Written Answers Nos. 52-73
52. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of his Department's input into the ongoing outstanding requests of the British Government regarding inquiries into the Dublin and Monaghan bombings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29653/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra53. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of the ongoing outstanding requests of the British Government regarding inquiries into the Dublin and Monaghan bombings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40108/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 52 and 53 together.
Dealing with long-outstanding issues relating to the legacy of the conflict in Northern Ireland are of the utmost importance to the Government. The implementation of the All-Party Dáil motions relating to the Dublin and Monaghan bombings is a priority for the Government, as highlighted in the Programme for a Partnership Government.
The All-Party motion on the 1974 Dublin Monaghan bombings that was adopted by the Dáil on 25 May 2016 has, like those adopted in 2008 and 2011, been conveyed to the British Government. These motions call on the British Government to allow access by an independent, international judicial figure to all original documents relating to the Dublin and Monaghan bombings, as well as the Dublin bombings of 1972 and 1973, the bombing of Kay’s Tavern in Dundalk and the murder of Seamus Ludlow.
The Government is committed to actively pursuing the implementation of these all-Party Dáil motions, and has consistently raised the issue with the British Government.
I am actively engaged with the British Government on an ongoing basis on this issue, as are officials from my Department.
I met with Justice for the Forgotten in April to hear their views and update them on the Government’s continuing engagement on legacy issues, including with the British Government on the Dáil motions.
Officials from my Department and the Department of Justice and Equality met with Justice for the Forgotten on 4 July to hear their further views on the implementation of the legacy framework provided for under the Stormont House Agreement. My Department also facilitated an engagement on 29 August in Dublin for the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Victims and Survivors, Judith Thompson, to hear the views of victims and survivors in this jurisdiction, including the families affected by the Dublin and Monaghan bombings and other attacks, in the context of the British Government’s ongoing consultation on draft UK legislation to establish the Stormont House Agreement legacy bodies.
In relation to the Dáil motions, I have consistently underlined to the British Government that the motions represent the consensus political view in Ireland that an independent, international judicial review of all the relevant documents is required to establish the full facts of the Dublin and Monaghan atrocities. I have also underlined that the absence of a response from the British Government is of deep concern to the Government and I have emphasised the urgent need for such a response.
The Government will continue to engage with the British Government on the request in relation to the Dublin-Monaghan bombings, and pursue all possible avenues to achieve progress on this issue, consistent with the request made by this House.
54. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade further to Parliamentary Question No. 61 of 27 September 2018, the details of the projects, logistics and events for which companies with a public relations and communications background have been commissioned by his Department to provide professional services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40481/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFurther to my reply to Question No. 61 of 27 September, I confirm that my Department has not incurred expenditure on external public relations or communications advice in 2018. My Department has from time to time commissioned companies with a public relations and communications background to provide other professional services such as project management, logistics and event management, particularly in relation to Irish Aid public outreach activities.
In 2018, DHR Communications has been contracted via separate competitive tendering processes to manage and administer grants to journalists reporting on international development issues under the Simon Cumbers Media Fund (SCMF) and to manage and administer Africa Day-related events.
The SCMF involves managing three funding rounds each year, including the annual SCMF student competition. This typically involves the following activities:
- Convening national and regional information workshops;
- Managing and administering the application process;
- Organising the judging process
- Providing detailed feedback to all applicants;
- Processing grant payments and keeping detailed administrative and financial records;
- Maintaining and updating the SCMF website.
It should be noted that expenses paid to third parties at this stage account for approximately 30% of the total paid to DHR for managing and administering the Simon Cumbers Media Fund. This includes costs associated with maintaining and updating the SCMF website, facilitating the judging process and raising awareness of the Fund among journalists.
In relation to Africa Day 2018, DHR was engaged to plan, manage and execute a national flagship event as hosted by my Department at the Farmleigh Estate on Sunday 27 May. DHR worked to raise public awareness of the event, including through the use of social media and the Africa Day website. This public awareness work was conducted in close cooperation with my Department’s Communications Unit.
In relation to the expenditure on Africa Day, expenses paid to third parties accounted for between 70% and 80% of the total costs involved. This included expenditure on security, sanitation, venue set-up, health and safety issues and small grants to facilitate the participation of community groups.
