Written Answers Nos. 223-242
223. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Taoiseach the mechanisms in place in his Department to ensure delivery on the commitments in the Programme for Government; the civil servant specifically responsible for overseeing such delivery; and the measures that are used to assess progress. [38821/26]
View answerThe Department's Statement of Strategy 2025 - 2028 puts the implementation of the Programme for Government central to the mission of the Department of the Taoiseach.
The Department provides policy advice on Government priorities by engaging with, and supporting the work of, Departments and Offices. The Department also brings a whole-of-government perspective to policy development and on cross-cutting complex issues where collective action is required.
Delivery of specific Programme for Government commitments is overseen via the Cabinet Committee system. The Department provides secretariat to the Cabinet Committee structures; supports preparation for those Committees; chairs (at Assistant Secretary level) related Senior Officials’ Groups; and engages bilaterally and multi-laterally with Government Departments and agencies as necessary. The Department of the Taoiseach also receives annual progress reports on Programme for Government commitments for each government department.
The Department's annual reports (2025 - 2028) will provide a mechanism to report progress made on the policy priorities outlined in the Statement of Strategy. This is in addition to the progress updates I have provided, and will continue to provide, to the House in response to Parliamentary Questions on the Programme for Government.
224. Deputy John Brady asked the Taoiseach the position regarding the status of a gift (details supplied) to the Ceann Comhairle in 2018 and in storage in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38444/26]
View answerThe gift to the State to which the Deputy refers is stored securely in the Department of the Taoiseach in accordance with the provisions of the Ethics in Public Office Act 1995.
225. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade whether the privileges and immunities provided to the International Claims Commission for Ukraine and its personnel will apply in any way within Irish jurisdiction in respect of legal proceedings or claims involving Irish citizens or businesses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39025/26]
View answer238. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the estimated total cost to the Irish taxpayer of Ireland’s participation in or support for the International Claims Commission for Ukraine; the source of funding for any such contributions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39019/26]
View answer239. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade whether a full Dáil debate and vote will be held prior to any further Irish financial or material commitments related to the International Claims Commission for Ukraine or associated reparation mechanisms; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39020/26]
View answer240. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if she will provide a detailed breakdown of any projected or committed Exchequer funding, directly or indirectly, to the International Claims Commission for Ukraine or the related Register of Damage under the provisions of S.I. No. 190 of 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39021/26]
View answer241. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade her views on whether granting privileges and immunities to the International Claims Commission for Ukraine under S.I. No. 190 of 2026 could have implications for Ireland’s energy security or fuel costs, given the ongoing global impacts of the conflict; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39022/26]
View answer242. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if the Government has conducted a cost-benefit analysis of involvement in international mechanisms such as the International Claims Commission for Ukraine. [39023/26]
View answer243. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of Irish personnel, diplomats or officials who will be involved in or protected under the privileges and immunities granted to the International Claims Commission for Ukraine; the associated costs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39024/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 225, 238, 239, 240, 241, 242 and 243 together.
Ireland has consistently condemned Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine as an act of unprovoked and unjustified aggression.
The Convention Establishing an International Claims Commission for Ukraine is a key step towards delivering accountability for the damage and destruction caused by Russia through its unprovoked and unjustified full-scale invasion of its neighbour.
The International Claims Commission for Ukraine will be an administrative body set up within the framework of the Council of Europe that examines claims for compensation of damage, loss or injury due to internationally wrongful acts that have been committed by the Russian Federation in Ukraine or against Ukraine.
It will determine whether compensation is due and how much, if any, is due. However, the Commission will not itself be responsible for paying out any compensation.
In this way, the Claims Commission will be the second of three components of a broader compensation mechanism. The first component was the establishment of a Register of Damage Caused by the Aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, which was set up in 2023. Its operation will transfer to the Claims Commission after it is established. The Register and the Commission form the backdrop to a third possible part of that mechanism, which would be a compensation fund to meet these claims.
Ratification of the Convention does entail any obligation on Ireland to provide compensation. Rather, Ireland’s participation in the Convention will entail a proportionate annual contribution towards the operational costs of the Commission. It is too soon to say precisely what that will be, but it is expected to be less than €1 million per year, depending on membership and operational scale. It is expected to be funded through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade as a contribution to international organisations.
This contribution would only start after the Convention has come into force, which will happen after 25 countries, or regional integration organisations, have ratified it and when the associated financial commitments are enough to support the initial work of the Commission.
