Written Answers Nos. 324-343
324. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will engage with his counterparts in the United States of America as to the reason that an Irish couple who travel to the USA regularly to visit family on a ESTA visa are now being discriminated and forced to apply for a full visa at a financial cost and a wait of up to one year to be interviewed, solely due to the fact that they holidayed in Cuba. [57463/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs you will appreciate, US immigration regulation and operations are a matter solely for the relevant US authorities, and the Department of Foreign Affairs is not in a position to intervene in decisions taken in relation to ESTA applications.
However, officials from my Department regularly engage with the US Embassy to discuss immigration and visa matters in general terms. I understand that ineligibility for an ESTA does not automatically make an individual ineligible for a US visa, and that any applicant who is denied an ESTA may apply for a visa through the US Embassy. My Department’s travel advice to Irish citizens planning to visit Cuba includes information on the potential impact on ESTA eligibility. This advice can be accessed at www.dfa.ie/travel/travel-advice/a-z-list-of-countries/cuba/. Information on current visa appointment wait times at the US Embassy can be found at travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/wait-times.html.
325. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the way to restore power-sharing in Northern Ireland. [56480/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraIt is essential that the power-sharing institutions of the Good Friday Agreement are allowed to function. The Government’s views on this have been clear and consistent. The people of Northern Ireland voted for, and expect, an Assembly and Executive that works for them in these challenging times.
I remain in regular contact with the Northern Irish political parties. I urge those who are blocking the appointment of a Speaker and an Executive to enable the institutions to function.
I welcome the 9 November announcement by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Chris Heaton Harris, of his intention to extend the period during which the Northern Ireland parties can form an Executive on the basis of last May’s Assembly election. Furthermore, I welcome the Secretary of State’s commitment to provide clarity on a budget for Northern Ireland and on the ability of Northern Ireland Government Departments to make limited decisions essential to the continued functioning of services.
The Secretary of State’s announcement provides further space for early substantive progress in discussions between the EU and UK on the issues of most concern to people and business in Northern Ireland. I urge the UK authorities to make use of this renewed opportunity to engage positively, and with real urgency, in the knowledge that the European Commission has listened carefully to the concerns of people across Northern Ireland, including and especially Unionists.
I have, and remain in, regular meeting and telephone contact with the Secretary of State. I also firmly believe that by working together with the Northern Irish parties in a spirit of cooperation that we can jointly find solutions to the range of issues facing Northern Ireland.
326. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on the latest position in regard to Brexit, with particular reference to an improvement in Anglo-Irish relations. [49947/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra331. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the extent to which he has had the opportunity in recent weeks to engage with the parties in Northern Ireland and his counterpart in the UK with a view to availing of every opportunity to address issues arising from Brexit. [55376/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra353. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the extent to which he continues to engage with all sides in Northern Ireland with a view to bringing about an amicable solution to the aftermath of the Brexit issue with particular reference to the Northern Ireland protocol; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58109/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 326, 331 and 353 together.
It is welcome that, for the first time in six months, the UK has re-engaged in talks with the EU on the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland. I am encouraged that the British side has indicated that it wishes to reach a negotiated outcome and it is vital that their officials are now given a clear mandate to make substantive progress. Time and space has been given to make progress on EU-UK talks and must be used constructively.I know that there are genuine concerns about the implementation of the Protocol in Northern Ireland, particularly within the unionist community, and we and the European Commission have consistently engaged in order to understand these concerns. The EU presented proposals last October that responded directly to the issues raised by people and businesses in Northern Ireland. I continue to maintain regular contact with the political parties in Northern Ireland. Last month, I travelled to Belfast to meet with party leaders and encouraged them to work together to establish an Executive. The position of the Government is consistent on this: we want to see an Executive formed and, separately, we want to see early substantive progress in EU-UK talks. I have also had sustained and constructive engagement with the British Government on the implementation of the Protocol. Earlier this month, I met with Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris in Belfast and in October I travelled to London to meet with Foreign Secretary James Cleverly. The Taoiseach also met with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on the margins of the British-Irish Council earlier this month and Minister of State Byrne met with his British Government counterpart, Leo Docherty, last week.Our consistent message in these exchanges has been to urge the British Government to engage positively with the EU and to remain focused on the practical, day-to-day issues of concern to people and businesses in Northern Ireland, in particular around the movement of goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. We have emphasised that discussions on the implementation of the Protocol can proceed in parallel with work on formation of an Executive.With the recent resumption in EU-UK talks, and with continued political will from the British Government, there is now a window of opportunity to reach joint solutions on the issues of concern to people in Northern Ireland. The British-Irish relationship remains a vital one between close neighbours, trading partners, and co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement. Partnership between the Irish and British Governments is vital for peace and prosperity on these islands and the Government remains committed to working with the British Government, to protect the gains of the Good Friday Agreement and to support peace and stability in Northern Ireland.
327. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the extent to which the possibility of world food shortages has engaged the international community at the highest level; his level of contribution in such instances; and the extent to which he has been able to influence policy in this area. [51981/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraGlobally, it is estimated that 828 million people were affected by hunger in 2021, an increase of 150 million on 2019. The food crisis has been accentuated by the COVID pandemic and, this year, by the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Ireland has been a long-standing champion of the fight to reduce global hunger and malnutrition. At the UN Food Systems and the Nutrition for Growth conferences in 2021, Ireland pledged €800 million over five years for nutrition programmes, and sustainable food systems transformation. In September this year, at the UN General Assembly, we committed a further €50 million over the next three years to tackle acute child malnutrition, in collaboration with USAID and UNICEF.
I saw for myself the extent of the food and nutrition crisis in the Horn of Africa, and the Government has now provided an additional €30 million in immediate humanitarian assistance to respond to the devastating situation across the region. This will bring Ireland's total assistance to the Horn of Africa to over €100 million in 2022.
Ireland will provide at least €75 million to the World Food Programme over the next three years, and will take up a seat on the Executive Board in 2023, in addition to our current membership of the Executive Board of the International Fund for Agricultural Development.
Ireland is playing a leading role within the EU on food and nutrition security and had a central role in discussions on resilient agri-food systems at the 2022 African Union-European Union Summit. At the UN Security Council, Ireland is continuing to lead through our work as informal focal point on conflict and hunger.
328. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of passports applications that were made through Irish Embassy in Cairo, Ankara and Abu Dhabi in each of the years 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57702/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe number of passport applications made through the Embassies of Ireland in Abu Dhabi, Ankara and Cairo in the years 2020, 2021 and 2022 to date are outlined below in tabular form.
The Deputy may wish to be aware that these figures do not necessarily represent the total number of applications made by applicants residing in the respective countries referenced. Applicants may have applied for their passport through Passport Online. Applications made through Passport Online do not go through the Embassy.
|
Year |
Applications made through Embassy Abu Dhabi |
Applications made through Embassy Ankara |
Applications made through Embassy Cairo |
|
2020 |
398 |
31 |
43 |
|
2021 |
441 |
28 |
12 |
|
2022 to date |
250 |
28 |
19 |
329. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his Department has plans to introduce an embassy in Palestine. [57872/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraIrish representation in the occupied Palestinian territory is provided by Ireland’s Representative Office in Ramallah, which has been open since 2000.
The Representative Office promotes relations between the Irish and Palestinian people. The Representative Office works closely with the European Union, United Nations, and other international organisations in the occupied Palestinian territory.
330. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of times that he has met with the Palestinian ambassador to date in 2022. [57873/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Middle East Peace Process continues to be a key foreign policy priority for Ireland, and I have had extensive engagements with representatives of the Palestinian Authority since my appointment as Minister for Foreign Affairs.
The Palestinian Ambassador Head of Mission was present in my meetings with the Palestinian President and Foreign Minister in September and May of this year. These discussions focused on the worrying situation on the ground in the occupied Palestinian territory, and Ireland’s continued support for a two-State solution. The Ambassador Head of Mission was also present in my meeting with the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People in May. I also met with the Ambassador Head of Mission during the conference on Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas (EWIPA) on 18 November.
