Tuesday, 16 May 2023

Written Answers Nos. 124-138

Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements

Questions (124)

Mary Lou McDonald

Question:

124. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Taoiseach when he will publish his diary for quarter 1 2023 on the website of his Department. [22645/23]

Written answers

The Taoiseach

The Taoiseach's diary for quarter 1 of 2023 has been published and is available on the Department's website at www.gov.ie/en/collection/e0fb8-taoiseachs-diary/.

Equality Issues

Questions (125)

Frankie Feighan

Question:

125. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Taoiseach the proportion of the labour force that is currently made up of people with disabilities. [22248/23]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach

The exact information requested by the Deputy is not available.

The Labour Force Survey (LFS) is a household survey which provides quarterly statistics on employment and unemployment and is the official source of labour market estimates in the State. The classification of employment status in LFS results is determined according to ILO (International Labour Organisation) concepts and definitions.

A question on disability status (whether a person has a long-standing health problem that limits the activities that they perform) is currently asked of LFS respondents every two years in line with Eurostat guidance. The most recent figures available for persons with a disability in the labour force (using the criteria above) are for 2022.

The figures in Table 1 are based on the criteria described above and ILO employment definitions for persons of working age (15-64 years old).

In 2022, 162,200 persons were in employment and were recorded as having some or severe limitation on activities performed due to long-term health issues. This accounts for 6.6% of all persons in employment.

Persons aged 15-64 years by ILO status and disability status, 2022

Employed		'000	%
Severely limited	20.2	0.8
Limited but not severely	142.0	5.8
Not limited at all	2136.5	87.5
Not stated	142.9	5.9
All	2441.6	100.0
Unemployed	Severely limited	*	1.4
Limited but not severely	14.3	12.2
Not limited at all	95.9	81.9
Not stated	*	4.5
All	117.1	100.0
Inactive	Severely limited	79.0	10.1
Limited but not severely	121.8	15.6
Not limited at all	525.5	67.2
Not stated	56.1	7.2
All	782.4	100.0
Total persons	Severely limited	100.7	3.0
Limited but not severely	278.2	8.3
Not limited at all	2757.9	82.5
Not stated	204.3	6.1
All	3341.1	100.0

Source: Labour Force Survey (LFS), Central Statistics Office, Ireland

Data may be subject to future revision.
Data may be subject to sampling or other survey errors, which are greater in respect of smaller values or estimates of change.
Please see background notes of the LFS release for additional information.
Estimates for number of persons, where there are less than 30 persons in a cell, are too small to be considered reliable. These estimates are presented with an asterisk (*) in the relevant tables.

Commissions of Investigation

Questions (126)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

126. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Taoiseach if he will provide a schedule of the amounts paid to three independent experts by a commission (details supplied) since it was formed, to date, including the amount by year and expert name. [22795/23]

Written answers

The Taoiseach

The IBRC Commission of Investigation engaged four independent experts to assist it in its work. Details of the amounts paid to each to date are set out in the table beneath.

	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022
John Goodwin	€83,947.50	€156,456.00	€123,984.00	€251,742.00	€230,113.50	€192,802.50
Aileen Keoghan	€0.00	€0.00	€40,202.55	€34,132.50	€73,019.70	€15,682.50
Mary Gara (aka Gara Ryan)	€0.00	€0.00	€0.00	€23,523.75	€47,970.00	€7,195.50
Clifford Forster	€102,815.39	€43,265.26	€50,783.63	€50,162.13	€0.00	€0.00

Mr. Goodwin and Mr. Forster were paid €150 per hour up to a maximum of €750 per diem. Ms Keogan and Ms. Gara were paid €300 per hour up to a maximum of €750 per diem.

Social Media

Questions (127)

Holly Cairns

Question:

127. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Taoiseach the percentage of social media posts made on each of his Departmental social media accounts or the social media accounts of public bodies and agencies that operate under his remit that were exclusively in Irish between 1 May 2022 and 30 April 2023, inclusive; and the percentage of same that feature bilingual translations. [23038/23]

Written answers

The Taoiseach

The information sought by the Deputy in relation to the Department of the Taoiseach and the National Economic and Social Development Office (NESDO) - which incorporates the National Economic and Social Council (NESC) - is set out in the tables below.