Details of project management, logistics and event management-related expenditure to date during 2018 for the Simon Cumbers Media Fund and Africa Day are as follows:
Project Management, Logistics and Event Management Expenditure 2018
|
Activity |
Supplier |
Breakdown by Month |
Cost to Date in 2018 |
|
Simon Cumbers Media Fund |
DHR Communications |
Jan |
2,631 |
|
Feb |
4,305 |
||
|
Mar |
3,715 |
||
|
April |
|||
|
May |
19,565 |
||
|
June |
|||
|
July |
11,187 |
||
|
Aug |
4,380.49 |
||
|
Sept |
4,063.51 |
||
|
TOTAL |
49,847 |
||
|
Africa Day 2018 |
DHR Communications |
Jan |
|
|
Feb |
|||
|
Mar |
|||
|
April |
|||
|
May |
98,000 |
||
|
June |
|||
|
July |
|||
|
Aug |
56,226 |
||
|
Sept |
|||
|
TOTAL |
154,226 |
55. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the cost of revamping the Brexit website (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40482/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe purpose of the Brexit section of my Department’s website is to provide a resource that enables users to learn about work that the Government is undertaking to protect their interests in the Brexit negotiations and also about supports and resources that are available to help Ireland get Brexit Ready.
The website section in question was recently revamped to reflect the latest phase of the Government’s overall communications in relation to Brexit preparedness. I am pleased to confirm that this revamp was completed largely from within existing resources and web templates by the Web & Digital Section of my Department’s Communications Unit. In the process, some additional visual images were obtained for illustrative purposes from the Thinkstock photographic service at a cost of €27.77. Some adjustments to web templates were also required at a cost of approximately €36.
56. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the financial support given to the state of Palestine in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40522/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFor over two decades, successive Irish Governments have provided financial support to build the institutions of a Palestine State; to promote peace-building; and to meet the immediate needs of the Palestinian people.
Ireland provides development and humanitarian assistance to meet the needs of the most vulnerable Palestinian men, women and children, which will amount to almost €13 million in 2018. A key element of our programme is directed towards strengthening the ability of the Palestinian Authority to meet those needs. Enabling Palestinians to build institutions and provide essential public services is critical to laying the foundations for a future Palestinian State.
Ireland is one of five partners working directly with the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Education and Higher Education to support them in delivering their Education Development Strategic Plan. Funding of €2.5 million will be provided this year to support the Ministry in providing better quality education services to more Palestinian children, which is crucial to Palestine’s long-term economic viability.
The provision of scholarship opportunities for Palestinian students to study in Ireland is also an important dimension of our engagement. In January this year, the Tánaiste announced an increase of €200,000 in scholarship funding for Palestinian students. This is a first step towards scaling up a scholarship programme for Palestinian students over the next five years.
Ireland also works to assist the Palestinian Authority in delivering essential public services in the West Bank and Gaza through a mechanism overseen by the European Commission, known as PEGASE. Our support, which will amount to €0.275 million in 2018, has been focused on the social development sector, enabling continued service delivery in the vital areas of health, education and social services. This support helps to strengthen the Authority’s ability to meet the needs of the most vulnerable Palestinian households.
Significant funding is also given to the UN Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) so that they can continue to provide basic services such as food aid, education and health to some 5.3 million Palestine refugees. To date in 2018, Ireland has provided funding totalling €7 million for UNRWA’s Programme Budget and Emergency Appeals in Gaza and Syria. This is an increase of €1.5 million on the 2017 allocation, making this year’s contribution Ireland’s highest ever.
Ireland will also provide support in 2018 to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA), the West Bank Protection Consortium and civil society organisations working to promote human rights and peacebuilding. In addition, preliminary work is underway to allow for a significant capital project, providing solar power to the NGEST water treatment plant in Gaza, to move to construction during 2019.
57. Deputy Eamon Ryan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if, further to the increased direct funding to UNRWA already announced, he will also increase funding to grassroots and community groups. [40529/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland’s support for the Palestinian people, which so far this year amounts to almost €13 million, includes support for human rights NGOs and civil society organisations involved in a range of humanitarian, development and peacebuilding programmes.