It should also be noted that in the event of the Russian Federation becoming a Member of the Convention, the Convention provides that it shall bear the costs of the Commission from its entry into force. The Convention also expressly provides for the expectation that the Russian Federation will fund the compensation determined and awarded by the Commission and that other Commission members will not be required to fund the compensation.
If an international agreement involves a charge upon public funds within the meaning of Article 29.5.2° of the Constitution, its terms require Dáil approval before it may be ratified by Ireland. Following a debate on 6 May, the Dáil approved the terms of this Convention and Ireland deposited its instrument of ratification with the Council of Europe on 15 May.
Article 6 of the Convention sets out the privileges and immunities applicable to the Commission, its offices, the Executive Director, other members of the Secretariat, and experts engaged by the Commission, in the exercise of their functions. These privileges and immunities are in line with those provided for other comparable bodies and persons. S.I. No. 190/2026, entitled International Claims Commission for Ukraine (Privileges and Immunities) Order 2026, accords, in Irish law, the relevant privileges and immunities set out in the Convention.
The Commission will have its seat in The Hague in the Netherlands. The number of Irish personnel, diplomats or officials who may be involved in the work of the Commission is not yet known as the Commission itself is yet to be established.
226. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade further to Parliamentary Question No. 12 of 6 May 2026, if passport applicants who hold a gender recognition certificate issued under the Gender Recognition Act 2015 and who are resident in Northern Ireland or overseas are required to provide two years' proof of use of their new name when applying for a passport whether as first-time or renewal applicants; if so, the legal basis for applying this requirement to GRC holders given that section 11(2)(a)(b) of the Passports Act 2008, as amended by section 38 of the Gender Recognition Act 2015, does not reference any such additional requirement and given that GRC holders resident in the State are not subject to this requirement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38723/26]
View answer264. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade further to Parliamentary Question No. 12 of 6 May 2026, if passport applicants who hold a gender recognition certificate issued under the Gender Recognition Act 2015 and who are resident in Northern Ireland or overseas are required to provide two years' proof of use of their new name when applying for a passport (whether as first-time or renewal applicants); and if so, the legal basis for applying this requirement to GRC holders given that section 11(2)(a)(b) of the Passports Act 2008, as amended by section 38 of the Gender Recognition Act 2015, does not reference any such additional requirement and given that GRC holders resident in the State are not subject to this requirement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39533/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 226 and 264 together.
All passport applications are subject to the terms of the Passports Act, 2008 (“the 2008 Act”), as amended, which provides the legal basis for the policies and practices that are applied by the Passport Service.
Following the Gender Recognition Act, 2015, (“the 2015 Act”), which provides a legal right to a person to have their preferred gender formally recognised by the State, applicants should provide a Gender Recognition Cert (GRC) from the Department of Social Protection with their passport application.
Regardless of where they reside, where a passport applicant is changing their name on the basis of a GRC issued by the Department of Social Protection under the 2015 Act, the Passport Service does not require two years’ proof of use of their new name.
For a passport renewal applicant, the following original documents are requested:
• Original Gender Recognition Certificate as issued by the Department of Social Protection.
• Current Irish passport.
For a first time applicant, the following original documents are requested:
• Witnessed identity verification form.
• Original Gender Recognition Certificate as issued by the Department of Social Protection.
• Original Civil Birth certificate as re-issued after gender recognition (if available).
• Proof of address such as Government correspondence such as a letter from the Department of Social Protection or the Revenue Commissioners.
• Proof of name such as Government correspondence such as a letter from the Department of Social Protection or the Revenue Commissioners.
• Photographic identification such as a copy of a Public Services Card or certified copy of a driver's licence.
These sensitive cases are processed by highly trained and experienced Passport Service officers, who seek to balance the rights of applicants who have changed their gender (and in some cases their name) with protecting the integrity of the Irish passport.
227. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to provide a list of Irish embassies and consulate general offices worldwide that currently has a translator post filled within their offices, in tabular form. [38793/26]
View answerIreland has a global network of diplomatic missions that includes Embassies, Consulates and missions to multilateral organisations such as the European Union and the United Nations.
A wide range of skills are required to carry out functions in Ireland's diplomatic missions abroad and, to that end, the staffing profile of our missions include both posted staff and locally-hired staff.