Percentage of organic content posted on MerrionStreet.ie social media accounts either exclusively in Irish or bilingual

Channel	Total no. of posts (1st May 2022 – 30th April 2023)	No. of posts exclusively in Irish	% of posts exclusively in Irish	No. of bilingual posts	% of posts that are bilingual
Facebook	354	51	14.41%	8	2.26%
Twitter	809	74	9.15%	4	0.49%
Instagram	327	43	13.15%	8	2.45%
LinkedIn	192	23	11.98%	5	2.60%
TikTok	32	0	0%	0	0%

Paid campaigns run by other Departments via MerrionStreet.ie social media accounts

Department	Campaign	Date Range	% of content in Irish	Channel(s)
				Facebook
Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment	Employment Rights	14/11/2022 - 07/12/2022	50%	Instagram
				Facebook
Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment	Small Companies Administrative Rescue Process (SCARP)	14/11/2022 – 05/12/2022	10%	Instagram
Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage	Electoral Modernisation	07/12/2022 – 28/11/2022	0%	TikTok
				Facebook
Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment	Energy Support	06/12/2022 – 30/01/2023	50%	Instagram
				Facebook
Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment	National Minimum Wage	19/12/22 - 22/01/2022	25%	Instagram
				Facebook
Department of Transport	E10 Awareness	27/03/2023 – to date	20%	Instagram

Percentage of content posted on the National Economic and Social Council social media accounts either exclusively in Irish or bilingual

Channel	Total no. of posts (1st May 2022 – 30th April 2023)	No. of posts exclusively in Irish	% of posts exclusively in Irish	No. of bilingual posts	% of posts that are bilingual
Facebook	3	0	0%	0	0%
Twitter	38	0	0%	0	0%
Instagram	1	0	0%	0	0%
LinkedIn	12	0	0%	0	0%
TikTok	N/A	0	0%	0	0%

Equality Issues

Questions (128)

Holly Cairns

Question:

128. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Taoiseach how his Department and public bodies and agencies that operate under his remit meet their obligations for reasonable accommodation under the Employment Equality Acts 1998-2015. [23056/23]

Written answers

The Taoiseach

My Department and the National Economic and Social Development Office (NESDO) - the body under my Department's aegis - actively support diversity and inclusion in the workplace including the employment of people with disabilities and the provision of reasonable accommodations to employees where required.

Recruitment to my Department and NESDO is, in the main, undertaken through the Public Appointments Service which plays a central role in recruiting diverse talent to take up public service employment opportunities. Their Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2021-2023 aims to develop recruitment and selection processes to attract and welcome candidates from diverse backgrounds.

For the past number of years, my Department has actively participated in AHEAD’s Willing, Able, Mentoring Programme, a graduate internship opportunity for persons with a disability.

My Department and NESDO follow the Code of Practice for the Employment of People with a Disability in the Irish Civil Service in relation to raising disability awareness, providing workplace supports, the provision of training and career progression.

My Department has a designated Disability Liaison Officer (DLO) with a specific brief to provide training, support and guidance to managers and staff for the provision of reasonable accommodations. New staff are made aware of the existence and role of the DLO at induction. My Department acts on advice from the Civil Service Occupational Health Department on workplace accommodations necessary for the successful integration of employees who have disabilities / medical conditions and on the workplace rehabilitation of staff who are on sick leave including the provision of temporary accommodations.

Air Corps

Questions (129, 138)

Peadar Tóibín

Question:

129. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if Ireland contributes financially to the RAF air defence arrangement with the UK; if so, the percentage and total funding allocated to this arrangement from Ireland's defence budget annually; if he will provide a breakdown for each of the past ten years of the percentage and total amount spent, in tabular form; the total amount the State has contributed to the UK financially since the start of this arrangement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23147/23]

Matt Carthy

Question:

138. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if the Government secured legal advice that an agreement with the British government in respect of the operation of RAF aircraft in Irish airspace did not require Oireachtas approval; when such advice was last received; if there are plans to seek updated advice on the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22476/23]

Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs

I propose to take Questions Nos. 129 and 138 together.

The long-standing position of successive Irish governments is that we do not comment on specific national security matters. Ireland's security and defence policies are conducted with full respect for Irish sovereign decision-making authority and for our policy of military neutrality. They are also fully in accordance with Irish and international law.

International Relations

Questions (130)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

Question:

130. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has spoken with the Spanish Ambassador to Ireland to date in 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22389/23]

Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs

Diplomatic relations were established between Ireland and Spain in August 1935, and bilateral relations between Spain and Ireland are strong. The current Spanish Ambassador to Ireland, Ambassador Ion de la Riva, has been in post since October 2022. He succeeded Ambassador Ildefonso Castro, who served in Ireland from 2018.

While I have not had any formal bilateral meetings with the Ambassador so far this year, my officials regularly engage with the Ambassador and his Embassy colleagues on a range of EU and other issues including in respect of the forthcoming Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2023. A number of Ministerial visits to Spain have also taken place this year and the Taoiseach also welcomed Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to Dublin on 2 March 2023.

Passport Services

Questions (131, 132)

James Lawless

Question:

131. Deputy James Lawless asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will expedite passports (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22404/23]

Pearse Doherty

Question:

132. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will ensure that two passports will be processed on time for the date of travel for siblings (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22432/23]

Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs

I propose to take Questions Nos. 131 and 132 together.