Ireland has for many years been working to maintain a focus on the justice and human rights issues affecting Palestinians on the ground. A number of Palestinian and Israeli organisations who monitor human rights violations and promote greater accountability by both the Israeli and Palestinian authorities receive Irish funds – a total of €645,000 will be provided to these organisations in 2018.
In 2017, Ireland joined the European Commission-led West Bank Protection Consortium, underlining our commitment to reducing the vulnerability of Palestinian communities living in Area C of the West Bank. The Consortium has played a leading role in supporting threatened communities and coordinating the provision of essential services, including material assistance and legal aid. Funding of €200,000 was provided to the Consortium in 2018. A further €75,000 will be provided this year to support the Israeli-Palestinian NGO, COMET-ME, which provides potable water and solar power to isolated communities at risk in the West Bank.
Ireland also supports initiatives in the area of peacebuilding, aimed in particular at sharing lessons and inspiration from the Northern Ireland peace process. A total of €220,000 will be provided to organisations working in Israel and Palestine for peacebuilding programmes in 2018.
In addition, two of Ireland’s key NGO partners, Trócaire and Christian Aid, allocate a portion of their overall Irish Aid funding for work with Palestinian and Israeli civil society organisations which are also involved in a range of humanitarian, development and peace building programmes. A total of over €1 million has been allocated for these programmes in 2018.
Ireland is committed to continuing support to civil society organisations as part of our overall programme of support to the Palestinian people. Further funding levels will be considered in the context of the overall budget allocation available to the overseas development programme in 2019.
58. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which an increase in the number of applications for Irish passports has been recorded in the past 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40543/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFrom 1 October 2016 to 30 September 2017, the number of passport applications received was 789,024. In the recent 12 month period from 1 October 2017 to 30 September 2018 the number of passport applications received was 796,327. This figure show an increase of 0.9% over the previous 12 month period.
The percentage increase in applications year on year can vary depending on the period in question.
The Passport Service monitors demand and resources on an ongoing basis and continues to take all possible steps to ensure an effective and efficient service to the public.
59. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if in the course of current negotiations on Brexit cognisance is taken of the fact that Northern Ireland rejected Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40544/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe UK decision to leave the European Union poses unprecedented challenges for the island of Ireland.
The Government continues very much to regret the decision. But it is the policy of the British Government based on a democratic decision within the UK as a whole, notwithstanding the fact that a majority of voters in Northern Ireland, as in some other parts of the UK, did not support Brexit.
The Government has always been clear, as a co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement, that there are unique circumstances in respect of Northern Ireland and on the island of Ireland as a whole which must be taken account of, including the protection of the Good Friday Agreement in all its parts and the gains and benefits of the Peace Process, including the avoidance of a hard border.
The Government has secured the support and solidarity of our European Union partners in ensuring that the Ireland-specific issues are fully addressed in the Article 50 negotiations.
Through those negotiations, the European Union and the UK have agreed that the Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland will include a provision for a legally-operable backstop that would guarantee that there would be no return to a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland. The Protocol will also provide for the continuation of the Common Travel Area, and the protection of North South cooperation and the Rights provisions of the Good Friday Agreement.
Discussions are continuing between the Task Force on behalf of the Union and the UK on the Withdrawal Agreement and draft Protocol.
The Government’s priority now is to support the conclusion of the Withdrawal Agreement, including the Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland.
60. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which new trading partners have been identified in anticipation of Brexit with particular reference to the extent to which the various embassies overseas have reported progress in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40545/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra71. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which Irish embassies continue to be actively involved in the promotion of increased volumes of trade with Ireland, with particular reference to the aftermath of Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40557/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 60 and 71 together.
The Embassy network is a vital resource for our state agencies through its active support of their daily work and strategic objectives in overseas markets. The Embassy network is an invaluable asset for trade promotion in locations with limited or no state agency presence. In addition to economic and public diplomacy, the Department’s officers overseas and our mission attachés undertake essential work in government-to-government relations across a range of issues including market access, regulatory compliance, visas, phyto-sanitary issues, DTAS and a host of other activities.