Further to my direct contacts, officials in my Department are in contact with the Palestinian Ambassador Head of Mission in Dublin on an ongoing basis. Ireland also actively engages with the Palestinian Authority through Ireland’s Representative Office in Ramallah.
332. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the extent to which his attention and that of his head-of-government colleagues across Europe has been drawn to the prospect of a world-wide war arising from activities towards this end on a global basis. [55617/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe European Union is active in pursuing the preservation of peace, the reinforcement of international security and the promotion of international cooperation, democracy, the rule of law and the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms throughout the world.
The Treaty on European Union commits the EU and all of its Member States to contribute to peace, security, sustainable development, solidarity and mutual respect among peoples, free and fair trade, eradication of poverty and the protection of human rights, in particular the rights of the child, as well as to the strict observance and the development of international law, including respect for the principles of the United Nations Charter, in our relations with the wider world.
Through discussions at the European Council, Foreign Affairs Council and working groups in Brussels, the EU and its Member States work, collaboratively and in coordination, to respond to global developments which threaten the international rules-based order, and which undermine international law and the UN Charter.
The EU consistently takes strong and practical stances in order to prevent conflict from occurring and escalating, promoting multilateral solutions to common problems, in particular in the framework of the United Nations, and in meaningful and substantive partnership with states from all regions of the world.
333. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the progress that has been made to date on resolving the issue of undocumented Irish in the United States; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57902/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAddressing the difficult situation of undocumented Irish emigrants has been a key priority for successive Governments, and is raised by senior members of this Government at every opportunity. The issue was a notable element of the our high-level political engagements over the St Patrick’s Day period this year, notably during the exchange between the Taoiseach and President Biden.
The Embassy of Ireland in Washington D.C. and network of Consulates across the US continue to raise immigration issues, to seek new immigration pathways, and to support US immigration reform through active engagement at all levels with the US Administration and political leaders at the federal and state levels.
A key element of this engagement includes finding long-term solutions to address the challenges faced by the undocumented Irish in the US. An example of this is a bill passed by the Massachusetts State Senate in May that will enable undocumented immigrants to acquire a Massachusetts Driving License. Our Consulate in Boston has actively supported this initiative, which will soon become law. This will improve the lives on undocumented Irish citizens living in the State in a small, but practical way.
The Government also remains committed to providing support and annual funding to Irish community organisations, including the US Coalition of Irish Immigration Centres, which remain a tremendous resource for our citizens living in the US. The Department of Foreign Affairs actively supports many of these organisations through the Government’s Emigrant Support Programme.
334. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if progress has been made on establishing an E3 visa agreement between Ireland and the United States; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57903/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraSecuring future immigration flows between the US and Ireland remains a key priority for the Irish Government, and we will continue to explore all possible immigration pathways for Irish citizens looking to live and work in the US.
The bipartisan reintroduction of the E3 bill earlier this year in both the US Senate and the House of Representatives was a welcome development. This legislation, if passed, could allow access to thousands of US visas each year for Irish citizens. The Government is actively supporting this renewed effort to get an ‘Irish specific’ category of E3 visa.
However, as almost every legislative proposal related to immigration reform in the last decade has stalled in Congress, the challenges to enactment should not be underestimated - something I heard clearly when I was in Washington on 16 November. Nonetheless, I and my Government colleagues will continue to take all opportunities to encourage passage of the E3 bill.
Immigration issues, including possible pathways to citizenship, are a priority for President Biden, as demonstrated by his proposed US Citizenship Act of 2021. The Government is actively supporting the efforts being made by his Administration, as well as efforts being made by the US Congress on a bipartisan basis, in pursuit of comprehensive immigration reform, which remains a very divisive issue politically in the US.
The Embassy of Ireland in Washington D.C. proactively seeks out and creates opportunities to meet regularly with Members of the House of Representatives and of the Senate, across the political spectrum in the US. This is a key part of the Government’s ongoing work with the Administration and Congress on finding innovative solutions and immigration pathways to address the challenges faced by the undocumented Irish and those seeking to live and work in the US.
335. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the progress that has been to date on the UNCCD Great Green Wall project and Ireland's engagement with UNCCD; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57904/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Great Green Wall is a Pan-African initiative to sustainably manage and restore land in the Sahel-Saharan region. This region includes more than twenty African countries. The aim of the Great Green Wall is to rehabilitate 8,000 km of fertile land by 2030. The intervention zone dedicated to the Great Green Wall covers land between Senegal and Djibouti and is home to 232 million people.
The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is one of a number of bodies involved in the Great Green Wall initiative. The project, launched in 2007, is approximately 15% complete, and is already increasing jobs and improving food security across the region. In 2020, it was reported that eleven participating countries had collectively rehabilitated some four million hectares of land between 2007 and 2019.
At the One Planet Summit for Biodiversity, held in January 2021, US$14 billion was pledged to fund action to protect biodiversity, including support to assist the completion of the Great Green Wall by 2030.
Ireland’s partnership with the UNCCD is led by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, which made a €1.2 million contribution in 2018 to the UNCCD for the Great Green Wall. The expenditure on this grant is ongoing. The Department of Foreign Affairs made an additional contribution of €50,000 to the Great Green Wall in 2018.
336. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will outline the ongoing work by Ireland and the EU to bring about stability in the Sahel region of Africa; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57905/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn line with commitments in our Africa Strategy and our international development policy, A Better World, Ireland has significantly stepped up engagement in supporting efforts to bring about stability in the Sahel in recent years. In 2023, Ireland will open a new Embassy in Senegal which will provide an opportunity for further engagement in the region, including deepening the Irish Aid programme in the Sahel. Ireland supports the EU’s prioritisation in the Sahel through the implementation of the EU’s Sahel Strategy and the mobilisation of all the EU’s instruments in the region. In addition to support for our multilateral partners, between 2016 and 2021, Ireland provided bilateral funding amounting to over €40 million to partners in the Sahel with a focus on humanitarian assistance, education, health and food security
Between 2019 and 2022, Ireland contributed to stabilisation efforts in Mali through the deployment of members of the Defence Forces with the UN Peacekeeping Mission in Mali (MINUSMA). There are currently 14 members of the Defence Forces deployed with the EU Training Mission in Mali. As and elected member of the UN Security Council, we have played an active role on the Sahel including on files related to Mali/MINUSMA and the G5 Sahel Joint Force, and as co-penholders on the Security Council file for the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS).
We believe that stability in the Sahel depends on action to address the root causes of conflict, migration and poverty, as well as tackling the threat posed by armed groups. We consistently emphasise the need to strengthen governance and human rights and the protection of civilians.
337. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will address the case of a person (details supplied) regarding a foreign birth registration, who has been waiting for over a year; the current timeline for processing foreign birth applications; if the measures were put in place as stated on 15 September 2022 to reduce the processing time for citizenship application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57963/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraDemand for Foreign Birth Registration (FBR) increased significantly as a result of the Brexit vote in the UK.
In 2015, prior to Brexit, a total of 6,000 entries were made to the Foreign Births Register. In 2019, a peak number of 19,000 entries were made to the register.
The service was also impacted by necessary Covid-19 restrictions in 2020 and 2021 and the unprecedented demand for passports seen to date in 2022.
The Passport Service has processed just under 19,000 FBR applications to date this year. The number of applications processed per month has doubled in both September and October, with over 1,000 processed in August, over 2,000 processed in September and almost 5,000 processed in October.
The current waiting time for FBR applications is less than 2 years from receipt of supporting documentation and the Passport Service is currently processing applications received in February 2021. The Passport Service is on track towards significantly reducing the processing time for FBR applications by the end of this year.
My Department has put in place a number of measures to address the volume of FBR applications currently on hand. Additional staff have been assigned to the processing of FBR applications in recent weeks, and will continue to be assigned in the coming weeks.
Targeted overtime has commenced for the processing of FBR applications.
The unprecedented level of staff currently working in the Passport Service will be maintained in the months ahead, allowing for the continued reassignment of additional staff to the processing of FBR applications.
