Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 July 2018
103. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the percentage weight allocated to languages in the competition for election observers; the reason the languages sought are now more restrictive than in the past with, for example, Russian not being sought despite this being a language of communications in many countries in which elections are observed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33172/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra104. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade when and the locations in which interviews for places on the new election roster will take place; if video interviews will be offered to those living abroad; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33173/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra105. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the reason the current election roster competition excludes permanent residents here that are not Irish citizens; if this will be altered to bring it in line with the more open approach of his Department's rapid response roster; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33174/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra106. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade when activity to undertake a new competition for election observers was first undertaken by his Department; the bodies and organisation that were consulted in relation to the matter; if Irish election observers were consulted; if so, the way in which this was done; the reason for the delay in moving forward the new competition to ensure that it would be in place before the old roster expired in May 2018; when the new roster will be in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33175/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 103 to 106, inclusive, together.
I refer the Deputy to the responses to previous parliamentary questions on these matters, Question 167 of 4 July 2018, Questions 57 and 58 of 3 July 2018, Question 107 of 24 April 2018, and Question 171 of 25 October 2017.
International election monitoring missions play an important role in the promotion of democracy and human rights. We aim to ensure that, when requested, Ireland is represented at an appropriate level on international observation missions for elections and constitutional referendums. Irish observers participate primarily in missions organised by the European Union or the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The call for applications to establish a new Election Observation roster issued on 2 July last and will run until 20 August 2018. Late applications will not be accepted. The call is published on two Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade websites: www.dfa.ie and www.irishaid.ie. It was also publicised on social media.
The preparations for establishing a new roster commenced in 2017. Ireland actively participates in the European Observation network, which is organised and led by the European Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS). This network brings together relevant Focal Points from all EU Member States, together with those from Norway, Switzerland and Canada.
Though the network, a detailed survey was undertaken by the Department to learn from the operation of similar rosters in other States, to identify essential and desirable criteria for mobilisation, and to review the process for our own competition.
Relevant comments and issues submitted in post-mission debriefs by members of the current roster were also taken account in the preparation of the competition. At the same time as that preparation was underway, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade was a Notice Party to a High Court action taken by a former member of the roster against the Office of the Information Commissioner. The case is an appeal by the former member against a ruling by the Office of the Information Commissioner which upheld a decision by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in 2016, that an FOI request submitted by the former member was vexatious and frivolous. The case was centered around an FOI request to the Department seeking records in relation to the pre-departure grant paid to roster members.
The Judgment handed down in the case in March 2018 dismissed the appeal by the former roster member, stating “… I am not satisfied that in accordance with S.24 of the 2014 Act, the appellant has demonstrated an error at law sufficient to vitiate the decision of the 4 November, 2016 and in the circumstances, the relief claimed in the notice of motion of the 19 November, 2016 is refused.” Costs were also awarded to the OIC and the Department. The appellant has submitted an appeal which is expected to be heard by the Court of Appeal later this year or in 2019.
In these circumstances, the current roster has been extended to the end of 2018 to allow sufficient time to finalise planning for the competition for the new roster, to run the selection process and to complete the subsequent necessary vetting The new roster will come into operation in January 2019.
The candidate information booklet setting out all of the necessary details including information about the operation of the roster, the eligibility requirements, criteria and the process leading to the establishment of the roster can be viewed on the websites mentioned above.
The assessment process will be a desk based exercise and no interviews will be held. All applicants will be appraised on the basis of the information contained and set out on the official application form. Selection boards consisting of two officers from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and one external person will appraise all of the applications that meet the essential criteria. Verification of data contained in the application, including language proficiency, will also form part of the process.
For each election observation mission, the EU or OSCE set the specific skills and requirements for that mission, including relevant language skills. Based on the requests to nominate election observers received in recent years, primarily from the European Union, the primary languages sought in respect of election observation missions apart from English, have been French, Spanish and Portuguese.
Applicants’ proficiency in languages will be checked and scores will be awarded on the basis of the proficiency. The maximum percentage of scores that can be awarded for language proficiency will be less than 10% of the total marks awarded.
In its calls for specific missions, the EU requires Member States to nominate their own citizens. Hence the Irish roster is confined to Irish citizens.
