Written Answers Nos. 133-145
133. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will provide an update on the outcome of the 57th UN Commission on Population and Development, including details of statements made by Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22736/24]
View answerThe 57th Session of the Commission and Development (CPD) was held at UN Headquarters in New York from 29 April to 3 May. The session assessed the status of implementation of the Programme of Action adopted by the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo in 1994. It examined the Programme of Action’s contribution to the follow up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Ireland delivered a national statement during the Commission, highlighting attempts globally to undermine human rights, especially those of women and girls. The statement noted that in both our domestic and foreign policy, Ireland has made real progress in the fulfilment of the commitment made at ICPD 30 years ago to place human rights, and the rights of women and girls in particular, at the heart of the sustainable development agenda. Ireland’s development cooperation policy recognises that access to sexual and reproductive health and rights is fundamental for the transformation of health and well-being, for everyone. Ireland will continue to support and advance the commitments framed 30 years ago in Cairo. These are as relevant now as they were in 1994.
We welcome the Political Declaration that was adopted by consensus on 29 April, which reaffirms Member States’ commitment to the full implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action and the follow-up to international and regional commitments. We believe, however that the statement could have more strongly set out the ambition for the realisation of sexual and reproductive health and rights, including access to services, information and education, and freedom of choice over family planning.
Ireland also welcomed the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the ICPD Programme of Action. The global ICPD30 report to be issued later in the year will provide an authoritative account, with evidence, of the state of implementation of the ICPD agenda, identifying and addressing emerging challenges and opportunities to accelerate ICPD implementation beyond 2024.
134. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the importance of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in the context of the Summit of the Future; how Ireland will ensure global goals, commitments and obligations under international human rights standards in relation to SRHR are fully incorporated into the Pact for the Future, which will be negotiated by states in the lead-up to the summit in September 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22737/24]
View answerThe commitment to advance SRHR is articulated in multiple UN resolutions, the EU Consensus on Development, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Ireland has demonstrated strong alignment with SDG commitments around SRHR concerning the reduction of physical, sexual or gender based violence. A Better World – Ireland’s policy for international development - recognises that access to ‘comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services, is fundamental for realising SRHR and transforming women’s health outcomes’.
The Summit of the Future in September 2024 will be a high-level event, bringing world leaders together to forge a new international consensus and revitalise the multilateral system – building on the SDG Summit held in 2023, as well as the UN Charter, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the Paris Agreement, amongst others.
The aim of the Summit is to accelerate efforts to meet our existing international commitments and take concrete steps to respond to emerging challenges and opportunities. This will be achieved through a concise action-oriented outcome document called the Pact for the Future (the Pact), to be agreed by heads of state and government at the Summit, which will point the way for the innovations and reforms of the UN required over the coming years.
The Pact is currently being negotiated by the UN membership. Ireland strongly supports the Summit of the Future process, and has been actively engaged throughout the consultation process so far. We hope the Pact can build on the consensus achieved in the SDG Summit Political Declaration last year and contribute to accelerating progress in achieving the SDGs.
In negotiations on the Pact, Ireland has been focused on ensuring key cross-cutting issues, such as gender and human rights, and endeavouring to reach the furthest behind first, are reflected meaningfully throughout the document. The first revised draft of the Pact was shared with the UN membership this month and contains commitments relating to SRHR, which we will continue to support in the ongoing negotiations on the text.
135. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if it is possible to get an update for the following foreign birth application (details supplied). [22778/24]
View answerMy 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 which 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 Foreign Birth Registration (FBR) applications about which the Deputy has enquired, supporting documents were received for the application on 18 December 2023. This application is within the standard turnaround time and has not yet reached its issue by date.
137. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if his Department has drawn up assessments of the potential impact on Ireland of the withdrawal of the United States from international multilateral organisations, in view of the growing isolationism in the United States; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22848/24]
View answerIreland is a member of the Alliance for Multilateralism, an informal forum of States and civil society, which works to ensure that the multilateral system is effective and, importantly, seen to be effective.
The United States has been and continues to be a fully engaged and an important contributor to the international multilateral system. Protecting and strengthening our relationship with the United States, including in multilateral cooperation, will remain a key priority for the Government. Ireland and the United States work closely together to respond to global challenges including climate change, poverty, and hunger. Ireland and the EU have worked to strengthen our global role and to enhance our ability to respond to threats to our security and changes in the international political landscape. The European response to the war in Ukraine and the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that the EU can respond to existential challenges of scale, and mobilise unprecedented levels of cooperation when required, partnering with the US in response to these challenges has added new impetus to EU-US relations. The EU and US have been in close alignment in their condemnation of and response to Russian military aggression in Ukraine, with unprecedented levels of communication and cooperation.
