To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the annual average cost of maintaining an embassy and consulate respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
- Darragh O'Brien. * For WRITTEN answer on Tuesday, 20th June, 2017. Ref No: 27109/17 Order: 616 REPLY The Department is responsible for two Votes – Vote 28 (Foreign Affairs and Trade) and Vote 27 (International Cooperation). The work of our embassy and consulate network around the world continues to be important in Ireland’s economic recovery and the restoration of our international reputation. Our Embassies’ work in support of Ireland’s interests includes: Promoting Ireland as a source of high-quality exports, a destination for investment, research, study and tourism to targeted audiences and contacts. Supporting trade missions and other trade-focussed high-level visits, record numbers of which have taken place in the last five years. Directly assisting Irish companies with advice, introductions and working to resolve regulatory or market access issues, in partnership with Enterprise Ireland. Providing frontline consular and passport services to Irish citizens overseas. Influencing and negotiating for Ireland on issues that could impact our interests and priorities. The average cost of running an Embassy in 2016 was just over €1m while the average cost of a Consulate in the same year was €930k. In consideration of these figures regards has to be taken to the range of Embassies from a one person operation such as Riga in Latvia to much larger scale Embassies such as London. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the expenditure on the passport office service; the cost of maintaining offices in counties Cork and Dublin; the number of staff employed in the service; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
- Darragh O'Brien. * For WRITTEN answer on Tuesday, 20th June, 2017. Ref No: 27110/17 Order: 617 REPLY The cost of operating the Passport Service in 2016 was €31.6 million. Revenue from passport book and card fees in the same period amounted to €46.9m. Any properties occupied by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in the State are rented and maintained by the Office of Public Works. As of 1 January 2017, 301.7 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff permanently employed by my Department were assigned to the Passport Service. In addition, the Passport Service has received sanction for 230 Temporary Clerical Officers (TCOs) for 26 weeks in 2017. The number employed at any given time fluctuates as recruitment is phased and TCOs may terminate their employment in order to take up other positions. It is expected that close to the full sanction of TCO weeks will be used this year. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the financial contributions made by his department to date in 2017 to assist in the ongoing refugee crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
- Darragh O'Brien. * For WRITTEN answer on Tuesday, 20th June, 2017. Ref No: 27111/17 Order: 618 REPLY There are currently more than 65 million people displaced from their homes worldwide, a greater number than at any time since the Second World War. More than 21 million are refugees and more than half of all refugees are children. A further 41 million people are internally displaced inside their own countries. Ireland partners with two of the UN agencies most closely involved in addressing the urgent needs of refugees and displaced people globally: UNHCR and UNICEF. By the end of the first quarter of 2017, we had provided €7.5 million in core support to both UNHCR and UNICEF. Early disbursement of core funding to UN organisations provides them with the financial basis to plan their responses for the year ahead. Ireland has provided a total of €36.8 million in core support to UNHCR since 2012 and €46.2 million to UNICEF. Ireland’s humanitarian funding to our UN, Red Cross and Red Crescent, and NGO partners enables them to continue to respond to the critical and growing needs of refugees in crisis situations. These include Syrian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey, South Sudanese refugees in Ethiopia and Uganda, Burundian refugees in Tanzania, and Central African refugees in Chad and DRC. Through our contributions to EU institutions, Ireland also supports the EU’s comprehensive humanitarian response to the needs of forcibly displaced populations, which in 2015 alone amounted to more than €1 billion. In addition, over the period 2016-2019, Ireland will contribute almost €23 million to the EU’s Facility for Refugees in Turkey, which aims to meet immediate humanitarian needs of Syrian refugees and to bring about sustainable improvements in their health, education and self-reliance. Over the 2016-2020 period, Ireland will also provide €3 million to the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa, which aims to address the root causes of instability and forced displacement. Earlier this month UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, Mr. Volker Turk, visited Dublin and commended Ireland’s comprehensive response to the refugee crisis, our willingness to engage internationally on refugee issues, and our search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean. Ireland will maintain this commitment and will continue to respond to the needs of refugees globally, while contributing constructively to innovative long-term solutions to the many crises driving displacement in the world today. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the position regarding the situation between Qatar and its Gulf neighbours; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
