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Election Monitoring Missions

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 March 2019

Tuesday, 5 March 2019

Ceisteanna (115, 117, 119, 126)

Mary Lou McDonald

Ceist:

115. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the names of election observers registered with his Department through Irish Aid who observed elections in each of the past ten years. [10305/19]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Thomas Pringle

Ceist:

117. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if an appropriate accommodation will be allowed for a registered disabled appellant (details supplied) whose disability impeded the person sending the application in the format required by Irish Aid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10347/19]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Maureen O'Sullivan

Ceist:

119. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the materials that will be considered by the election observer appeals panel which decides upon the final mark for appellants; if the panels will consider disability and other relevant appeal statements made by appellants; if these considerations will be documented in a way that is open to further review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10422/19]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Brendan Howlin

Ceist:

126. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if the new election observer roster is in operation; the observer missions selected from the roster to date; the missions planned for 2019; if he is satisfied that the recruitment process for the roster meets best practice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10707/19]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 115, 117, 119 and 126 together.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade maintains and administers a roster of suitably skilled individuals who are available to participate in election observation missions overseas, organised in the main by the EU and the OSCE. A new roster was put in place in January 2019 following a Call for Volunteers which issued in July 2018. I am fully satisfied that the process of selection for the new roster was fair and that it was in accordance with best practice in selecting volunteer observers. Feedback from new and experienced roster members in the four training sessions held so far has been extremely positive, noting the continuing upskilling and improvement of the roster.

The intense competition for roster places allows Ireland to contribute high quality election observers, while the rotation of the roster ensures the sustainability of Ireland's international election observation.

In the interest of fairness, an appeals process was made available to unsuccessful applicants. The need for thorough consideration of one request made at a very late stage, and to procure the necessary legal advices, delayed finalisation of the appeals panel's deliberations. The appeals process has now concluded and the outcomes will be released to individual appellants imminently. The terms of reference which were established for the appeals process were attached to the response to Parliamentary Question No. 108 of 26 February 2019. The decision of the appeals panel is final.

The new election observation roster has been in operation since January. So far in 2019 members of that roster have participated in election observation missions in El Salvador, Moldova, Nigeria and Senegal. Roster members are also being nominated to participate in the forthcoming OSCE Election Observation Mission in Ukraine.

With regard to previous roster members selected by the EU or the OSCE for election monitoring missions, and further to the responses to Parliamentary Question No. 109 of 24 July 2018 and of 8 May 2013, the composite list of observers who have been nominated, selected and served on election missions in the last ten years is in the documents attached to the answer to this Parliamentary Question.

Regarding the individual case, I refer the Deputies to the responses to Parliamentary Questions No. 80 of 30 January 2019, No. 61 of 6 February 2019 and No. 84 of 20 February 2019 and No. 87 of 26 February 2019. No request for a reasonable accommodation was received before the deadline for applications. If such a request had been received, it would have received full and thorough consideration.

I also refer the Deputies to the responses to a series of Parliamentary Questions tabled during the months of January and February which provide further information on the election observation roster, the recent roster selection process and related matters.

Mission deployed 09-Apr 13

Mission Deployed May 13 to Dec. 2018

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