Peadar Tóibín
Ceist:18. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Taoiseach the amount spent by his Department on traditional and online advertising in each of the past ten years, and to date in 2024. [37629/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraDepartmental Advertising
Ceisteanna (18)
Freagraí scríofa
The table below details expenditure by the Department of the Taoiseach on advertising from 2015 to September 2024.
As set out below, most advertising expenditure occurred in 2020, 2021 and 2022 and relates to public information campaigns during COVID-19, which played a vital role in communicating the various strands of the pandemic including the supports made available by Government.
|
Year |
Amount |
|
2015 |
€53,666 |
|
2016 |
€21,815 |
|
2017 |
€40,616 |
|
2018 |
€1,895,673 |
|
2019 |
€33,659 |
|
2020 |
€17,045,754 |
|
2021 |
€11,601,472 |
|
2022 |
€1,798,829 |
|
2023 |
€4,808 |
|
2024 (up to end September) |
€14,138 |
Cabinet Committees
Ceisteanna (19)
Bernard Durkan
Ceist:19. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on Northern Ireland will next meet. [39167/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Cabinet Committee on Northern Ireland was created on 10 April 2024 to oversee implementation of programme for Government commitments and ongoing developments related to Northern Ireland.
Its membership comprises me as Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence, and the Ministers for the Environment, Climate and Communications and Transport, Justice, Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, Finance, and Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Other Ministers and Ministers of State are invited to participate as required.
It met on 4 July 2024 and discussed recent developments in Northern Ireland, the Shared Island initiative, and the Omagh Bombing Inquiry. The date of its next meeting is not confirmed.
Issues related to Northern Ireland are also discussed at Cabinet and in bilateral meetings I regularly have.
On 13 September I hosted the 28th Plenary meeting of the North South Ministerial Council in Dublin Castle. Ministers on both sides emphasised the importance of North-South co-operation and discussed the substantive work undertaken across each of the twelve work sectors of the NSMC since the last plenary meeting.
At our September meeting in Farmleigh, Prime Minister Starmer and I discussed our shared commitment as co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement, and our ambition for greater opportunity, economic prosperity and reconciliation across these islands to include and benefit Northern Ireland. We also agreed to initiate a series of annual leader-level Summits, with the first to take place in spring 2025.
Cabinet Committees
Ceisteanna (20)
Cian O'Callaghan
Ceist:20. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on Government co-ordination will next meet. [39723/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The next meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Government Co-ordination is scheduled for Tuesday, 29 October 2024.
Questions Nos. 21 and 22 resubmitted.
Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements
Ceisteanna (23, 24, 25)
Richard Boyd Barrett
Ceist:23. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach to report on his visit to the United States and his meeting with President Biden. [41379/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra
Paul Murphy
Ceist:24. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Taoiseach to report on his visit to the United States and his meeting with President Biden. [41382/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraBernard Durkan
Ceist:25. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Taoiseach to report on any recent discussions he has had with other world leaders in connection with the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. [41444/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 23 to 25, inclusive, together.
I visited Washington D.C. earlier this month to mark 100 years of diplomatic relations between Ireland and the United States. This is an especially important landmark, as the United States was the first international partner to recognise the fledgling Irish State.
My planned programme included a meeting at the White House and a reception to mark the anniversary, as well as a number of other engagements including a meeting with USAID Administrator, Samantha Power, an address at Georgetown University to mark 100 years, an economic engagement with the US Chamber of Commerce, and a number of political and related meetings.
Unfortunately, the reception in the White House had to be cancelled as the President was naturally and rightly focussed on the immediate risk to a number of States posed by Hurricane Milton. My meeting with the President, however, went ahead as planned, as did other elements of my programme.
Our meeting was substantial, and our discussion focussed on the strong connections between our two countries, and the continuing importance of the relationship.
We discussed developments in Northern Ireland, and I thanked the President for his strong personal commitment to the peace process throughout his career.
I raised the issue of the undocumented Irish in the United States, which is a priority for our Embassy in Washington.
On international issues we discussed the war in Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East.
We agreed the need to continue to support Ukraine until a just and lasting peace, based on the principles of the United Nations Charter, can be secured.
On the Middle East, and especially the desperate situation in Gaza, I conveyed to the President the strong views of the Irish people and Government, and the need to see an immediate end to the indiscriminate death and destruction. I expressed to him my view that while Israel has the right to self-defence, it must always exercise it in keeping with international law.
What we have seen in the past year has not been proportionate, has not provided adequate protection for civilians, and has not allowed adequate access for humanitarian assistance and for humanitarian workers. Civilian deaths, especially among children, have been indefensibly high, and a whole generation has been traumatised in a way with will stay with them for the rest of their lives.
I thanked the President for his efforts and those of his Administration to bring about a ceasefire that can facilitate the return of hostages and the surging of aid into Gaza.
We also discussed the escalation of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the urgent need for a ceasefire to protect the civilian population.
I expressed my concern about the safety of our UN peacekeepers serving with UNIFIL, especially given the unprecedented attacks by Israel on UNIFIL installations. The President shared my concern in that regard.
I have also had a number of recent engagements with world Leaders, including during my attendance at the United Nations High-Level week in New York last month.
The situation in the Middle East was a particular focus of my visit, and I had meetings with the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas; King Abdullah II of Jordan; and the Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres.
I have also spoken to the Secretary General in the period since to express my concern about the situation in Lebanon and our support for UNIFIL and for the operations of the United Nations and its agencies in the wider region.
I spoke by phone to the Prime Minister of Lebanon, Najib Mikati, on 1 October to hear directly from him about the worsening situation on the ground and to ask how Ireland can be of assistance in ending the conflict.
I spoke with President Herzog of Israel on 14 October to convey our condolences to the Israeli people on the anniversary of 7 October and to raise with him directly our concerns about the situation in Gaza and in Lebanon, including the need to respect the role and mandate of peacekeepers at all times.
The situation in the Middle East was also discussed at the EU-Gulf Cooperation Council Summit held in Brussels on 16 October, which also considered bilateral relations between the two regions.
It was also discussed at the meeting of the European Council on 17 October.
I took the opportunity to exchange views with Prime Minister Meloni of Italy and Prime Minister Sanchez of Spain, who have also a large number of troops deployed with UNIFIL.
The European Council condemned in the strongest terms the unacceptable attacks by the Israeli Defence Forces against UNIFIL which must stop immediately.
The European Council again called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, a hostage deal and a surge in unhindered humanitarian assistance. It also called for a ceasefire in Lebanon and for all sides to respect UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
I reiterated the need to use all levers at our disposal to bring about this, repeating my call for a review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement which has only become more pressing in light of the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice of July on Israel’s occupation of Palestinian Territories.
Finally, I was pleased to meet with the President of Vietnam, T Lm, on 3 October during his State Visit to Ireland. We discussed the enormous potential to strengthen relations between our countries and we oversaw signature of a Strategic Partnership on Higher Education by Minister O’Donovan and his Vietnamese counterpart. We also discussed international issues including Ukraine and the Middle East.
Question No. 24 answered with Question No. 23.
Question No. 25 answered with Question No. 23.
Questions Nos. 26 to 28, inclusive, resubmitted.