- Darragh O'Brien. * For WRITTEN answer on Tuesday, 20th June, 2017. Ref No: 28176/17 REPLY The developing situation between Qatar and its neighbours is a matter of concern. First and foremost, it is an internal GCC matter, although it also involves other countries in the region and has wider international implications. Ireland, like all EU Member States, has interests in the crisis in so far as it has the potential to impact on citizens, commerce and regional stability. My primary concern in this situation is the Irish citizens resident in Qatar, who number almost 2,000. Ireland’s Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates is accredited to Qatar, as we do not have an Embassy there. The Ambassador travelled to Doha at the beginning of the month, where he met with Irish citizens and groups to discuss their concerns around the crisis. My Department, through Embassy Abu Dhabi and the Consular Assistance team in Dublin, will remain in contact with these citizens until the crisis has been resolved. Ireland, in tandem with its EU partners, strongly encourages mediation to resolve this crisis. The cohesion of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries is integral to the stability of the wider Arab region, and a swift resolution to the crisis is imperative to ensure this cohesion. It is my hope that the coming days will see a de-escalation of the tensions, and an early resolution. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the actions being taken at EU level regarding anti government protests in Russia; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
- Darragh O'Brien. * For WRITTEN answer on Tuesday, 20th June, 2017. Ref No: 28699/17 REPLY A series of anti-corruption protests were held in several cities across Russia on 12 June. Hundreds of peaceful protestors were detained by the authorities and subjected to violence in Moscow, Saint Petersburg and other cities. The opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, who had called for the protests was arrested and detained before he could make his way to the Moscow rally. The response of the police to the peaceful protests was heavy handed and disproportionate. The EU has expressed its deep concern at last week’s events, which threaten the fundamental freedoms of expression, association and assembly enshrined in the Russian constitution. It has called on the authorities to fully respect Russia’s international commitments to uphold these rights, and to release without delay peaceful demonstrators. This and other recent developments, including disturbing reports of the persecution of gay men in Chechnya, as well as the banning of Jehovah’s Witnesses on grounds of extremism, underline the vulnerable position of civil society activists, human rights defenders and minority groups in Russia. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the position regarding the delay being experienced by persons entering Ireland through terminal one Dublin airport due to the long queues at passport control; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
- Darragh O'Brien REPLY. I refer the Deputy to reply to Dáil Question No. 108 of 30th May last which sets out the position on the matter. A copy is reproduced below for reference. I am informed that the queues to which the Deputy refers do not arise as a result of the operation of immigration controls at Dublin Airport but are rather a consequence of other factors outside the control of the service. As regards throughput generally for incoming passengers to Dublin Airport, information supplied by the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) in relation to queue times for arriving passengers at the Airport shows that over 90% of all travellers are processed through immigration control in a matter of minutes, with the percentage figure being even higher for passengers of EU nationalities. This is in the context of passenger numbers at Dublin Airport reaching record levels last year with almost 28 million passengers using the Airport. However, there are specific pressure points outside of the control of the immigration authorities that can create some delay. Typically, this arises when a very high number of flights arrive within a specific time period (which happens at Terminal 1 in the late evening period) and the consequent increased passenger numbers within these peak times, can impact on queuing times over these periods. This situation is compounded when, in addition to scheduled arrivals, delayed flights also land during these peak periods. Additional staff have been recruited for the Airport and the allocation of immigration personnel is designed to have the maximum number of staff on duty during these peak periods so that all available immigration booths are operational at these times. The number of available booths is a function of the physical infrastructure at the Terminal. Every effort is made by immigration officers to exercise their function as speedily as possible consistent with the requirement to protect our borders and facilitate legitimate travellers. While the immigration authorities at Dublin Airport have no control over the number of flights or their arrival times, they have an excellent relationship with the Dublin Airport Authority and air carriers and work closely together across a number of fronts to address capacity and queue management issues where they arise, to alleviate congestion and maximise passenger throughput thus ensuring that waiting times are kept to a minimum. I might add that a procurement exercise has been recently completed for the deployment of a permanent electronic-Gate facility at Dublin Airport. The new electronic Gates are expected to be available for use by passengers in the Autumn. However, while the introduction of the electronic gates should contribute overall to increased immigration processing capacity, the facility is primarily an immigration control facility rather than a queue management tool aimed at addressing spikes in passenger arrivals. The number of public service cards that have been issued to date; the number awaiting to be issued2/6/2017
To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of public service cards that have been issued to date; the number awaiting to be issued; if he will ensure that all public service cards will be issued in a timely manner in order that there will be no delay for those applying for a passport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. - Darragh O'Brien.