The application to which the Deputy has referred has been initially processed, and is awaiting further documentation in order to progress it further. A member of the FBR team has been in contact with the applicant in this regard.
338. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if a passport application by a person (details supplied) will be expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58002/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraWith regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, this application is within the current turnaround time and has not yet reached its issue-by date.
339. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the extent to which he and his Department continue to highlight issues such as the trafficking of women and children throughout the globe with particular reference to the seriously affected locations; the extent to which he continues to use the UN Security Council as a vehicle for challenging such activities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58095/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland actively engages in European Union, Council of Europe, OSCE and United Nations efforts to combat trafficking in persons. This includes our work across the UN system, including at the UN Security Council, UN General Assembly, and at the UN Human Rights Council.
At the UN Security Council the issue of trafficking in persons is considered in the context of certain country-specific discussions. Ireland actively engages in these discussions, in addition to co-chairing the Security Council’s Informal Expert Group on Women, Peace and Security. UN Security Council resolution 2331 recognised the trafficking of women and girls in conflicts as a form of violence against women. Ireland also actively engages on this issue at the UN Human Rights Council and Third Committee of the UN General Assembly.
Most recently, Ireland co-sponsored the resolution on trafficking in women and girls at Third Committee of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly. Ireland was also pleased to deliver a national statement in the interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children, Siobhán Mullally, who presented her valuable report on the gendered dimensions of trafficking in the context of climate change.
At EU level, combating trafficking is a key priority in the EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy 2020-2024. The Plan’s objectives include promoting measures to prevent and fully eradicate trafficking in human beings, including by countering impunity for all perpetrators involved. On 14 April 2021, the Commission adopted a new EU Strategy on Combatting Trafficking in Human Beings (2021-2025) and the ongoing evaluation of the Anti-trafficking Directive aims to update the EU legal framework to ensure efficiency in addressing the current challenges.
Furthermore, Ireland provides core funding to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). The IOM works in partnership with governments, the United Nations, international and non-governmental organizations, the private sector and development partners on all aspects of counter-trafficking responses: prevention, protection, and prosecution.
340. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the extent to which Irish Aid continues to be made available throughout the globe with particular reference to those areas most seriously in need of support and attention; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58096/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra348. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the extent to which and the level of bilateral aid currently supported by Ireland; the locations at which this aid is targeted worldwide; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58104/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra350. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the extent to which Ireland's position in relation to multilateral aids with particular reference to the degree to which all such aid is received by those for whom it was intended; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58106/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 340, 348 and 350 together.
The Government's international development policy, A Better World, focuses on meeting the needs of the furthest behind first, with an emphasis on those in the world’s poorest and climate exposed countries. Ireland’s programme of Official Development Assistance (ODA) is a central element of our foreign policy.
The allocation to the programme for 2023 will be €1.23 billion, the highest ever and a 17% increase on 2022. The overall increase includes an additional €111 million for the international development programme operated by the Department of Foreign Affairs, including €75 million to address the direct and indirect impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and €25 million towards meeting our international climate finance commitments.
The Department of Foreign Affairs reports to the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) on overall expenditure on ODA against a set of internationally agreed statistical standards. The figures are included in the Annual Report for 2021, which was launched in October and is available to the public on the Irish Aid website. It includes a detailed analysis of bilateral and multilateral aid. I can confirm that last year, €516.73 million was allocated to bilateral ODA. The top thirty recipient are listed in the Annual Report, at: www.irishaid.ie/media/irishaid/IrishAid_AR_2021_WEB_V5-FA.pdf
Ireland's assistance is channelled through bilateral ODA managed through our Embassies in the relevant countries, Irish and international civil society organisations, and multilateral organisations, including the UN, and international financial institutions such as the World Bank. The allocations are based on the effectiveness of partners in addressing poverty and hunger and reaching communities that are furthest behind.
