Secretary, both Governments agreed to seek to address and resolve jurisdictional issues relating to both Lough Foyle and Carlingford Lough.
Since that time a series of meetings have taken place at official level between the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The issues involved are complex and involve a range of different actors, including the Crown Estates. These discussions are continuing and the next meeting is scheduled for early next month. The Irish Government remains committed to reaching a successful conclusion to these talks.
329. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the additional efforts which could be made by his Department to raise a person's (details supplied) case at European and international level; if he will explore these in order to raise this person's plight; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35963/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government is continuing 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.
Our immediate and ongoing efforts are focused on pressing the case with the Egyptian authorities for a positive response to the application made in August under Presidential Decree 140. Both An Taoiseach and I are actively engaging with the Egyptian Government and are continuing our determined efforts to see this citizen released at the earliest possible opportunity. In the meantime, our Embassy in Cairo is providing consular support for his welfare while he remains in detention.
In addition to engagement with the Egyptian authorities, the Government has also been engaging on an ongoing basis with other states who have had citizens in similar situations, with individual European and international partners, and with the European Union.
I have engaged extensively with the EU High Representative, Ms Federica Mogherini, who – at my request - has personally raised this citizen’s case with the Egyptian Government. I have also corresponded with HRVP Mogherini regarding the aforementioned application for release under Presidential Decree 140.
We also engage with a range of third parties with relevant experience or expertise including maintaining contact with individuals who have been detained in similar circumstances and their legal representatives, and we carefully take on board their knowledge, views and opinions. There is also constant consultation with this citizen’s family, his lawyers in Ireland and Egypt and experts from civil society and NGOs.
The Government strategy is under continual review. The key principle guiding our approach is what stands the best chance of making positive progress for this Irish citizen. It is the Government's considered position, supported by decades of diplomatic experience and extensive consultation with States which have had citizens in similar circumstances, that our sustained and firm diplomatic efforts provide the best means of securing Ibrahim Halawa’s return to Ireland.
The Government will remain resolute in pursuing its clear objectives in this case and what we firmly believe to be in this citizen’s best interest and to be most likely to contribute to a positive outcome for him.
330. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to fact that the Turkish interior ministry has now declared 370 NGOs and associations which were operating legally inside Turkey to be closed down; if his attention has been further drawn to the fact that 199 of these NGOs were Kurdish organisations that form an essential component of Kurdish civil society and have been providing vital services such as legal advice, help for prisoners and their families, assistance to women victims of violence and promoting Kurdish cultural activities; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that organisations such as the Peace Association of Turkey were also targeted; and if he will condemn this attempt to eradicate all traces of independent civil society and raise the issue with his Turkish counterpart. [35965/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am deeply troubled about recent developments in Turkey, which have exacerbated ongoing concerns about Turkey’s adherence to core values such as democracy, freedom of expression and the rule of law. I am also gravely concerned at the mounting threat to civil society.
The increasing tensions in the south-east of the country are also very troubling. The ongoing hostilities in that region have impacted negatively on the ordinary people of Turkey, including the Kurdish minority.
I have consistently expressed my regret at the breakdown of the ceasefire in summer 2015 between the Turkish Government and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). It is critical that both sides return to dialogue to allow the political process to resolve the Kurdish issue to resume.
In a statement which I issued on 4 November expressing my concern at the arrests of pro-Kurdish opposition members of parliament, I repeated the importance of the resumption of political dialogue, as did Minster Murphy during the extensive debate on Turkey which took place at the EU Foreign Affairs Council on 14 November.
In a statement issued on 8 November, the EU also called again on Turkey to resume political dialogue to resolve the Kurdish situation.
My officials met last week with members of the pro-Kurdish opposition HDP party, who gave a detailed overview of the current situation, and described the closure and restrictions on some 200 Kurdish NGOs, including organisations which provide meals to children, women’s associations and human rights lawyers’ associations. They also detailed the restrictions on freedom of expression and media freedom, and the shutting down of Kurdish TV channels.
While condemning absolutely the 15 July attempted coup, and recognising Turkey’s need to take measures to protect its internal security, I have repeatedly called on the Turkish authorities to maintain a proportionate and measured response, and to uphold core democratic principles, human rights and rule of law, including in respect of minorities in the country.
At the same time, Ireland believes that it is important to keep the lines of communication open with Turkey, and that we must try to hold open the long-term European perspective for all the people of Turkey.
331. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to a new draft NGO law that was approved in principle by the Egyptian Parliament; if his attention has further been drawn to the fact that NGOs in Egypt feel that this latest draft NGO law means putting an end to the work and existence of the civil society organisations that are now trying to survive the ongoing crackdown on NGOs and continue their work, despite the government’s unprecedented violations of the freedoms of assembly and association; and if he will raise these concerns regarding this law with his Egyptian counterpart. [35966/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am aware of the recent developments in respect of this bill. Ireland and its EU partners are engaged with the Egyptian authorities on an ongoing basis on issues concerning the status of civil society in Egypt. Ireland recognises the important contribution which civil society plays in strengthening dialogue between state institutions and citizens, both domestically and internationally.