The Embassy network – comprising more than 80 Embassies or Consulates - plays a crucial role in supporting Irish businesses to grow overseas; in promoting our wider trade interests including through EU and WTO regulation; in addressing market access issues; and in supporting Ministerial visits and trade missions, as part of Team Ireland.
There are 30 Enterprise Ireland international locations covering more than 60 countries, alongside 21 IDA international locations covering more than 55 countries and 14 Tourism Ireland international locations covering 23 markets. These are supported by a range of other individuals including pathfinders and commercial attachés.
Taken together, Irish government representatives overseas form Team Ireland. After the very successful inaugural Team Ireland Conference last November, the Government has committed in Global Ireland to the Team Ireland approach and to holding an annual conference. As part of the implementation of Global Ireland and follow up from the Team Ireland Conference, discussions are ongoing about how to ensure that Team Ireland delivers on our ambitions to double our global impact.
At the market level, Team Ireland meets in the form of the Local Market Team, led by the Head of Mission. The Local Market Team is tasked with ensuring that we can best exploit opportunities in market. As set out in our trade strategy, Ireland Connected, we are pursuing two key objectives, namely market diversification and strengthening our presence in our traditional markets.
Strengthening and diversifying our alliances within the EU has assumed renewed importance with Brexit. Work to intensify alliance-building is ongoing, building on Ireland’s strong level of engagement with a range of EU Member States across policy areas of key national concern.
We also greatly value our trading relationship with the UK which is worth approximately €65 billion p.a. and supports 400,000 jobs almost equally divided across the UK and Ireland. Our Embassy in London and Consulate in Edinburgh work in conjunction with the State Agencies to promote and develop this relationship and will continue to do so.
Advancing Ireland’s trade, tourism, education and investment objectives through economic diplomacy and related activities is at the forefront of Ireland’s foreign policy and is reflected in our approach to engaging with global challenges as set out in Global Ireland.
Underscoring the Government’s global vision for Ireland and ensuring that our economy is resilient through market diversification, six new Missions will have been opened by early 2019 and a further seven will be opened from 2019 as part of the next phase of expanding Ireland’s Global Footprint. These thirteen new Missions will be located in Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, North America, and Oceania and will contribute to helping develop new markets for Ireland’s exports. One of these new Missions is a Consulate in Cardiff which will also add to our footprint in the UK.
61. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which Irish aid remains unconditional in view of the fact that other jurisdictions are seeking trade for aid throughout Africa; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40546/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government is strongly committed to Ireland’s overseas development assistance programme, and to its place at the heart of our foreign policy. Ireland’s development assistance programme is sharply focused on delivering our goals of reducing poverty and hunger, promoting inclusive and sustainable growth and building more equitable and better systems of governance. Last month, the Overseas Development Institute, a leading think tank, found that Ireland’s development programme was the most efficient in the world at targeting those in extreme poverty.
A key principle underpinning Irish development cooperation is that it should remain untied - that is, not conditional on acquiring goods and services from Ireland. This is regularly positively remarked upon by the OECD Development Assistance Committee in their regular assessments of Ireland’s international development cooperation and humanitarian programmes.
Funding for multilateral organisations is kept under regular review by my Department, to ensure that it is targeted effectively, and channelled through partners who can contribute most effectively to delivering agreed priorities. In this way, Ireland is playing a strong role in supporting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Throughout, the ability of these funding channels to reach the poorest and most fragile countries and regions in the world, and deliver real results on the ground, is at the forefront of Ireland’s engagement. Untying aid – removing the legal and regulatory barriers to open competition for aid-funded procurement – increases aid effectiveness by reducing transaction costs and improving the ability of partner countries to set their own course. Ireland is leading the way in this by making its bilateral Official Development Assistance 100% untied.
For example, Ireland has been to the forefront in encouraging the EU and its Member States to untie more of their aid. Progress is being made. The proportion of EU and Member State aid that is untied now stands at over 80%. The European Commission has increased its share of untied aid from 48% in 2010 to 72% in 2016. We will continue to encourage further progress in that regard and maintain our international record of keeping our ODA 100% untied.
62. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which he has identified support for Ireland’s case in the context of his recent address to the UN General Assembly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40547/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraEach year, Ireland attends the United Nations General Assembly held at UN Headquarters in New York. We take our place alongside the 192 other Member States of the UN at this important global gathering each September.
