James Lawless
Ceist:1. Deputy James Lawless asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs to examine an issue (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16837/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraPassport Services
Ceisteanna (1)
Freagraí scríofa
With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, further supporting documents for this application were received on 10th April 2024. Turnaround time from the receipt of further supporting documents is 15 working days.
Passport Services
Ceisteanna (2)
James Lawless
Ceist:2. Deputy James Lawless asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs when a replacement passport will issue (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16844/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service has issued the passport to the applicant.
Consular Services
Ceisteanna (3)
Niamh Smyth
Ceist:3. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if an update can be provided on a case (details supplied); the steps being taken by his Department to assist the family; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16861/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I can assure the Deputy that officials in my Department have been in regular contact with the Irish citizen in this case and are continuing to provide consular assistance and guidance.
I have engaged directly with my counterpart in the jurisdiction in question on this matter and I subsequently met with the citizen concerned and provided clear advice. In addition, the Embassy of Ireland has engaged with the relevant Ministry of Justice on the matter and has provided advice to the citizen accordingly. The Embassy of Ireland has also liaised with other EU Embassies, whose citizens have been in similar circumstances, in the context of the consular advice being given to the citizen.
Departmental and Embassy officials have advised the citizen, since the case began, to engage with a local lawyer to best advise on the laws as they pertain to the relevant jurisdiction. I understand that the citizen has now appointed legal representatives in the jurisdiction and I welcome this development.
The Department of Foreign Affairs cannot intervene in official legal or custodial processes in another jurisdiction but my officials will continue to provide consular assistance to the citizen where possible and appropriate.
Military Aircraft
Ceisteanna (4)
Darren O'Rourke
Ceist:4. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of US military aircraft inspected in Shannon by the IAA for weapons on stopover while en route to Israel since 7 October 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16946/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
All foreign military aircraft wishing to overfly, or land in, the State require diplomatic clearance from the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Permission to land is subject to strict conditions, including that the aircraft is unarmed; that it carries no arms, ammunition or explosives; that it does not engage in intelligence gathering; and that the flight in question does not form part of a military exercise or operation.
This policy is well known and is fully understood by the United States and other international partners, and is conducted in compliance with Ireland’s traditional policy of military neutrality.
Foreign military aircraft which are given permission to land in Ireland are not subject to inspection in this regard. Sovereign immunity, a long-standing principle of customary international law, means that a state may not exercise its jurisdiction in respect to another state or its property, including state and military aircraft. This principle applies automatically to foreign State or military aircraft in the same way that it applies to Irish State or military aircraft abroad.
All such landings by military aircraft are required to seek and receive prior diplomatic clearance, and are subject to the routine and strict stipulations, as outlined above.
Furthermore, the carriage of munitions of war is prohibited on any civil aircraft in Irish sovereign territory unless an exemption is granted by the Minister for Transport, as implemented in the Air Navigation (Carriage of Munitions of War, Weapons and Dangerous Goods) Orders 1973 and 1989.
In 2023 and to date in 2024, no applications have been received or exemptions granted for the carriage of munitions of war on civil aircraft to a point in Israel.
As I have stated previously, no airport in Ireland, or Irish sovereign airspace, is being used to transport weapons to the conflict in the Middle East.
Foreign Birth Registration
Ceisteanna (5)
Mattie McGrath
Ceist:5. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs when a decision will be made on an application for a foreign birth registration (details supplied); the reason for the delay in processing the application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16970/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
My Department is responsible for processing Foreign Birth Registration (FBR) applications for people who are born abroad and claim Irish citizenship through a grandparent born in Ireland or through a parent who has claimed citizenship also through FBR, Naturalisation or Post Nuptial Citizenship.
FBR applications are currently being processed within the normal turnaround time of 9 months from receipt of supporting documents. Applications that require further supporting documents will take longer to process.
Foreign Birth Registration, by its nature, is a detailed and complex process, often involving official documentation relating to three generations and issued by several jurisdictions. Such documents take considerable time to validate.
The Passport Service Customer Service Hub has dedicated agents to deal with Foreign Birth Registration application queries. The contact number for urgent Foreign Birth Registration queries is +353 1 568 3331. This number is also available on the Department's website.