I discussed the question of human rights with Foreign Minister Shoukri, including the position of civil society organisations, most recently during my June visit to Cairo, and I remain open to raising such issues in future contacts.
332. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of applications that have been refused for injury warrants under the Superannuation Acts since 1995 within his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35986/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Injury Warrants are a series of statutory instruments, made under the Superannuation Act 1887, which provides benefits to or in respect of officers who, through no fault of their own, are killed or injured while performing their duties.
These benefits comprise (a) annual allowances, (b) gratuities, (c) loss of earnings allowances and (d) refunds of certain expenses.
We have had no such claims for injury warrants in my Department.
333. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the reason national contributions to EU development co-operation have increased in the past two budgets; the parts of the EU development budget to which they are allocated; if these contributions will allow Ireland to influence EU policies in a more progressive way; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36075/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFor 2017, the Government has allocated a total of €651 million for Official Development Assistance (ODA), an increase of €10 million on the 2016 allocation. Of this total, €486 million will be administered by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, which manages the Irish Aid programme. A further estimated €165 million will come from other Government Departments and Ireland’s share of the EU Development Cooperation budget.
We believe that an ambitious external aid budget is critical to ensure the EU can meet its commitments in the fight against global poverty, while maintaining its leadership on the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In this context, the response to the current migration and refugee crisis has placed significant additional demands on EU development programmes and instruments.
Ireland’s share of the EU Development Cooperation budget is calculated by attributing our percentage share of the overall EU Budget as a Member State to the total EU expenditure on ODA. The EU Commission is forecasting strong growth in ODA-eligible expenditure in 2016 and again in 2017.
Based on the Commission-forecasted increase in the EU Development Cooperation budget for 2017, and an expected increase in Ireland’s percentage share, we are prudently projecting Ireland’s share of the EU Development Cooperation budget to be in the region of €100 million, an increase of almost €10 million on the 2016 established estimate. This accounts for the bulk of the increase in the overall allocation to ODA for 2017.
Ireland’s contributions to the financing of the EU’s development cooperation and humanitarian programmes comprise: our annual share of the EU Development Cooperation budget which covers the Development Cooperation Instrument and Humanitarian Aid; our assessed contribution to the European Development Fund (EDF); and our contributions to a number of specific EU Trust Funds.
The current EDF runs from 2014 to 2020. Although the amount of our EDF contributions has increased from €29.27 million in 2014 to €32.76 million in 2016, as programming demands on the EDF have increased, Ireland’s percentage share of contributions to the EDF has not changed over the past two years. Ireland is also contributing to three specific trust finds: the Trust Fund for stability and addressing root causes of migration in Africa (a voluntary contribution of €600,000 for each of the years 2016-2020); the Colombia Trust Fund (a voluntary contribution of €600,000 per year for each of the years 2016-2020); and the Facility for Refugees in Turkey (a mandatory assessed contribution of almost €23 million over the 2016-2019 period, with a first payment of just over €5 million in 2016).
Ireland engages actively at political and official levels in discussions with our EU partners and with the European Commission Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development to ensure that our development policy priorities are reflected in EU programmes. Member States are currently working to agree a revised EU Consensus on Development to ensure that EU development cooperation is aligned fully with the SDGs and responds to new global challenges. I will attend next week’s meeting of Development Ministers under the Foreign Affairs Council where these issues will be under consideration. I was very pleased also to welcome Development Commissioner Neven Mimica to Dublin last month and I had a constructive meeting with him to discuss Ireland’s priorities for EU development cooperation.
334. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the way in which Ireland and the EU can assist with the worsening humanitarian crisis in north-east Nigeria, especially for children, in view of donor commitments not being fulfilled. [36076/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am seriously concerned about the growing humanitarian crisis in north-eastern Nigeria, following seven years of conflict and violence by Boko Haram. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that 14 million people in the region are now in need of humanitarian assistance. This includes up to 1.7 million internally displaced people in Adamawa, Borno, Gombe and Yobe States, of which over half are believed to be children. OCHA has indicated that just 38% of the consolidated humanitarian funding requested from donors in 2016 has been received.
Earlier this month, our Ambassador to Nigeria visited Borno State to assess the security and humanitarian situation. He met in Maiduguri with representatives from various UN agencies and NGOs operating in the region. The Ambassador visited a number of camps for displaced people, including in the towns of Bama and Gwoza. Following the visit, on behalf of the EU, the Ambassador briefed the United Nations Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel, Mohammed Ibn Chambas. Our Embassy in Abuja continues to consult widely with the Nigerian Government, at senior political and official levels, on issues relating to the humanitarian emergency.