The 73rd session of the UN General Assembly got underway in early September.
The theme for this year’s General Debate which took place from 25 September-1 October was "Making the United Nations relevant to all people: global leadership and shared responsibilities for peaceful, equitable and sustainable societies”.
I delivered Ireland’s National Statement to the General Debate in which I emphasised Ireland’s strong support for multilateralism as the best way to address global problems. It is my firm view, which I believe is shared across the Oireachtas, that a collective effort is the only way to address global challenges such as conflict, migration and climate change which are often linked.
The statement offered the opportunity to highlight Ireland’s role in UN peacekeeping, disarmament and humanitarian assistance; and to highlight Ireland’s concerns regarding the situation in the Middle East.
While attending the UN General Assembly, An Taoiseach, Minister of State Cannon and I met with a large number of Heads of State and Government and Ministers from all regions. During these constructive bilateral engagements, we received a strong hearing. Ireland’s track record at the UN is widely respected as is our sense of Empathy, Partnership and Independence which are hallmarks of our Security Council campaign. We face strong competition in the election for two non-permanent seats on the Security Council from Canada and Norway, two States which we highly respect and with which we work closely at the UN.
Through all of our interactions in recent days, and the extensive range of meetings which will take place over the coming 20 months, UN Member States will be very aware that Ireland will continue our strong efforts for election to the Security Council.
63. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the degree to which he and his EU colleagues continue to influence positively the political situation in the western Balkans; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40548/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra70. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the position in regard to EU enlargement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40556/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 63 and 70 together.
Ireland is a strong supporter of the enlargement of the European Union to include the countries of the Western Balkans. We believe it is a transformative driver for stability and peace, and that it will enhance stability, political reform and economic growth. Providing the countries of the Western Balkans with a credible membership perspective is essential. Both the Taoiseach and Minister McEntee made this point when attending the EU-Western Balkans Summit on 17 May, and Minister McEntee re-iterated our support for enlargement at the June GAC prior to the issuing of Council Conclusions on Enlargement.
We share the EU’s view that considerable work remains to be done in all countries before accession can occur. Conditionality cannot be compromised and all criteria must be met. Comprehensive reforms are needed in crucial areas in each country, most notably on the rule of law, fundamental rights and good governance. Economic reform also requires progress. While we firmly support the European perspective of the six Western Balkan countries, Ireland has been clear that all benchmarks and criteria, particularly those relating to Chapters 23 and 24 of the acquis, which deal with issues relating to the rule of law, must be met before accession can be agreed. We are also clear that the EU cannot import instability; the six Western Balkan states must resolve all bilateral issues before they can become members of the EU.
Equally, we believe it is important that the candidate and potential candidate countries are supported and rewarded as they make progress on their respective European paths. For this reason, we support the increasing of the Instrument for Pre-Accession Funding (IPA) in the next Multi-Annual Financial Framework. Ireland also gives annual funding to the Regional Cooperation Council, which supports regional cooperation and connectivity across the Western Balkans. In addition, officials in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and our Embassies accredited to the region are working to strengthen our already warm bilateral relations with the accession countries, with Minister McEntee visiting Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina for various high-level meetings, including with their respective Foreign Ministers, earlier this year. These efforts reflect the increased importance that successive EU Presidencies are placing on the European perspective of the Western Balkans.
With regard to Turkey, Ireland has, together with our EU partners, expressed its serious concerns regarding the situation with respect to human rights, freedom of expression, rule of law, and democracy in the country. The EU still considers Turkey as a ‘key partner’, and it formally remains a candidate for EU membership, but given the current circumstances, the June 2018 Council conclusions on Enlargement noted that Turkey has been moving further away from the European Union, stating that accession negotiations have effectively come to a standstill and that no further chapters can be considered for opening or closing at this point in time. Neither is any further work towards the modernisation of the EU-Turkey Customs Union foreseen. Ireland supports this position and has stated that this situation will not change until Turkey begins to re-engage constructively with the Council of Europe and the EU, as we have urged them to do.
64. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which international aid is co-ordinated to ensure that the intended recipients receive from the donors all that was intended; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40550/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland’s aid programme is delivered through a wide range of partners and channels, including partner government systems, Irish and international Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and missionary organisations, the EU, and the UN and other multilateral agencies and organisations.
Programmes considered for funding assistance are rigorously appraised using clear criteria, including alignment with our core policy priorities, efficiency in the use of resources, cost effectiveness, accountability, and sustainability of intended impact. Irish officials continually coordinate with implementing partners and beneficiaries to ensure that Irish development assistance continues to have transformative impacts and, where possible, benefits from the network effects of collective, coordinated actions.
The area of greatest Irish concentration is Sub-Saharan Africa, where we direct assistance to the poorest communities, particularly but not exclusively in Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Ireland also engages in Vietnam and neighbouring countries.
Our Embassy network coordinates with national and local governments on the design of development policies and strategies, and works with other bilateral donors in coordination structures in country to ensure that there is maximum collective impact. These contacts also ensure that each bilateral donor acts in complementarity, with an eye to where each has comparative advantage. In addition, these coordination structures allow all those involved to ensure effective implementation against agreed benchmarks.
In Ireland, we support coordination mechanisms among Irish NGOs and missionary organisations to maximise impact in their countries of activity.
We engage with UN and multilateral agencies whose core mission and objectives are closely aligned to Ireland’s aid priorities, allowing us to work with and support vulnerable communities across most developing countries. Programmes in receipt of funding are subject to regular internal and external monitoring and evaluation to ensure that the intended objectives and goals are being achieved - for example using the Multilateral Organization Performance Assessment Network (MOPAN) evaluations which every year focus on a number of multilateral organisations.
Ireland also plays a strong role in the relevant management structures of our multilateral partners, for example as Board Members of UNDP and UNFPA this year. In addition, we use our Embassy network, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa, to monitor the work of multilateral partners on the ground and ensure that aid reaches the targeted population.
In addition to development assistance, Ireland leads in humanitarian response, including to the ongoing Syria crisis and also to the situation in the Horn of Africa, particularly Somalia, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as to emergencies as they arise. We coordinate with the United Nations system, country governments and international partners to ensure the most effective collective actions to reduce suffering. In this regard, Ireland has this year taken the chair of the donor support group which supports the Office of the UN Humanitarian Coordinator (OCHA).
65. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the degree to which various countries, through the EU or UN, in the past five years have failed to deliver aid as promised; the target countries adjudged to have suffered most in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40551/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraPreliminary official data collected by the OECD indicates that total ODA from members of the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee (DAC) amounted to USD 146.6 billion in 2017.
However, total ODA from members of the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee (DAC) in 2017 was equivalent to just 0.31% of their combined gross national income, down from 0.32% in 2016 and well below a United Nations target to keep ODA at or above 0.7% of donor GNI.
Only five DAC members – Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom – met the United Nations target in 2017 for an ODA/GNI ratio of at least 0.7%. The proportion of ODA given in 2017 by all other DAC donors, including Ireland, was under this threshold.
In terms of the volume of aid, the European Union and its Member States continue to be the world's leading provider of Official Development Assistance (ODA) with an overall amount of €75.7 billion in 2017. In total, 56% of total net ODA is provided by DAC-EU countries. ODA delivered through the EU is primarily financed either through the EU budget or, in the case of the European Development Fund (EDF), which is used to provide development assistance to the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group of countries, through mandatory assessed contributions by all EU Member States. Member States can also make voluntary but legally binding commitments to a number of EU-managed trust funds.
Funding for the various funds and programmes of the UN is spread across a combination of assessed and voluntary, core and programmed contributions. Total revenues for all UN agencies in 2016 amounted to USD 49.33bn.
66. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which the activities of Al-Shabaab and Boko Haram are being curtailed on the African continent; the ongoing actions in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40552/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI remain deeply concerned by the threat to peace and security represented by terrorist groups such as Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab. These groups continue to launch attacks and commit grave human rights violations against civilian populations, particularly women and girls. The Government consistently condemns their brutal actions. Ireland continues to work with EU and UN partners to promote peace and security in the affected areas, and to coordinate our humanitarian responses so that those affected can be most effectively protected and assisted.