A strong and present United States helps the multilateral system meet its full potential. It is in our interest that the transatlantic relationship remains strong and that the US, as well as all European partners, engage fully in the framework of multilateral institutions built since the Second World War. If any state withdraws from that system, or reduce its engagement, the critical need for multilateral frameworks to continue to deliver remains, and I am committed to playing my full part in supporting effective multilateralism across the international system.
138. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs when his Department last published a White Paper on foreign policy; if he plans an update; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22849/24]
View answerTwo core foreign policy documents inform the current strategic direction of my Department: The Global Island: Ireland's Foreign Policy for a Changing World, which was published in 2015, and A Better World: Ireland's Policy for International Development, which was published in 2019.
My Department published a White Paper on foreign policy in 1996 which was titled Challenges and Opportunities Abroad. The publication in 2015 of Global Island: Ireland’s Foreign Policy for a Changing World provided an updated guiding document that has served Ireland well, providing the basis for the Government's Global Ireland strategy which was published in 2018 and which has led to the expansion of the scope and impact of Ireland’s global engagement. This Global Ireland strategy runs until 2025 and consideration will be given thereafter to future strategy policy frameworks.
Ireland's policy for international development is set out in A Better World which was published in 2019. This policy document provides the framework for Ireland’s expanding development cooperation programme and outlines Ireland’s vision of a more equal, peaceful and sustainable world.
Ireland's overall objectives remain very clear: protecting and promoting peace on our island, promoting our interests and values within the EU and ensuring they are reflected in EU policies, providing a first class consular and passport service to our citizens, supporting our diaspora communities, active and principled membership of the UN and other international fora, delivering a high-quality development programme, a strategic approach to public diplomacy, cultural diplomacy and soft power on a whole-of-Government basis and expanding Ireland’s presence and influence abroad, to underpin prosperity and security at home.
139. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if a passport application (details supplied) will be expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22857/24]
View answerWith regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service requested further documents for the application on 17 May 2024. The application cannot proceed until the required supporting documents have been received.
I strongly encourage the Deputy to advise her constituents of the advantages of using the substantially more efficient online service, which is now used by more than 90% of applicants worldwide.
140. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of passport applicants that had to resubmit photographs in the years 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form. [22898/24]
View answerThe Passport Service has issued almost half a million passports to date in 2024, and the Customer Service Hub has responded to over 200,000 queries this year. Virtually all complete passport applications are being processed within advertised turnaround times.
Online applications for which new photos are requested are processed within a maximum of 10 working days of the receipt of the new photo. The Passport Service has public education materials, including video tutorials on taking a passport photo and detailed instructions on the application process, available online, at www.ireland.ie/passportsphotos. These materials are regularly communicated to citizens via our social media channels. Additionally, should assistance be required with an application, our Customer Service agents are available through phone and webchat services from Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. They can be contacted at +353 1 671 1633, or via the WebChat service: www.ireland.ie/contactpassportservice
There are a variety of reasons why an applicant may be require a submit new photo's for their passport application. For online applications new photos, if required, are submitted via a link that is emailed to the applicant. This could, for example occur where the parent of a child requests a new consent link because their original link expired. New photos can also be requested by the Passport Service where they do not meet the requirement for a passport.
The total numbers of links sent by the Passport Service in 2023 and to date in 2024 are outlined below in tabular form. The number of requests for photo resubmissions in 2023 represents 10% of the 954,627 total passports that were issued by the Passport Service last year. It is not possible to break these figures down by those requested by the applicant or those sent by the Passport Service when requesting a new photo from the applicant.
|
Year |
Photo Resubmission Links sent to Passport Applicants |
|
2023 |
97,192 |
|
2024 (to date) |
38,523 |
141. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if the current situation in Georgia was discussed at the most recent EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting. [22899/24]
View answerThe current situation in Georgia is of grave concern. The adoption of legislation on the “transparency of foreign influence” by the Georgian parliament, in the face of strong international criticism, and the disproportionate use of force against those protesting the legislation, are not in line with core EU values and norms.
Events in Georgia were discussed at the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels on 22 April, and along with my EU partners I will continue to engage on the situation in the country.
Ireland has echoed the concerns expressed by HRVP Borrell and President von der Leyen with regard to the impact that the transparency of foreign influence law will have on Georgian civil society and Georgia’s path to EU membership. We have repeatedly urged the Georgian government to withdraw this legislation. It is incompatible with core EU values, and contradicts the will of the Georgian people, who have courageously shown their commitment to Georgia’s future in the EU, and who have peacefully protested against the law since its reintroduction in Parliament.
Ireland, along with our EU partners, has made clear that this law will negatively impact Georgia’s ability to progress towards EU membership. We have, along with eleven other European Union Member States, called on the European Commission to provide an update on how the law will impact on Georgia’s candidate status.