With regard to the specific FBR application about which the Deputy has enquired, the application was registered on 11 January 2024. This application is within the standard turnaround time and has not yet reached its issue-by date.
Legislative Process
Ceisteanna (6)
Jennifer Whitmore
Ceist:6. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications whether the delay in publishing the marine protected areas Bill will have consequences for the State’s ability to identify potential offshore energy locations; whether that, in turn, will undermine the State’s efforts to meet its renewable targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16794/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Government is committed to achieving Ireland’s climate and renewable energy targets, including the objectives of the National Marine Planning Framework, in tandem with marine environment and biodiversity targets under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. This ecosystem-based approach will ensure that future developments in Ireland’s maritime area, including offshore renewable energy (ORE), will take place in a managed, plan-led, strategic, and sustainable way.
The timing of the publication of the Marine Protected Areas (MPA) Bill is not expected to adversely impact on future ORE development in Ireland. In this regard, my Department has worked closely with colleagues in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to enable the MPA and ORE processes to occur in parallel. As part of this, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage has commissioned two important environmental sensitivity analyses by the independent MPA Advisory Group to identify potentially suitable areas for MPAs in advance of the legislation's enactment. The Irish Sea study was completed and published last year, while the study of the Celtic Sea off southern Ireland is anticipated to be completed by early summer. By identifying features that need to be protected and spatial locations in which they occur, these studies help to provide confidence to the ORE sector and, at the same time, identify suitable areas within which MPAs could potentially be taken forward in the future.
Fisheries Protection
Ceisteanna (7)
Mairéad Farrell
Ceist:7. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if stock management operations on Lough Corrib SAC, that is, the removal of invasive and-or non-native freshwater fish such as pike, are exclusively an operational matter for Inland Fisheries Ireland; if the inland fisheries division or the Minister have any input or function regarding stock management operations on Lough Corrib SAC; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16828/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The issues raised by the Deputy in relation to responsibility for stock management operations on Lough Corrib SAC are operational matters for Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) in which neither I nor my Department have any function.
IFI, as the statutory body tasked with the protection, management and conservation of the inland fisheries resource, has established a specific email address for queries from Oireachtas members so that queries in relation to operational matters can be addressed promptly, in line with IFI’s objective to deliver services to the highest standards. The email address is oireachtas@fisheriesireland.ie.
Public Procurement Contracts
Ceisteanna (8)
Mairéad Farrell
Ceist:8. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications his views on a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16829/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The issues raised by the Deputy in relation to the tender process for the procurement of environmental consultancy services referred to are operational matters for Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) in which neither I nor my Department have any function.
I understand IFI have confirmed that the tender process complies with National Procurement rules and was carried out in line with Inland Fisheries Ireland’s Procurement policy available at the following link: www.fisheriesireland.ie/sites/default/files/2023-06/ifi-procurement-policy-april-2023.pdf
IFI has established a specific email address for queries from Oireachtas members so that queries in relation to operational matters can be addressed promptly, in line with IFI’s objective to deliver services to the highest standards. The email address is oireachtas@fisheriesireland.ie.
Fuel Oil Specifications
Ceisteanna (9)
Colm Burke
Ceist:9. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications what action his Department is taking to research and develop the hydrotreated vegetable oil market in Ireland, in view that HVO fuel could be substituted for retrofitting to home boilers, which could lead to an immediate reduction in carbon emissions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17017/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Climate Action Plan includes a range of measures to address the use of fossil fuel in heating systems in buildings and the National Heat Study contains the detailed analysis that is informing the development of options, policies and measures to decarbonise the heating and cooling sectors to 2050. The Study considered a number of potential decarbonisation options for a wide range of dwelling and business types. This included the use of liquid biofuels such as hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO), solid biomass, biogases and other technologies such as heat pumps and district heating networks.
The recommendation of the Heat Study is that heat pumps are the optimal decarbonisation path for heating systems, with district heating also being an option that can be widely deployed. There are, therefore, no current plans to provide supports for HVO in a heating context.
In line with CAP commitments, my Department is working on the development of a Heat Policy Statement and a Roadmap for the Phase Out of Fossil Fuel heating as part of the requirement to transition to zero-carbon heating by 2050 at the latest.