Written Answers Nos. 697-712
697. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has reviewed the role the Government and the UN played regarding the siege of Jadotville, including the secrecy surrounding those events upon the return of the men of A Company 35th Infantry Battalion following the ambush; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41687/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraWhen I addressed the United Nations General Assembly in 2015, the year we marked the 60th anniversary of Ireland joining the United Nations, I recalled the great pride that Ireland takes in the loyal service of Irish peacekeepers which has been central to our engagement with the UN since 1958. In my role as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade I have had the privilege of seeing at first hand the important contribution Irish troops make and the extremely difficult and challenging circumstances in which we call upon them to serve.
The men of A Company 35th Infantry Battalion were among the first of a long line of Irish men and women who have served with bravery and distinction under the United Nations flag in the cause of peace. It was entirely appropriate that the Company was honoured with a unit citation last September in recognition of their bravery and heroism.
My Department has worked closely with the Royal Irish Academy in relation to its “Documents in Irish Foreign Policy” series and I was pleased to launch Volume X last November which deals with the period 1951 to 1957. I look forward to working with the Academy on the next volume which it is expected will include 1961, the year in which the siege of Jadotville took place.
This series of documents is a vital resource for anyone interested in Ireland’s history and in the shaping of Irish foreign policy. The publication of such research, as well as related documentaries and films, provides an important resource for informing the public of the courage, in the face of overwhelming opposition, which was displayed by the men of A Company 35th Infantry Battalion.
698. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will outline all funding announcements made by him or by his Department for projects in County Mayo since January 2015 in tabular form; the details of each project; the status of the project at 31 December 2016; the amount of funding drawn down at 31 December 2016; and the reason for the delay in the project or funding draw down. [1060/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department administers a number of funding programmes including funding to Safe Home Programme Ltd based in Mulranny, Co. Mayo which assists older Irish born emigrants to return to secure accommodation in Ireland. The organisation negotiates with Councils and Housing Associations to secure housing throughout Ireland for applicants. It also provides an information and advisory service for anyone considering the move to Ireland and support for those who have moved back and require assistance.
Funding details for 2015 and 2016 are set out in the following table.
|
Details of Organisation |
Emigrant Support Programme funding awarded in 2015 |
Emigrant Support Programme funding awarded in 2016 |
Status of the project at 31 December 2016 |
|
Safe Home Programme Ltd, based in Mulranny, Co. Mayo. Emigrant Support Programme (ESP) funding is provided towards staffing and running costs of the programme. |
€260,000 Actual amount paid was €243,574.39 as there was an underspend of the 2014 ESP funding due to a staff vacancy |
€260,000 |
The project is ongoing and the ESP funding of €260,000 awarded for 2016 has been paid. |
699. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the cost per year for the past three years for the storage and archiving of his Department's files and records at off-site locations by third party companies and at State-owned storage facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1123/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department does not store files and records in any State-owned storage facility. The OPW rent space on this Department’s behalf for all files and records, with the exception of files and records from the Passport Service. My Department covers the cost of maintaining these files and records in these facilities rented by OPW, as well as the costs associated with preparation of files for transmission to the National Archives. The cost of this service per year for the past three years is €505,740 in 2014, €491,710 in 2015 and €482,030 in 2016.
My Department stores files and records from the Passport Service in Dublin and Cork at off-site locations owned by private companies within the State. The cost of this service per year in Cork for the past three years is €16,069 in 2014, €14,590 in 2015 and €16,310 in 2016. The cost of this service per year in Dublin for the past three years is €7,931 in 2016. There was no off-site storage required in Dublin in 2014 and 2015.
701. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the implications for Ireland's policy of neutrality following the landing of an aircraft (details supplied) at Shannon Airport. [1208/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Air Navigation (Foreign Military Aircraft) Order 1952, made under the Air Navigation and Transport Act 1946, gives the Minister for Foreign Affairs primary responsibility for the regulation of activity by foreign military aircraft in Ireland. The practical implementation of this provision is guided by and reflects Ireland’s traditional policy of military neutrality.
Primary responsibility for the regulation of foreign civil aircraft in Ireland rests with the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport.
702. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of full-time equivalent Civil Service workers in gross income ranges (details supplied) in his Department for each of the years 2007 to 2015. [1226/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following table:
|
Year |
Income Category |
Number of full-time equivalent staff |
|
2007 |
€0 to €30,000 €30,000 to €40,000 €40,000 to €50,000 €50,000 to €60,000 €60,000 to €70,000 €70,000 to €80,000 €80,000 to €90,000 €90,000 to €100,000 €100,000 to €125,000 €125,000 to €150,000 Over €150,000 |
782 238 152 117 91 77 62 63 96 37 48 |
|
2008 |
€0 to €30,000 €30,000 to €40,000 €40,000 to €50,000 €50,000 to €60,000 €60,000 to €70,000 €70,000 to €80,000 €80,000 to €90,000 €90,000 to €100,000 €100,000 to €125,000 €125,000 to €150,000 Over €150,000 |
638 285 166 118 95 66 55 63 112 47 55 |
|
2009 |
€0 to €30,000 €30,000 to €40,000 €40,000 to €50,000 €50,000 to €60,000 €60,000 to €70,000 €70,000 to €80,000 €80,000 to €90,000 €90,000 to €100,000 €100,000 to €125,000 €125,000 to €150,000 Over €150,000 |
455 297 193 124 97 78 52 42 133 55 59 |
|
2010 |
€0 to €30,000 €30,000 to €40,000 €40,000 to €50,000 €50,000 to €60,000 €60,000 to €70,000 €70,000 to €80,000 €80,000 to €90,000 €90,000 to €100,000 €100,000 to €125,000 €125,000 to €150,000 Over €150,000 |
421 318 187 128 92 93 47 64 106 40 40 |
|
2011 |
€0 to €30,000 €30,000 to €40,000 €40,000 to €50,000 €50,000 to €60,000 €60,000 to €70,000 €70,000 to €80,000 €80,000 to €90,000 €90,000 to €100,000 €100,000 to €125,000 €125,000 to €150,000 Over €150,000 |
501 307 176 106 90 87 52 66 105 43 38 |
|
2012 |
€0 to €30,000 €30,000 to €40,000 €40,000 to €50,000 €50,000 to €60,000 €60,000 to €70,000 €70,000 to €80,000 €80,000 to €90,000 €90,000 to €100,000 €100,000 to €125,000 €125,000 to €150,000 Over €150,000 |
599 293 167 95 59 102 42 56 95 46 37 |
|
2013 |
€0 to €30,000 €30,000 to €40,000 €40,000 to €50,000 €50,000 to €60,000 €60,000 to €70,000 €70,000 to €80,000 €80,000 to €90,000 €90,000 to €100,000 €100,000 to €125,000 €125,000 to €150,000 Over €150,000 |
580 303 152 99 69 84 56 61 84 40 35 |
|
2014 |
€0 to €30,000 €30,000 to €40,000 €40,000 to €50,000 €50,000 to €60,000 €60,000 to €70,000 €70,000 to €80,000 €80,000 to €90,000 €90,000 to €100,000 €100,000 to €125,000 €125,000 to €150,000 Over €150,000 |
659 298 151 94 75 82 66 63 80 26 28 |
|
2015 |
€0 to €30,000 €30,000 to €40,000 €40,000 to €50,000 €50,000 to €60,000 €60,000 to €70,000 €70,000 to €80,000 €80,000 to €90,000 €90,000 to €100,000 €100,000 to €125,000 €125,000 to €150,000 Over €150,000 |
678 308 147 77 83 78 59 48 90 38 28 |
703. Deputy Colm Brophy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the progress made to establish a bilateral agreement with Saudi Arabia; if his attention has been drawn to the excessive costs currently being charged for Irish citizens to obtain a multi-entry visa to Saudi Arabia as compared to EU countries and the US; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1349/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am aware of the recent increase in the cost of visas to Saudi Arabia, which came into effect on 2 October 2016. Countries with existing bilateral visa agreements with Saudi Arabia, such as the United States, were excluded from the fee increase. Other countries, including other EU countries, are in the process of negotiating bilateral agreements with Saudi Arabia so that their citizens benefit from lower visa costs.
Saudi Arabia is a priority market under the Government’s Trade, Tourism and Investment Strategy. Ireland and Saudi Arabia have a strong trading relationship, and many Irish companies do business with the Kingdom, as well as with other countries in the region. It is one of my Department’s goals to advance Ireland’s prosperity by promoting Irish economic interests internationally. Facilitating travel between Ireland and key trading partner countries is one way of achieving this.
My Department is therefore currently exploring the possibility of Ireland negotiating a bilateral agreement with Saudi Arabia, which would include revised visa fees. This will require consultation with other Government Departments, in particular that of my colleague the Minister for Justice and Equality, Frances Fitzgerald TD.
704. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the investigations carried out by his Department into the activity of Israeli diplomats here, following the revelations of attempts to undermine MPs in Westminster, with particular reference to outlining the activities of the Friends of Israel Oireachtas group; if he is satisfied that no such interference has taken place here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1359/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe actions of Oireachtas Friendship Groups or their members is not a matter for my Department to monitor. If the Deputy considers that such activities may have been inappropriate this is a matter for the Oireachtas.
It is the normal work of accredited diplomats to lobby host Governments and Parliaments on issues of importance to them. If the Deputy is aware of actions here by diplomats accredited to Ireland which might be considered inappropriate, she might bring them to my attention.
705. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has had discussions with members of the British Government since his comments were reported on 5 January 2017 referring to the need for the British Prime Minister and her Government to outline their Brexit strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1398/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThis Government has already had a number of contacts with UK counterparts in the first weeks of the year.
I have been in close contact over the past week with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, James Brokenshire, in relation to the political developments in Northern Ireland, including a face to face meeting in Belfast on 12 January. In that meeting, we discussed the implications of the current crisis in Stormont for the protection of Northern Ireland’s interests in the forthcoming Brexit negotiations.
Also, on Monday 9 January, the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, was in Dublin and met with the Minister for Finance. The UK exit from the EU was a key issue on the agenda for that meeting. Furthermore, when Prime Minister May spoke by phone to the Taoiseach on 10 January, they also discussed Brexit. The Prime Minister is expected to visit Dublin in the coming weeks and UK exit will again be a central focus of the discussions with the Taoiseach.
Prime Minister May has indicated that she intends to provide some more detail on the UK’s negotiating approach in the coming weeks, ahead of her stated intention to formally issue article 50 notification of the UK’s intention to leave the EU. In the lead up to the launch of formal negotiations on the UK’s exit, I expect to continue my regular contacts with both the UK Government and with the 26 member states of the EU and to continue to sensitise all my interlocutors to Ireland’s key concerns regarding Brexit.
708. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade further to the recent US intelligence assessment on the role of Russian hacking during the 2016 US presidential election and in particular, the detailed examination of the role of a company (details supplied) contained therein, if he or the Government has any concerns regarding the presence of the European online headquarters of the company in the State-owned Digital Hub in Dublin; and if, on foot of the US intelligence assessment of the role of the company in the recent US election, he or the Government proposes to take steps to communicate its concerns to the Russian Government and the other steps it intends to take to address this matter. [1643/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn 6 January 2017, the Director of National Intelligence released a declassified version of an assessment by US intelligence services of Russian activities and intentions in relation to the 2016 US Presidential election.
The US Government has taken a series of actions in response to the assessment report, including the imposition of sanctions on nine Russian entities and individuals: two Russian intelligence services – the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) and the Federal Security Services of the Russian Federation (FSB); four individual officers of the GRU and three companies that provided material support to the GRU’s cyber operations. The company referred to in the Question is not one of the three.
The question of further action being taken on foot of the assessment is a matter for the US Government.
709. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the outcome of recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with members of the Northern Ireland Executive and parties represented in the Assembly on the serious political difficulties which have arisen; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1920/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn 12 January, I travelled to Belfast and held meetings with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, James Brokenshire, the DUP leader Arlene Foster, and a Sinn Féin delegation led by Martin McGuinness.
This followed on from contacts earlier in the week by telephone with the British Government and the leaders of the SDLP, UUP and Alliance Party. I had also spoken to Martin McGuinness immediately following his resignation as deputy First Minister on 9 January and prior to that on 19 December, when the opposition parties tabled a no confidence motion in the First Minister.
The Taoiseach has of course also been actively engaged and was in direct contact with the British Prime Minister as well as the leaders of both the DUP and Sinn Féin.
It was clear, immediately following the resignation of the deputy First Minister, that the prospect of a resolution ahead of the triggering of an Assembly election were slim. However both Governments, in their capacity as co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement, made full use of the narrow window available to ensure that any avenues for resolution between the parties prior to an election were fully explored.
In the event, an Assembly election has been triggered and it is important to emphasise that this eventuality is one covered by the legislation governing the devolved institutions in Northern Ireland. When parties in an administration cannot agree, an election is the consequence and the outcome of that is now for the electorate in Northern Ireland to determine.
In my discussions with each of the party leaders in Northern Ireland, I have emphasised the importance of all parties acting responsibly in word and deed during an election campaign, to prevent any long-term damage to the political institutions of the Agreement.
After the election, it will fall to the parties to form a power-sharing Executive and this will of course require a resolution to the issues which brought about the current situation. As these political difficulties are worked through in Northern Ireland, it is of the utmost importance that all parties bear in mind the principles of mutual respect, partnership and equality, which underpin the Good Friday Agreement, through which so much has been achieved.
