I propose to take Questions Nos. 225 and 226 together.
The Government remains firmly committed to the promotion of democratisation, the protection of human rights, and the advancement of the rule of law, as core pillars of Ireland’s foreign policy. Support for international election observation represents an important element of this commitment, and Ireland has contributed observers to such missions since the 1990s.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade maintains and administers a dedicated roster to facilitate Ireland’s participation in election observation missions organised by the OSCE and the European Union. The current five-year Roster, which commenced on 1 January 2024, has 170 members.
Since the beginning of this Roster cycle in 2024, a total of 115 members have participated in 28 election observation missions. Applications from Roster members are assessed through an appraisal process, taking into consideration factors such as prior mission experience, country and regional expertise, roster rotation, relevant international deployment experience, and gender balance.
Ireland has nominated one Long-Term Observer for the OSCE-ODIHR Election Observation Mission to Hungary. A call for Short-Term Observers for this mission is anticipated, as are further calls for both Long-Term and Short-Term Observers for the OSCE-ODIHR mission to Bulgaria, and decisions on participation will be made in due course.