Ireland and our EU partners are providing significant assistance in response to the humanitarian crisis and continue to support the Nigerian Government in ensuring a secure environment for its citizens. The EU has pledged up to €50 million in support of the Multinational Joint Taskforce, which supports 8,700 troops from Nigeria and neighbouring countries in promoting regional security. The European Commission has also provided $52.4 million in humanitarian funding for the North East.
In 2016, Ireland has provided €3 million in direct response to the crisis in the region. This includes €325,000 for Irish Aid's NGO partners, €1 million for the work of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), and €1 million for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
Under Ireland’s Rapid Response Initiative, six rapid responders were deployed this year to work with our UN partners’ humanitarian response operations in the country. We also airlifted 110 tonnes of emergency relief supplies into north-eastern Nigeria and to Niger to help Nigerian families displaced by conflict to meet their basic shelter and other needs.
We are continuing to monitor the situation in the region closely and to examine how we can contribute further to the response to the humanitarian crisis.
335. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the building of 1,600 plus homes for Israeli settlers in the illegal settlement of Katzrin in the occupied Syrian Golan; and the dialogue he has had with his Israeli counterpart and at EU level regarding the disregard of international law that these settlements encompass. [36083/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have repeatedly made clear my view that the relentless expansion of illegal Israeli settlements is a major impediment to the achievement of peace in the Israeli-Arab conflict. The settlement process is not only illegal, but routinely involves dispossession and seizure of land, eviction of those already living there, and imposition of restrictions on the surrounding population. It is thus a major cause of tensions and provocations on the ground. As I have stated before, these actions are incompatible with a genuine commitment to reach a peace agreement, and call into serious question the intentions of the Israeli Government.
We regularly convey these concerns to the Israeli authorities, and I have raised them myself with Israeli Ministers on my visits to the region, most recently in June. Ireland also works to focus EU and international attention on them, and the issue of settlements is a central focus of our engagement on the Middle East conflict.
Our concerns over these policies are most acute in relation to the West Bank, where they are making impossible the achievement of a peace agreement and the establishment of a Palestinian state. By contrast, it is generally acknowledged that any comprehensive peace between Israel and the Arab states will involve the return of the Golan area to Syria.
336. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of the report, Business and Human Rights. [36084/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraSince the publication of the Working Outline of the National Plan on Business and Human Rights on 10 December 2015, my Department has engaged in extensive consultations to ensure that all relevant sectors of Irish society have had the opportunity to contribute to the development of the Plan. Work is advancing on the Plan and I hope it will be finalised in the first quarter of 2017.
Ireland also continues to engage in EU and UN discussions aimed at promoting the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Officials from my Department participated in the fifth UN Annual Forum on Business and Human rights which was held in Geneva from 14 to 16 November 2016. This multi-stakeholder event created the opportunity to engage with representatives of other governments, civil society and the private sector and to reaffirm our collective commitment to the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
337. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has had contact with the honorary consulates of Ireland in Morocco since the death of a person (details supplied); and if he has sought reports from the consulates on the protests that have developed in various cities following the person's death. [36159/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am aware of the tragic death of the fish trader in Hoceima, and the protests the incident sparked.
The role of our Honorary Consuls is primarily to provide consular services to Irish citizens resident in or visiting their consular area. They can also act as a focal point for the local Irish community and assist with trade promotion. The role of Honorary Consuls would not extend to monitoring political developments in their area, as this work would be carried out by the mission officially accredited to that country. Our Ambassador in Lisbon is officially accredited to Morocco, and she is also aware of the case.
I understand there have been several arrests following the man’s death and that the outcome of the official investigation is unclear as of yet. I am, therefore, not in a position to comment further on the case at this time.
338. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if a Brexit sub-committee has been established in his Department; if so, when the sub-committee was convened; the number of times the sub-committee has met; the number of members on the sub-committee; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36205/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraA number of structural changes to the workings of Government have been required to ensure an effective whole-of-Government response to the challenges posed by the British decision to leave the European Union.
In terms of my own Department, this has included the re-establishment of an EU Division, under the leadership of a Second Secretary-General. This Division manages overall coordination on EU issues across Government, and includes a Unit that is focussed on the forthcoming EU-UK negotiations.
Their efforts are complemented by the ongoing work of other parts of my Department where Brexit continues to be a priority issue, not least in terms of the Northern Ireland aspects, our bilateral relationship with the UK and implications for trade and investment.
The complex nature of these matters requires close management at the most senior level. Consequently, on the arrival of the head of the EU Division in the Department in October, the Secretary-General established a Group involving the Heads of relevant Divisions – EU; Ireland, United Kingdom and Americas; Political; Legal; Trade; and Eastern Neighbourhood and Policy - and who meet on a weekly basis under his chairmanship to provide the necessary oversight and guidance on the key issues and to ensure co-ordination. There is also very regular contact with the Department of the Taoiseach and other Departments concerned.
339. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the details of vacant sites, properties and land owned by his Department or by bodies and agencies under the aegis of his Department, in the Dublin City Council area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36222/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department does not own any vacant sites, properties or land in the Dublin city council area.