The locally recruited staff across the mission network play an invaluable role in supporting the delivery of the Department's goals and objectives, and work principally on issues such as consular and visa services, administration responsibilities, supporting trade, cultural and public diplomacy targets and events, and working on Ireland's development assistance programme.
We do not have dedicated translator positions in our diplomatic missions. Rather, where fluency in a particular language or languages is necessary for any particular role, this is taken into account in the recruitment and appointment process. In all of our diplomatic missions, we therefore have the language skills required to support fully the representation of our interests.
228. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if she plans to visit Austria prior to Ireland holding the Presidency of EU. [38794/26]
View answerI have visited my counterparts in a number of EU Member States since my appointment as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in November last year. While I have not yet visited Austria, I would certainly welcome the opportunity to do so. With just over one month remaining before Ireland assumes the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, such a visit is not currently envisaged but may be considered later in the year.
Austria’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Beate Meinl-Reisinger and I attend the EU Foreign Affairs Council. I hope to arrange a bilateral meeting with her on the margins of an upcoming Council and have asked my officials to explore that possibility. Our two countries have excellent political, economic and people-to-people relations and I am keen to build on those links.
In the meantime, officials in my Department continue to engage closely with Austria. Indeed a senior delegation led by the Deputy Secretary General of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce visited Ireland just last week and held a very constructive meeting with Departmental officials. As well as discussing our upcoming Presidency, there were useful exchanges on competitiveness, the future EU budget and the important role played by SMEs in the wider European economy. There have also been engagements with the President of the Austrian Federal Council, Mr Markus Stotter, who was in Ireland last week and visited the Houses of the Oireachtas.
229. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the mechanisms in place in her Department to ensure delivery on the commitments in the Programme for Government; the civil servant specifically responsible for overseeing such delivery; the measures that are used to assess progress; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38813/26]
View answerMy Department has a number of mechanisms in place to ensure delivery and assess progress on commitments in the Programme for Government 2025 - Securing Ireland’s Future. These include the Statement of Strategy, the Departmental Action Plan, the annual business planning process and the Department's Annual Reports. The Secretary General of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is responsible for overseeing delivery of relevant commitments in the Programme for Government.
The Statement of Strategy for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade provides the framework for the articulation of the Department’s commitments under the Programme for Government. It outlines how the Department will deliver meaningful outcomes for Irish citizens at home and abroad, across six high-level goals and associated outcomes and outputs. The Strategy Statement is part of the Department’s process of strategic management, which ensures alignment between the resource allocations as provided for in the Estimates, business plans at divisional and business unit level, and individual and team objectives derived through the Performance Management and Development System. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s current Statement of Strategy 2026-2029 was published on 12 May 2026.
The Departmental Action Plan 2026, published earlier this year is a useful document that aids us in tracking delivery against the Statement of Strategy and Programme for Government. The Departmental Action Plan sets out over 200 priority actions to be delivered across the Department this year under each of the six high-level goals, outcomes and outputs of the Statement of Strategy. Each action is accompanied by a timeframe for delivery and a business unit owner. Progress on each action under the Departmental Action Plan is closely monitored and reviewed regularly by me, Ministers of State Richmond and Byrne and the Department's Management Board, throughout the year.
Business Planning is an essential component of my Department’s work in delivering commitments under the Programme for Government. Annual business plans for each business unit set out the key objectives and actions that will contribute to the delivery of the high-level goals in the Statement of Strategy and relevant Programme for Government commitments. As part of the business planning process, business units set targets and identify relevant key performance indicators to assess delivery.
Delivery on Programme for Government commitments is also documented annually in the Department's Annual Reports, which highlight main achievements under the Statement of Strategy in a given year.
I would also refer the Deputy to my reply to PQ 28658/26, which outlines progress made on individual Programme for Government commitments, as of April 2026, on which my Department leads, co-leads or plays a significant role.
230. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if Ireland has committed any emergency funding or humanitarian aid to the World Health Organisation or affected communities in response to the recent declaration of a public health emergency of international concern regarding the Ebola outbreak in Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo; the amount and nature of such support; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38943/26]
View answer232. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the level of Irish bilateral or multilateral support being provided to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and local health authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to strengthen contact tracing, laboratory capacity, and infection control in response to the current Ebola outbreak; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38947/26]
View answer234. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if she will provide an update on Ireland’s contribution to global efforts to develop or procure treatments and vaccines for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, in view of reports that existing countermeasures may be less effective against this variant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38950/26]
View answer235. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the diplomatic steps Ireland is taking, through the EU or UN, to encourage regional coordination between the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and neighbouring states to prevent further cross-border transmission of Ebola following the PHEIC declaration; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38951/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 230, 232, 234 and 235 together.