Question No: 116 Ref No: 25614/17 To the Minister for Social Protection To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of public service cards that have been issued to date; the number awaiting to be issued; if he will ensure that all public service cards will be issued in a timely manner in order that there will be no delay for those applying for a passport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. - Darragh O'Brien. * For WRITTEN answer on Thursday 1st June, 2017. R E P L Y Minister for Social Protection (Leo Varadkar T.D.): The number of Public Services Cards (PSC) issued to date is approx. 2.6 million. The number of PSCs currently going through the system is approx. 10,000. It typically takes about fifteen minutes for a person to register and authenticate their identity to get a PSC. There are 100 registration locations nationwide. For the majority of these a person can book an appointment within 24 hours or, providing they have the relevant documentation, they can be dealt with on a walk-in basis. It takes 5-7 working days for a person to receive their PSC in the post once they complete the registration process. New adult passport applicants are already required to have a PSC. This requirement is being extended to persons renewing their passport from later this year. People who need a PSC to renew their passport should seek to register for one well in advance of their passport renewal so as to minimise the potential for delay. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy. ENDS To ask the Minister for Finance if he has formally raised at EU level the need for an EU fund to be established to assist countries and particular sectors most exposed to the negative impacts of Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
REPLY. The Government has published a comprehensive document on ‘Ireland and the negotiations on the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union under Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union’ on 2 May 2017. Our priorities are clear: minimising the impact on trade and the economy, protecting the Northern Ireland Peace Process, maintaining the Common Travel Area and influencing the future of the European Union. The Government is clear and determined that all possible preparations will be made ahead of the UK leaving the EU. The Government is focused on protecting and advancing Irelands interests before, during and after these negotiations. A critical part of this work is to ensure that these priorities are heard and understood across Europe and, therefore, engagement with our EU partners and with the EU institutions is critical. The EU negotiating guidelines, approved by the special European Council (at 27 level) on 29 April 2017, include very strong acknowledgement of our unique circumstances. This is a positive outcome showing that the Government’s extensive political, diplomatic and official campaign of recent months has been effective in ensuring understanding and recognition of our unique circumstances and specific issues. Our Brexit preparations include detailed engagement with the European Commission, where we have made them aware that Brexit is already having an impact on the Irish economy, and of the disproportionate consequences posed by Brexit to the Irish economy overall in comparison to other Member States. In the context of Brexit, it is more important than ever that the EU continues to support economic growth and employment, and those Irish businesses most affected by Brexit. The Government document sets out Ireland’s approach to the EU-UK negotiations including the economic implications. As stated therein, the Government will explore existing and possible future EU measures that could potentially assist in mitigating the effects of the UK’s withdrawal on specific Irish businesses and economic sectors while also, in the light of developments, making a strong case at EU level, that Brexit represents a serious disturbance to the Irish economy overall and that we will require support. (The annex to the document details Government actions taken to date to support business and the economy.) The Deputy should also be aware that the issue of investment funding, in the context of the Brexit challenges facing the Irish economy, is the subject of ongoing discussions with the European Investment Bank (EIB). The Government will continue to engage with EU partners to ensure that Ireland’s concerns and priorities continue to be reflected In the EU’s negotiating position as it evolves. |
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