With regard to the specific applications about which the Deputies have enquired, these applications are within the current turnaround times and have not yet reached their issue by date

Question No. 132 answered with Question No. 131.

Passport Services

Questions (133, 137)

Carol Nolan

Question:

133. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the total number of passports issued to applicants at addresses within the State in each year from 2010 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22448/23]

Matt Carthy

Question:

137. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the average length of time it currently takes to check the validity of documents in relation to a passport application; the rules or targets related to such; when such rules or targets were adopted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22460/23]

Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs

I propose to take Questions Nos. 133 and 137 together.

My Department is currently in the busiest season for passport applications, as citizens prepare for their upcoming summer travel plans. Thanks to operational and staffing plans implemented by my Department, the Passport Service is successfully responding to the current high demand, and has issued over 420,000 passports to date this year. All turnaround times are at their target level and there are no backlogs. The Customer Service Hub is responding to over 3,000 queries per day.

Applications which required supporting documents go through a number of stages during their processing time. The checking of documents to determine their validity is just one of these stages. The time it takes to check the validity of documents associated with an application varies as more complex applications require additional documentation and so can take longer. Other factors include what jurisdiction the document has come from and whether it is an original or a photocopy.

There are no targets for this specific part of the application process, rather there is a set target for the full processing time for an application, from receipt of supporting documents to date of passport issuance. The processing times outlined below are all in line with current targets:

Online simple adult renewal - 10 working days

Online child/complex adult renewal - 15 working days

Online first time application, adult or child - 20 working days

Post Passport via An Post, adult or child - 8 weeks

Over the past 18 months, the Passport Service has been actively working to reduce the number of original documents required for a passport application, and very positive changes have been introduced in this regard. Parents are no longer required to submit their original Irish passport for a child's application, as photocopies are accepted. Certified copies are now accepted for Naturalisation certificates and Foreign Birth Registration certificates, meaning these original documents also no longer need to be submitted. Applicants applying on the basis of Naturalisation or Foreign Birth Registration are no longer required to submit their original passport from their country of origin, provided they can submit another form of government issued photographic identification, such as a certified copy of their driver's licence or a copy of their Public Services Card.

Since 1st April this year, thanks to an integration with the General Register Office (GRO), a significant cohort of first time applicants born in Ireland no longer need to submit their original birth certificate. Since then over 9,000 birth records have been retrieved digitally.

The number of passports issued within the State in each year from 2010 to date are outlined below in tabular form.

Year	Passports issued within the State
2010	508,589
2011	519,396
2012	521,800
2013	514,904
2014	493,770
2015	555,227
2016	607,014
2017	630,727
2018	600,909
2019	620,457
2020	288,992
2021	470,490
2022	794,414
2023 to date	314,568

International Relations

Questions (134)

Matt Carthy

Question:

134. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on his and his Department’s recent engagements with the Belarusian government, including with embassy officials; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22457/23]

Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs

I have not met with Belarusian government representatives since taking up the role of Minister for Foreign Affairs. Belarus is accredited to Ireland through its Embassy in London. Ireland does not operate an Embassy in Minsk. Ireland’s Embassy in Vilnius covers Belarus, but since 2020 no Irish Ambassador has been accredited to Minsk. There have been no meetings between the Embassy and the Belarus Government since the fraudulent elections of 2020.

Ireland, along with our EU partners has consistently condemned the actions of the regime since the fraudulent 2020 Presidential election and the brutal crackdown that followed, and have supported extensive EU sanctions against the Lukashenko regime.

We continue to speak out at the EU and multilateral levels to condemn and hold the regime to account. At the Human Rights Council in March, Ireland made national statements and joined EU statements on the situation in Belarus, and supported the extension of the mandate of the High Commissioner to continue to investigate the situation for one year.

The Government continues to support independent Belarusian civil society and media organisations to hold the regime to account, and has engaged with the leaders of the democratic movement who tirelessly advocate for the human rights of the Belarusian people, including Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. Ms Tsikhanouskaya recently visited Ireland in May 2023, during which I held a productive meeting with her. She also met with the Taoiseach, the President, and Oireachtas members amongst others. This was the second time that both the Taoiseach and I met with Ms Tsikhanouskaya this year, and we will continue our engagement with the democratic movement.

International Relations

Questions (135)

Matt Carthy

Question:

135. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will outline the sanctions that currently apply to the government of Belarus or which have been applied to individual Belarusian citizens; the actions taken by the Government to enforce such sanctions in Ireland; if further sanctions are under active consideration at an EU level; the position of the Government on such; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22458/23]

Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs

The EU condemns Belarus' involvement in Russia's unprovoked and unjustified full-scale military invasion of Ukraine. In response to the invasion, since late February, the EU has adopted a wide range of sanctions targeting both Russia and Belarus.