On the 17 May, the outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda was designated a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) by the World Health Organisation.
As a member state of the World Health Organisation and a state party to the 2005 International Health Regulations (IHR), Ireland participated actively in the process to negotiate a comprehensive package of amendments to the IHR, which was adopted by consensus during the World Health Assembly in 2024. In the event of public health threats, IHR processes support strong national, regional, and global collaboration on information sharing, notification, and contact tracing. The Regulations facilitate science- and evidence-based action to support containment, infection prevention and control, and treatment.
We commend the leadership demonstrated by the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda in taking urgent steps to contain this Ebola outbreak, including their adherence to IHR principles. We take note of the IHR Emergency Committee recommendations for State Parties such as Ireland which are assessed as at low-risk, including that no country should close its borders or place any restrictions on travel and trade.
The current outbreak is the seventeenth confirmed occurrence of Ebola in DRC since 1976, and, the second PHEIC designation for an outbreak originating in the Ituri province of DRC. The presence of the rare Bundibugyo subtype is amongst the contributing factors in the designation of emergency status. Vaccines and treatment protocols exist for the Zaire subtype of the Ebola virus. However it is not yet known if these will be effective against the Bundibugyo variant. Africa CDC and WHO technical experts are working on a coordinated response. While the assessment of clinical options is on-going, the response is strongly oriented towards containment, infection prevention and control, and, the protection of essential health services.
We are continuing to monitor the outbreak through our Embassies in Africa and our participation in the World Health Assembly in Geneva. We are supporting the processes for information sharing, coordinated action, and timely response.
So far in 2026, we have approved €3,000,000 in un-earmarked funding for the WHO General Programme of Work. This supports the WHO’s health protection function, including the detection of and response to infectious disease outbreaks such as Ebola. An additional contribution of €2,000,000 has been approved for the WHO Contingency Fund for Emergencies. This mechanism ensures WHO technical teams can respond rapidly to public health threats. Some €3,300,000 has already been released from the Contingency Fund to support the government-led operational response in DRC and Uganda. Through our bilateral aid programme, Ireland provided €1,000,000 in funding in 2025 to support the WHO and the Ugandan Ministry of Health to strengthen surveillance, laboratory, and infection prevention and control capacities, as part of a response to Uganda's seventh confirmed outbreak of Ebola last year, and in preparation for future outbreaks.
The Government is a strong supporter of Gavi, the international vaccine alliance. We have provided €4,400,000 in un-earmarked funding to Gavi this year. Gavi is responsible for financing the global stockpile of Ebola vaccines. The stockpile ensures vaccines arrive within days of a confirmed outbreak and was instrumental in the rapid containment of the 16th outbreak of Ebola in DRC in 2025. Gavi is standing by to release pre-positioned stocks in DRC.
231. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if she will report on the safety and evacuation plans for any Irish citizens, diplomats, or aid workers currently in the Democratic Republic of the Congo amid the escalating Ebola outbreak; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38945/26]
View answer233. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if her Department has assessed any potential impact on Irish international development programmes or NGOs operating in Central Africa due to the Ebola outbreak in Ituri Province, particularly regarding the protection of vulnerable children and education services in affected areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38948/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 231 and 233 together.
The World Health Organisation has declared the outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
Irish Embassy officials in Uganda and Tanzania and relevant teams at HQ in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade are monitoring the outbreak closely and participating in coordination and planning meetings with the relevant international and national health and other authorities.
Our Embassies in Uganda and in Tanzania, which has responsibility for the DRC, are liaising with local partners and other donors across the affected regions. This includes regular contact with European Union Delegations and with EU Member State Embassies present in the DRC capital, Kinshasa, including in relation to joint crisis planning procedures that would be deployed in the event that an evacuation was deemed necessary. The two Embassies are also in regular contact with, and providing advice and updates, to Irish citizens in the affected regions in the DRC and Uganda. The Embassies have also updated, and are keeping under review, travel advice for both affected countries.
Ireland has a number of civil society partners delivering development and humanitarian programming in central Africa, and in particular in the most affected country, the DRC, where our funding supports development initiatives in health, nutrition, human rights and education. Humanitarian programmes are also responding to the needs arising from ongoing conflict in DRC, particularly in the North and South Kivu Provinces, and to those affected by natural disasters.