Along with the HRVP, President von der Leyen, and our EU partners, we have also condemned the Georgian authorities’ response to protestors, which has infringed upon the right to freedom of assembly and expression. The reports of targeted attacks on opposition politicians and media officials are unacceptable, and directly threaten the ability of the Georgian people to freely assemble and peacefully protest. The best way to secure Georgia’s progress towards EU membership is by demonstrating a genuine commitment to European values and to upholding the human rights of all citizens.
I note the regrettable decision by the Georgian parliament to adopt the proposed law in its third reading on 14 May. I will continue to engage on the current situation in Georgia and urge the government to withdraw this law. I expect that the issue will remain high on the agenda of the Foreign Affairs Council.
142. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has spoken with the First Minister of Wales since his appointment. [22900/24]
View answerFollowing his appointment as Welsh First Minister, I had a phonecall with Vaughan Gething on 18 April to congratulate him on his appointment.
During the call, we focused on the importance of relations between Ireland and Wales, and how we can work together to further strengthen the relationship. We underscored the importance of our cooperation under the Ireland Wales Shared Statement and Action Plan 2021-2025, and I invited First Minister Gething to Cork in June for the annual Ireland-Wales Forum.
The Forum provides an important opportunity to review and promote cooperation between Ireland and Wales under the Shared Statement. This includes work in such areas as climate and sustainability; trade and tourism; education and research, as well as culture and supporting the diaspora. This year the Forum will have a particular focus on our shared marine environment, heritage and tourism. We also intend to initiate work towards a new Shared Statement to be agreed in 2025.
Wales is also an important partner in the British Irish Council, which brings together leaders across these islands to address areas of mutual concern. I look forward to meeting First Minister Gething also at the BIC Summit in the Isle of Man in June, which will focus on renewable energy.
143. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he met with the UK shadow foreign secretary during his recent visit to London (details supplied). [22946/24]
View answerI continue to prioritise regular engagement with a wide range of UK political figures, in government and in opposition, as we further our work to strengthen British-Irish relations in a post-Brexit context.
I was in London on 29 April to co-chair a meeting of the British Irish Intergovernmental Conference (BIIGC) alongside the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris, where to matters relating to Northern Ireland, we had a constructive discussion on ongoing cooperation in areas to include energy, research and innovation and education.
My last meeting with the Shadow Foreign Secretary was in Munich in February, where we had a useful discussion on British Irish relations and foreign policy issues, including in relation to developments in the Middle East. I look forward to picking up our conversation over the summer.
145. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will comment on the statement of Ireland in the International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion on Israeli Practice and Policies in the Occupied Palestinian Territory on 22 February 2024; and if he will comment on the statement of the Attorney General at [37], and its relation to the Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018. [23010/24]
View answerOn 25 July 2023, Ireland submitted a written statement to the International Court of Justice in its Advisory Opinion case 'Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem'. Ireland also participated in the public hearings in this case, with the Attorney General making an oral statement to the Court on behalf of Ireland in the Peace Palace in The Hague on 22 February 2024.
The Government’s objective in making submissions in this case was to encourage the Court to clarify the rights of the Palestinian people in international law, not least so that these may be fully respected in the future settlement of the Israeli- Palestinian conflict.
Ireland’s submissions to the Court focused in particular on Israeli settlements in Palestine and related activities. These submissions concluded that settlements and related activities have violated international law in a number of significant ways, and that settlement activity is being used to annex Palestinian territory and deny the Palestinian people their right to self-determination.
The prohibition on the acquisition of territory by force and the right to self-determination are fundamental principles of international law with the character of peremptory norms. As the International Law Commission has recently concluded, peremptory norms of general international law give rise to obligations owed to the international community as a whole, in relation to which all states have a legal interest. Ireland's submissions argue that Israeli settlements and related activity constitute serious breaches of these norms and obligations.
The submissions also address the legal consequences of these serious breaches. They contend that, under the branch of international law known as the law of state responsibility, where a state has committed a serious breach of a peremptory norm of general international law all states are obliged to cooperate to bring that serious breach to an end, and not to recognise as lawful any situation created by that breach, nor to render aid or assistance in maintaining any such situation.
In particular, drawing on the Court’s caselaw, the submissions argue that states and international organisations like the EU that have legal competence to regulate trade with third countries should do this by reviewing their trading relationships with the settlements. This was the approach taken by the EU in response to Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014.
In the case of Ireland, as with all EU Member States, competence for external trade policy lies exclusively with the European Union. The EU already applies a policy of differentiation to distinguish trade with Israel from trade with the settlements. Once the Court delivers its Advisory Opinion, which we expect will be in the coming months, we will engage at EU level to consider whether any further actions are necessary.
The Government’s position on the Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018 is in line with this position. The clear legal advice on the matter is that the Bill, in its current form, is not compatible with EU law, including for the reason that the EU has exclusive competence for external trade. As such, the Bill would not be implemented and the Government is, therefore, not in a position to take it forward.