As co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement, the Government will continue to work with the British Government and the political parties to support political stability, reconciliation and economic prosperity in Northern Ireland.
710. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of military aircraft that landed at Shannon Airport in 2016, with a monthly breakdown based on their country of origin. [1953/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraDuring 2016, my Department received 645 requests for landings by military aircraft at Shannon Airport from 11 countries. The details are set out in the following table:
|
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sept |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
|
|
Bahrain |
2 |
2 |
1 |
|||||||||
|
Belgium |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|||||
|
Canada |
1 |
2 |
1 |
|||||||||
|
Egypt |
1 |
2 |
1 |
|||||||||
|
France |
1 |
1 |
6 |
4 |
2 |
|||||||
|
Germany |
1 |
1 |
||||||||||
|
Italy |
2 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
||||||
|
Panama |
1 |
|||||||||||
|
Spain |
1 |
|||||||||||
|
Ukraine |
2 |
|||||||||||
|
United States |
40 |
60 |
63 |
42 |
55 |
70 |
33 |
37 |
50 |
49 |
55 |
38 |
|
Total |
41 |
63 |
64 |
46 |
58 |
74 |
37 |
47 |
55 |
58 |
61 |
41 |
Arrangements under which permission is granted for foreign military aircraft to land at Irish airports are governed by strict conditions. These include stipulations that the aircraft must be unarmed, carry no arms, ammunition or explosives and must not engage in intelligence gathering, and that the flights in question must not form part of military exercises or operations.
711. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of military aircraft that landed at airports other than Shannon Airport, with a breakdown based on the airport at which they landed and their country of origin. [1954/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraDuring 2016, my Department received 101 requests for landings by military aircraft at airports other than Shannon Airport from 17 countries. The details are set out in the following table:
|
Countries |
Casement Aerodrome |
Cork Airport |
Dublin Airport |
Knock Airport |
Sligo Airport |
Waterford Airport |
|
Bahrain |
2 |
|||||
|
Belgium |
1 |
|||||
|
Canada |
1 |
1 |
||||
|
Cyprus |
1 |
|||||
|
Czech Republic |
1 |
|||||
|
France |
6 |
17 |
1 |
1 |
||
|
Germany |
3 |
|||||
|
Italy |
14 |
1 |
||||
|
Jordan |
1 |
|||||
|
Malta |
1 |
|||||
|
Monaco |
1 |
|||||
|
Netherlands |
1 |
|||||
|
Poland |
1 |
|||||
|
Switzerland |
1 |
|||||
|
Turkey |
2 |
|||||
|
United Kingdom |
16 |
4 |
||||
|
United States |
2 |
13 |
7 |
|||
|
Total |
33 |
8 |
50 |
7 |
1 |
1 |
In addition to the above requests, my Department also received one military aircraft landing request from the British Embassy in connection with a VIP visit at Donegal Four Masters GAA grounds during May 2016.
Arrangements under which permission is granted for foreign military aircraft to land at Irish airports are governed by strict conditions. These include stipulations that the aircraft must be unarmed, carry no arms, ammunition or explosives and must not engage in intelligence gathering, and that the flights in question must not form part of military exercises or operations.
712. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the reason a British RAF Hercules C130J C5 landed at Shannon airport on 29 December 2016; if his attention had been drawn to its intention to land in advance or if he gave permission for it to land; if there were any other RAF aircraft landings at airports here in 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1955/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Air Navigation (Foreign Military Aircraft) Order 1952, all foreign military aircraft require the permission of the Minister for Foreign Affairs to overfly or land in the State. Arrangements under which permission is granted for foreign military aircraft to land at Irish airports are governed by strict conditions. These include stipulations that the aircraft must be unarmed, carry no arms, ammunition or explosives and must not engage in intelligence gathering, and that the flights in question must not form part of military exercises or operations.
In this instance, permission to land was not sought in advance from my Department. In response to a request for clarification from my officials, the British Embassy has explained that this was due to a communication breakdown.
The Embassy has confirmed in writing that the purpose of the landing was refuelling, and that the flight was unarmed; carried no arms, ammunition or explosives; and was not engaged in intelligence-gathering nor formed part of a military exercise or operation.
The Government views breaches of the procedures set down for the granting of permission for such landings with the utmost seriousness. I have instructed my officials to discuss the matter further with the British Embassy with a view to ensuring that correct procedures are followed in future.
In 2016, there were 21 requests for permission for RAF aircraft to land in Ireland. On each of those occasions the correct procedure was followed.
