We dealt with this issue substantially, but I thank the Deputy for raising it. The report of the independent review group, IRG, established to examine dignity and equality issues in the Defence Forces, was published following Government approval on 28 March 2023. The Government agreed to progress the 13 recommendations contained in the report. Some actions have already been completed, while others will take further time due to the requirement for legislative change. One of the first actions taken following the publ…

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. At the informal European Council meeting on 17 June, leaders reflected on the outcome of the European Parliament elections and focused on the new EU institutional cycle, which included the position of President of the European Commission. There was an acknowledgement that the outcome of the European elections should be respected and reflected in the composition of the senior positions. President von der Leyen was the lead candidate of the European People’s Party and that p…

First, I acknowledge the Deputy's acknowledgement of President von der Leyen's role in Brexit. It should not be understated. I believe the Deputy's party was very supportive of President von der Leyen at the time in respect of the role of the Commission with regard to Brexit and its impact on Ireland, and, indeed, on Northern Ireland in particular and all of the issues relating to the Good Friday Agreement. I also make the point that, in terms of the realpolitik of Europe, the far right is complaining as well about…

President von der Leyen did not give a green light to genocide. The Deputy needs to reflect on those assertions.

When I say that the European Parliament elections should be respected and reflected in the composition of the senior positions, the bottom line is that the European People's Party was returned as the largest single political group, followed by the socialist group and the liberal group. Just as in the aftermath of a Dáil election, parties get together and make decisions. That is what has happened here. There is a balance here. It is not one side or the other. There are multiple sides in the European Union with diffe…

As we approach the tenth month of the conflict in Gaza, the utmost priority remains the need for an immediate ceasefire, the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, and full, safe and unhindered humanitarian access. I welcome the three-phase ceasefire plan outlined by President Biden at the beginning of this month. This has since been endorsed by the UN Security Council in UN Security Council Resolution 2735. The need for the international community, including the European Union, to exert meaningful pressure on …

There is no doubt that there have been breaches of international humanitarian law and it continues on a systemic basis by Israel and by Hamas. I note the Deputy has not called out Hamas in his comments. I think he should do so because it could also lay down arms right now and contribute very significantly to a ceasefire. It could release the hostages. We need to be equally strong in calling on Hamas to lay down its arms and to release the hostages. It is unconscionable that people going about their daily lives can …

I have repeatedly condemned the bombardment of Gaza. We in Ireland have taken a number of steps to move towards a political pathway and a ceasefire. We have worked with the Arab partners like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the Palestinian Authority, Jordan, Qatar and others to try to develop a peace process and a proper peace initiative. They have published that. We have engaged with them and also with the European Union to get that advanced and to support the humanitarian side of the equation. Ireland has been quite effecti…

Ireland has been steadfast in supporting the courts and upholding their jurisdiction.

I thank the Deputy for acknowledging the performance of the Passport Office and the passport service. The passport service has issued more than 625,000 passports this year. Virtually all complete passport applications are being processed within or before advertised turnaround times with the majority of adult online renewal applications issuing within two working days. There are currently no backlogs and 95% of applicants apply through passport online. The passport service is well staffed to meet the current level o…

We keep the whole service under constant review. The passport service is in third place in the Henley global passport index as it provides our citizens with visa-free access to 193 countries. We are up there as one of the best passport services in the world. We ran a multimedia campaign again this year reminding citizens to apply for their passports on time and online. The successful campaign focused on the benefits of applying online and encouraged citizens to check their passports in advance of booking foreign tr…

To be fair, the passport service has a system in place whereby applications do not go to the back of the queue, to respond to a previous question, following a request for further documents. When the passport service receives the required additional documentation from the applicant, the application is prioritised for checking and, as a result, does not go to the back of the queue. Online applications for which additional photos are requested are processed within a maximum of ten working days of receipt of the new ph…

It is not bad. People have come to us after using that one-day appointment service, in Cork, Dublin and so on, and said it has been effective.

I thank the Deputy for raising this very important issue. I am deeply concerned by the rising tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border. It is vital all parties work to de-escalate the situation. We strongly support international efforts to mediate a resolution between Israel and Hezbollah. Since October, I have raised my concerns and the need for urgent de-escalation on several occasions with regional leaders and members of the Lebanese Government, including during my visit to Lebanon in May. My Department has unde…

On citizens, our advice is clear that people should leave Lebanon. There is an ongoing danger of significant escalation. An estimated 100 Irish citizens and dependants remain in Lebanon, many of whom are long-term residents and, as I said, do not plan to leave unless the situation deteriorates significantly. If it does deteriorate significantly, in essence if there is a war between Hezbollah and Israel, our aircraft options will be very limited, by definition, because that could become a war zone very quickly. Part…

I have no updates on the procurement of that aeroplane, which is on schedule as far as I know, given that I have heard nothing to the contrary. Again, because of the nature of Lebanon and of any attack that could take place if a war happened, it seems the air option would be very limited because of the dangers and so on. The best advice, therefore, that we can give to citizens is to leave through commercial options now while they have the opportunity and to register with us, and we are continuing that outreach with…

As the first permanent international court with the power to prosecute international crimes, the ICC has a crucial role to play globally in fighting impunity for atrocity crimes. The court provides a means of bringing to account the perpetrators of these crimes. In this way, it promotes and upholds the international rule of law and contributes to the cause of international peace and justice. Ireland has consistently valued the vital role played by the ICC and has provided strong political, moral, practical and fina…

This is challenging for the court. We have long been supportive of the court. Ireland committed additional voluntary funding to the ICC of €3 million to assist it in its work across all situations, including with regard to Palestine. At the Munich security conference earlier this year I met the ICC prosecutor in respect of the challenges the prosecutor and the team face. Ireland also made a voluntary contribution of €3 million to the ICC in 2022. We also make an annual assessed contribution, which this year will be…

The EU is quite steadfast and strong in supporting the ICC and in respecting its independence. That was again very evident at the Foreign Affairs Council meeting on Monday. I make the point that, as the Deputy knows, the application for arrest warrants in respect of Prime Minister Netanyahu and defence minister Gallant has elicited a very negative reaction from Israel and the United States. As a direct response, on 3 June the US House of Representative passed the Illegitimate Court Counteraction Bill, which require…

I thank the Deputy for tabling this question. I do not propose to change the criteria for the selection of Irish ambassadors. The legislative framework for diplomatic relations is governed by the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961, an international treaty that provides a framework for diplomatic relations between states. The Vienna Convention was ratified by Ireland in 1967 and incorporated into Irish law by the Diplomatic Relations and Immunities Act 1967. Irish Ambassadors to countries abroad are a…