Ireland and the EU are strong and consistent supporters of the work to build peace and stability in both the Lake Chad region and Somalia. With international support, the Nigerian Government and regional security forces have continued to make progress in the fight against Boko Haram. The EU has contributed up to €50 million in support of the Multinational Joint Taskforce, where Nigeria and its neighbouring countries promote regional security.
The EU also provides considerable funding to AMISOM, the African Union-led peacekeeping mission in Somalia, to combat the serious threat posed by Al-Shabaab and support the establishment of Somalia’s government institutions. The EU provides further support to capacity building operations in the areas of maritime law enforcement and military training.
We are working with EU and UN partners to implement a comprehensive approach that addresses the root causes of radicalisation in both regions. This includes the promotion of peace and giving people access to decent work and livelihoods, including via the EU’s Instrument contributing to Peace and Stability (IcSP) and the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF).
We continue to work with our EU and UN partners to provide life-saving assistance to those affected by the humanitarian crises exacerbated by the actions of Al-Shabaab and Boko Haram. In 2017, Ireland provided €6.7 million in humanitarian assistance to Somalia and €5.2 million to Nigeria and the Lake Chad Region. To date in 2018 Ireland has provided over €4.8 million in humanitarian funding and over €2.4 million in development funding to the Lake Chad region, as well as €5.5 million in humanitarian funding to Somalia.
We will continue to closely monitor the evolving security and humanitarian situations through our Embassies in Nairobi and Abuja in order to coordinate our responses effectively with the EU and UN.
67. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the various destinations included in Ireland’s bilateral aid programme and those in the multilateral aid programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40553/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government is strongly committed to Ireland’s overseas aid programme, and to its place at the heart of our foreign policy. In line with our commitment to the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, our aid programme is sharply focused on delivering our goals of reducing poverty and hunger, promoting inclusive and sustainable growth and building more equitable and better systems of governance.
The Irish Aid Annual Report 2017, published on 2 October last, indicates that last year Irish bilateral assistance reached 87 of the world’s under developed countries and a total of 143 countries received Irish support channelled through the multilateral system. A full list of all of the countries and multilateral agencies receiving ODA from Ireland in the annual report, which is available at: https://www.irishaid.ie/news-publications/ .
Irish assistance is given in support of countries development needs, typically in response to their poverty reduction strategies, and through the provision of humanitarian assistance in response to emergencies and protracted crises. Sub-Saharan Africa remains our priority focus, where we direct assistance to the poorest communities, delivering real and sustainable improvements to the lives of some of the world poorest and most vulnerable people in the areas of basic health, education, agriculture, and food production. This focus is reflected in the adjudication last month by the Overseas Development Institute that Irish Aid is the world’s most efficient donor at targeting extreme poverty.
We have a particularly strategic input into poverty reduction in those countries in Africa where we have a resident embassy - Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Tanzania Uganda, Zambia - allowing Ireland to play a key role in their long-term development. A similar strategic role is played by the Embassy to Vietnam. Smaller more focused programs are delivered in countries and territories such as Zimbabwe, South Africa, Liberia, Kenya and Palestine.
Ireland’s aid programme is delivered through a wide range of partners and channels, including partner government systems, Irish and international Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and missionary organisations, and UN and other multilateral agencies and organisations. We engage with UN and multilateral agencies whose core mission and objectives are closely aligned to Ireland’s aid priorities, allowing us to work with and support vulnerable communities across most developing countries.
Funding for multilateral organisations is kept under regular review by my Department, to ensure that it is targeted and provided to partners which can contribute most effectively to delivering the priorities of our foreign policy and our international development policy.
Multilateral support is mainly channelled through: the European Union development cooperation and humanitarian programmes, for example the European Development Fund (EDF); the United Nations in the form of either core funding for UN agencies, or specific programmatic support, for example with UNICEF; and the multilateral development banks such as the World Bank - all important contributors to social and economic development, peace and security, and human rights.
68. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which the international community continues to intervene to prevent the recruitment of child soldiers at various global locations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40554/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe recruitment and use of child soldiers during conflict remains a serious problem globally. Tens of thousands of children are recruited and used as soldiers in conflicts around the world. Since 2002, the Secretary-General of the United Nations has issued an annual report on children and armed conflict which lists all armed groups – both state and non-state – that recruit and use children. The most recent report, published in May 2018, indicated that children continue to be disproportionately affected by armed conflict in many country situations. The report also noted that in 2017, there was a large increase in the number of violations compared with the number reported for 2016.