Irish NGOs with programmes in Uganda and the DRC, supported by Irish Aid funding, include Concern, Christian Aid, World Vision, Oxfam, Trócaire, GOAL and Gorta/Self Help Africa. Officials are maintaining close contact with the partner organisations on the situation on the ground.
Ireland commends the leadership demonstrated by the DRC and Uganda in taking the urgent steps needed to seek to contain this outbreak, including an openness and adherence to International Health Regulations principles.
So far in 2026, Ireland has approved €3 million in un-earmarked funding for the WHO’s General Programme of Work. This is used to support the WHO’s health protection function, specifically for the detection of and response to infectious disease outbreaks, including this Ebola one. An additional contribution of €2 million has also been approved for the WHO Contingency Fund for Emergencies. This Emergency Fund has released €3.3 million to support the government-led operational response in the DRC and in Uganda in relation to infection prevention and control. Through our bilateral aid programme in Uganda, we provided €1 million in funding in 2025 to support the WHO and the Ugandan Ministry of Health to strengthen surveillance, laboratory, and infection prevention and control capacities, as part of a response to the country’s seventh confirmed outbreak of Ebola last year, and in preparation for future outbreaks like the current one.
The Department will continue to monitor developments closely and maintain contact with Irish citizens across the region.
236. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if her attention has been drawn to a passport application (details supplied); the actions she will take to expedite this application; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38957/26]
View answerWith regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service has issued the passport to the applicant.
237. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the steps she will take to guarantee the protection and safe return of Irish citizens (details supplied), illegally abducted while on board a Gaza bound flotilla in international waters off the coast of Cyprus by the IDA; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38980/26]
View answer259. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to provide details of Ireland's response to the latest attacks on the global Sumud Flotilla, which currently has a number of Irish citizens onboard; the engagement her Department has had to ensure their safe release; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39291/26]
View answer260. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the actions being taken to ensure citizens such as a person (details supplied) are being released from Israeli custody after their vessel, part of the Global Summud Flotilla, was detained by the IDF; if her Department has been in contact with any Irish citizens who have been detained; the response the Government will take to sanction Israel for detaining Irish citizens in international water; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39362/26]
View answer267. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to provide details of Ireland's response to the latest attacks on the Global Sumud Flotilla, which currently has a number of Irish citizens onboard; the engagement her Department has had to ensure their safe release; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39703/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 237, 259, 260 and 267 together.
I am aware of the recent Israeli operation on 18-19 May to intercept vessels participating in the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters to the southwest of Cyprus. This was the second such operation and resulted in the detention of 14 Irish citizens.
As I am sure you are aware, I condemned the interception of vessels in international waters, and called on the Israeli authorities to release all Irish citizens detained, and to uphold their obligations under international law to ensure the safety and welfare of all those on board the Flotilla.
I am appalled by the treatment of illegally detained participants of the Global Sumud Flotilla, including Irish citizens. The Taoiseach has written to the President of the European Council to express his grave concern about the shocking treatment of EU citizens. Ireland has also been clear over many months on the need for action at EU level in response to egregious Israeli breaches of human rights and international law.
At my instruction, Ireland’s Ambassador to Israel demanded immediate assurances that the welfare and wellbeing of all Irish citizens be safeguarded, that they would be treated with dignity and respect, and that they be afforded all the protections that they are entitled to under international law.
I can assure you that throughout this period, officials from my Department, in particular teams from our embassies in the region, were in regular contact with the relevant local authorities to advocate for the safety and wellbeing of all those detained. Officials from the Embassy of Ireland to Israel were present on the ground to seek consular access at the detention centre, and later at the airport ahead of the deportation of our citizens and other detainees.
I am pleased to confirm that all our citizens arrived in Istanbul on Thursday, 21 May, where they were met by a consular team from the Irish Embassy to Turkiye, which offered them all appropriate consular assistance and support.
I can further assure you that consular officers in Dublin were also in direct and continuous contact with the Ireland-based Flotilla organisers, and with the families of all those detained.
I am pleased to confirm that all our citizens have since returned home, either to Ireland, or to their place of usual residence. Eleven of the 14 originally detained arrived safely in Dublin on Saturday 23 May.
I can assure you that throughout this process, the safety and wellbeing of our citizens was my primary concern.