Ireland has a well-earned reputation as a constructive and reliable partner to multilateral organisations, with funding that is of high quality. The OECD highlighted Ireland as "an excellent humanitarian partner", with its funding models a "useful inspiration for other donors". In 2021 Ireland reached almost 100% flexible humanitarian funding. Over 50% of this was provided on a multi-annual basis. This long-term, flexible approach to financing is essential to allow our trusted partners to respond quickly to complex and changing crises.
341. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the extent to which he and his Department continue to monitor through the UN and EU, the various war zones across the globe in an effort to highlight the atrocities faced by women, children and vulnerable people; the extent to which the international community is making serious efforts to address the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58097/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra342. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the extent to which the United Nations and the European Union continue to strive to alleviate incidents of the violation of human rights at the various identified locations; the extent to which the perpetrators are being made conscious of the need to address these issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58098/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra344. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the extent to which the international community has identified the ten most seriously affected locations worldwide at which human rights abuses continue to take place for whatever reason; the actions that have been taken or that are proposed at EU and UN level in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58100/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 341, 342 and 344 together.
The promotion and protection of human rights is a foreign policy priority for Ireland. As well as bilaterally through our mission network, Ireland contributes strongly to United Nations and European Union efforts to monitor and eliminate human rights violations and abuses. The rights of women, children and vulnerable persons are central to our engagement, especially in conflict zones where risks of child recruitment or trafficking in persons are particularly prevalent.
Conflict remains the most significant driver of humanitarian crises, while the number and complexity of these crises globally continues to increase. Each conflict is unique in its character, scale and complexity, and as such cannot be ranked by any single set of criteria of severity.
The particular human rights violations and abuses encountered by women and children, including sexual and gender-based violence, crosscuts all of Ireland’s engagement on both conflict and human rights. In addition to co-chairing the UN Security Council’s Informal Expert Group on Women, Peace and Security, Ireland is an active member of the UN Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict.
In the most recent sessions of the UN Human Rights Council, as well as the Third Committee session of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly which concluded on 18 November, Ireland has been active across the full range of human rights concerns. Ireland also provides assistance to those most vulnerable, including through our support to UNHCR.
At EU level, Ireland is an active participant and contributor to the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy, which works globally to support the preservation of peace, the prevention of conflicts and the strengthening of international security. Human Rights issues are frequently discussed at the EU Foreign Affairs Council. Ireland strongly support the EU’s Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime, which strengthens the EU’s ability to take collective action against perpetrators of human rights violations.
Accountability for human rights violations is a priority for Ireland, including for the heinous crimes of genocide and ethnic cleansing. A strong international criminal justice system is central to fighting impunity. While states bear the primary responsibility to investigate the most serious international crimes, including war crimes and genocide, Ireland regards the International Criminal Court as the cornerstone of such a system. We are a consistent and strong supporter of the Court.
343. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the extent to which the European Union is alert to the threats to the security of the Union and possible future members; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58099/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraRussia’s unprovoked aggression against Ukraine has resulted in a fundamental change in Europe’s security landscape. However, even prior to this, Europe had been facing a series of evolving security challenges from cyber and hybrid threats, to climate change. Against this backdrop, efforts have been underway to further strengthen the European Union’s Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) with recent innovations designed to address this major shift in the European Union’s strategic environment and ensure that it remains a relevant, strong and coherent political actor, upholding the values and principles that underpin our democracies.
The Strategic Compass, approved by the Foreign Affairs Council and endorsed by the European Council in March of this year, outlines the way forward for the European Union in the field of security and defence over the course of the next ten years. The document sets out the reality of the current European security environment, notably in the context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It then proposes a series of actions and deliverables in areas such as crisis management, resilience, capability development and partnerships with key international actors. Each of these actions lists a set of clear policy objectives, with timelines for implementation.
The implementation of the Strategic Compass began immediately after endorsement by the European Council. Implementation is progressing rapidly in a number of areas, notably in relation to cyber and hybrid threats, as well as capability development and procurement. The Strategic Compass will mean an increase in the level of ambition for EU CSDP, including through existing initiatives such as PESCO and the European Defence Fund. It will also put in place a 5,000 strong force ready to deploy to complex crises across the globe, in the form of a new Rapid Deployment Capacity.