The measures targeting Belarus build on restrictive measures first introduced by the EU following the presidential elections in Belarus in August 2020 and the crackdown on peaceful protesters, democratic opposition and journalists that followed. The current measures in large part mirror the restrictions introduced against Russia. Restrictions have been placed on trade between the EU and Belarus, in particular on goods used for the production of tobacco, hydrocarbons, and a range of materials like potash, wood, cement, iron, steel and rubber, which generate significant revenue for the Belarusian regime.

In addition, restrictions have been imposed on exports to Belarus of dual-use goods and technology that could contribute to Belarus’ military, technological and security development. Belarusian road transport operators have been banned from transporting goods by road within the EU. A range of measures have been introduced targeting the Belarusian financial sector. Several Belarusian banks have been removed from the SWIFT financial messaging system and transactions with the Central Bank of Belarus are prohibited. Sanctions also include asset freezes and travel bans targeting Belarusian military personnel, state officials, members of the judiciary, and businesspeople.

Limits have been placed on financial inflows from Belarus to the EU, and the provision of euro banknotes to Belarus is also now prohibited, while a ban has been placed on the listing and provision of services in relation to shares of Belarusian State-owned entities in EU trading venues.

On 24 February 2023, the European Council decided to extend for a further year the restrictive measures linked to the ongoing involvement of Belarus in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the human rights situation in the country.

EU sanctions are legally binding on all natural and legal persons in Ireland and the EU. EU Council Regulations have direct effect, and must therefore be complied with in the same way as domestic Irish legislation. A Cross-Departmental International Sanctions Committee (CDISC), chaired by the Department of Foreign Affairs monitors, reviews, and coordinates the implementation, administration and exchange of information on international sanctions regimes in Ireland.

Ireland has fully supported and implemented the sanctions adopted in response to Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, including the sanctions imposed on Belarus for its role in supporting Russia in this conflict.

The EU is considering adopting further sanctions against the Lukashenko regime in response to internal repression in Belarus and the regime’s support for the war against Ukraine. Ireland is actively involved in these discussions and supports coordinated EU sanctions, and other measures including action at the UN, to hold Belarus accountable for its violations of human rights and the rule of law, and its complicity in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

International Relations

Questions (136)

Matt Carthy

Question:

136. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs his response to the detention of political activists, politically motivated trials and liquidation of non-governmental organisations in Belarus; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22459/23]

Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs

Ireland strongly condemns the human rights violations committed against the people of Belarus under the Lukashenko regime. As of 9 May, there were 1,493 political prisoners in Belarus, and there were an estimated 5,000 new politically-motivated criminal trials last year. An estimated 40,000 politically motivated arrests have been made, more than 11,000 criminal cases are under investigation and 1,249 NGOs have been closed by the regime, or are in the process of being shut down.

The recent report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights into the situation in Belarus in the run-up to the 2020 presidential election and in its aftermath found that widespread and systematic violations of international human rights law have taken place, including unlawful deprivation of life and numerous cases of arbitrary deprivation of liberty, torture and ill-treatment, as well as sexual and gender-based violence, violations of the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association, and the denial of due process and equal protection of the law. The High Commissioner reported that some of these violations may amount to crimes against humanity.

Ireland, along with our EU partners, has consistently condemned the actions of the regime, since the fraudulent 2020 Presidential election and the brutal crackdown that followed, and has engaged with Belarusian democratic leaders such as Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who have advocated for the human rights of the people of Belarus.

Ireland continues to condemn the politically motivated trials and sentencing of human rights activists and democratic leaders, and has supported extensive EU sanctions against the Lukashenko regime in response.

Ireland has also provided support to Belarusian civil society and democratic forces. In 2022, the Department of Foreign Affairs provided €150,000 to support the continued operations of Tut.by (now Zerkalo.io), one of the most popular independent online news portal for Belarus. €50,000 was provided to support the work of the International Accountability Platform for Belarus (IAPB), a coalition of independent NGOs working to collect, consolidate, verify, and preserve evidence of human rights violations. The Department recently approved a similar level of funding in 2023, including €100,000 to the European Endowment for Democracy, for projects including support for independent media,  and €50,000 to the IAPB. 

In addition, Ireland’s Embassy in Vilnius has also engaged with and supported the Belarusian democratic movement in exile in Lithuania. This has included meeting virtually with family members of political prisoners to better understand the difficulties they are facing; participating in a coordinated EU social media communications campaign to highlight the individual cases of political prisoners; regularly highlighting the activity of the Belarusian democratic movement; and hosting an event with Frontline Defenders on Human Rights Day for former political prisoner Volha Harbunova.

Question No. 137 answered with Question No. 133.

Question No. 138 answered with Question No. 129.