The recruitment and use of children as soldiers is explicitly prohibited under international humanitarian law and human rights law. In 1999, the UN Security Council passed its first Resolution, UNSCR 1261, on the impact of armed conflict on children and condemned violations in that context. In the same year, the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child entered into force. Article 22 of the Charter sets out a prohibition on the recruitment and direct participation in hostilities of any person under the age of 18 years.
Ever since, the Security Council has established important tools to strengthen child protection and to strengthen implementation of international standards, including the position of UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict who investigates and develops best practices to address the recruitment and use of child soldiers.
Ireland’s commitment to the eradication of the recruitment and use of child soldiers is highlighted in our Policy for International Development, ‘One World, One Future’. In addition to the focus in our development programmes on addressing the socio-economic causes which can lead to conflict, and the recruitment of child soldiers, Ireland also supports more targeted interventions by working with organizations such as UNICEF, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and institutions such as the International Criminal Court.
69. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which he and the international community can continue to exert pressure to bring about an amicable peace process in the Israel-Palestine conflict; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40555/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government’s policy on the Middle East has always been based on the belief that the two sides would need a degree of international assistance and pressure to reach a peace agreement. This is not dissimilar from our own peace process.
For over a year, the United States Administration has been actively exploring the possibilities for re-launching the process to reach a comprehensive peace agreement. This is welcome, and I have met with and spoken to the US team on a number of occasions to encourage their work, and to underline the key parameters for an agreement which the EU has long espoused.
What is needed now is the resumption of direct talks, which are ultimately the only way to achieve peace. I hope that the US peace plan, when it emerges, will provide a fair and workable basis for such talks to resume. I understand that the Palestinian leadership has concerns in relation to what a US proposal may contain. And I have been clear in my conversations with the US that a peace plan cannot work without Palestinian acceptance. In that regard, I have also urged President Abbas to keep an open mind on the US plans.
I have also urged the EU to encourage and engage with a US initiative, provided it meets the parameters for a fair and successful resolution of the conflict. But I have also emphasised the need for the EU to continue our own work to help preserve and create the political and physical space in which the two-state solution, to which the EU remains firmly committed, can be achieved.
At EU level, issues relating to the Israel-Palestine conflict are regularly discussed at both Ministerial and official level. In the last year, the members of the Foreign Affairs Council have held meetings on the margins of the Council with Prime Minister Netanyahu, President Abbas, and the group of Arab Foreign Ministers, as well as discussing the situation in Gaza specifically at their meeting in May. The Peace Process was discussed most recently by EU Foreign Ministers at the informal Foreign Affairs Council in August. There we considered how the EU can productively engage, and better use, all the levers at our disposal to influence the parties to the conflict. We must ensure that the EU’s support for the region is focused on delivery of the two-state solution.
Last month, the Council appointed a new EU Special Representative for the Middle East Peace Process, Dutch diplomat Susanna Terstal, who will continue the work of her predecessors, engaging with partners to strengthen the peace process.
The situation in Israel and the occupied Palestinian Territory will remain high on my agenda.
72. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Finance the amount of funding allocated to the benefit-in-kind reduction on electric vehicles; and the actual expenditure on same. [40447/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe tax expenditure associated with the 0% benefit-in-kind (BIK) rate for electric vehicles announced in Budget 2018 was set at €0.5m for this year.
Comprehensive data on BIK for company cars does not currently exist and therefore it is not possible to provide a precise amount for the tax expenditure associated with the 0% BIK rate for electric vehicles.
73. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Finance his plans to reduce the life assurance exit tax from the higher rate of 41% in line with reductions in deposit interest retention tax for budget 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40484/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI assume that the Deputy is referring to exit tax as applied to Life Assurance products. In general, consideration of any changes to the tax system are undertaken within the annual Budgetary and Finance Bill process. As is normal, the Deputy will appreciate that I cannot comment on any possible changes in advance of the 2019 Budget.
