Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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I thank the Cathaoirleach for selecting this important topic. I welcome the Minister of State to the House. Ireland has always played a part in international peace and stability missions. The Department of Foreign Affairs currently has 11 Irish mission members seconded to the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe as part of the special monitoring mission to Ukraine. They have been on this mission for the last seven years. The 11 secondees receive no remuneration from the State. Instead, they are paid a board and living allowance directly from the OSCE. There are a number of problems with this.

First, Ireland has the distinction of being the only state which does not pay its secondees in Ukraine. For example, UK members are paid a salary on top of their board and living allowance. For the last seven years, Irish secondees have been paid no salary and, therefore, have made no PRSI contributions. When they return to Ireland, they will have a major gap in their PRSI contributions with all the attendant consequences for accessing unemployment benefits and the State contributory pension later in their lives despite having been employed. The Ukraine mission is considered a high-risk mission and while an additional small daily stipend is paid to Irish secondees by the OSCE for those in very high-risk areas, the Irish State pays nothing.

Second, members of the mission have been trying to raise this issue with the Government and the Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2016 and no answers have been forthcoming apart from stating that it was under review. It beggars belief that it has taken the best part of five years to make such a decision. We are either going to pay them or not. The very least the State could do would be to dignify their question with an answer. The case submitted in 2016 had the support of both the ambassador and the assistant secretary general in the Department. I am aware the case was submitted by Ambassador O’Leary to the Secretary General and the Minister on 4 November 2016. Subsequently, the case was submitted to the management board meeting of the European neighbourhood and policy division, ENP, on 11 July 2017. This made a very reasonable suggestion that monitors be given a payment of either €2,000 or €3,000 per month, to a maximum of 12 monitors. The case provided a detailed rationale for a payment, including how out of step Ireland was compared with other EU and non-EU counterparts. I have heard anecdotally that the Department of Foreign Affairs believes there may be a legal issue in ring-fencing payments to this cohort, but other nations do not have the same problem.

Third, I have a very serious concern about the lack of support being given to these secondees who remained in place on the mission during the most serious pandemic this world has ever seen. I find it upsetting that no one from the Department of Foreign Affairs contacted these Irish citizens at any stage over the last two years to see whether they were okay. Again, this contrasts sharply with the experience of mission operatives from other states, who received high-level or direct engagement from the sponsoring authorities in their countries of origin. This included being contacted during the pandemic regarding their safety, as well as directly arranging their repatriation. I cannot imagine how these loyal and faithful Irish people feel when their international colleagues were treated so well by their countries, while all the Irish team received was a deafening silence. We are very quick to say how proud we are of those who represent this country overseas on peacekeeping and stability missions, but it would appear we are not so quick to treat them with the common decency and respect they deserve. We should, as a nation, be ashamed.I hope the Minister of State has some good news and that he will take what I have said on board.

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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I apologise that I do not have printed copies of my script available for circulation, but that will be rectified shortly. My officials are making arrangements to have some brought here as soon as possible.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir as an ábhar tábhachtach seo a ardú i dtosach an tsuí inniu.

The issue of remuneration or benefits for Irish citizens working for the OSCE special monitoring mission to Ukraine is under review by the Department of Foreign Affairs. I expect that a conclusion will be reached this year. Currently ten Irish citizens are working in the special monitoring mission to the Ukraine. Ireland contributes directly to the OSCE and the OSCE special monitoring mission budgets but, like many OSCE participating states, we do not offer additional payment packages to Irish citizens directly recruited and employed by the OSCE.

Irish citizens can apply for two categories of overseas positions. Contracted positions offer salaries and other allowances and benefits that are similar to those offered under the UN Common System. The other category of post includes payment from the OSCE of a boarding and lodging allowance, currently €125 per day, and a package of life and disability insurance. The employment is limited to the duration of the mission mandate and is renewed formally every year. Some special monitoring mission members, that is, those serving in Donetsk and Luhansk Oblast, also receive an additional €30 in hazard pay. The OSCE covers the cost of travel from Vienna to field missions and travel expenses for a return trip home once per annum.

The recruitment process is handled by the OSCE and Irish citizens have a clear choice of applying for contracted jobs or for positions that provide a less comprehensive package of allowances. For those Irish citizens interested in working overseas, the Department and the EU jobs system provide many opportunities and a variety of potential positions. The Department runs a rapid response core roster of highly skilled professionals deployed at short notice to humanitarian emergencies for a period of three to six months. The Department also deploys Irish citizens to the EU Common Security and Defence Policy missions. Those positions are remunerated with a stipend provided with an allowance living costs and reimbursed for a number of expenses.

Irish citizens applying for positions with the special monitoring mission to the Ukraine, or any other positions within the OSCE, have all the conditions of employment outlined prior to the application process. The rules are transparent and the Department, when approached, is very clear about the lack of remuneration or allowances from it. There are many different approaches taken by the OSCE participating States, ranging from comprehensive to more basic. The majority of states pay nothing in addition to their citizens working for the OSCE and so there is no common approach from EU member states on this issue. Nonetheless, the Department is once again considering possible ways of providing additional benefits to Irish citizens working for the OSCE special monitoring mission to Ukraine and will make a decision in that regard in the coming months.

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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The Minister of State will be aware of the impact of the lack of payment of PRSI contributions and how that will impact people. He and I have often discussed PRSI and I know that he is committed on this issue.

I ask that he has the decision expedited as quickly as possible. I understand that people know what they are getting into when they sign up for these jobs, but they sometimes do not realise the full impact it will have on their future lives, particularly in regard to PRSI. The Minister of State has given a commitment to see to it that a decision is made. I appreciate his time on this matter and I thank him for coming to the House today to address it. He might contact my office when he is made aware that a decision has been made.

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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The Department and I have great respect for Irish citizens working in various institutions around the world. A number of the affected people were in touch with me directly on my appointment as Minister of State with responsibility for European affairs. This month, I had a meeting with the OSCE Secretary General, Helga Schmid. I was delighted to note that there a number of Irish people at senior level throughout that organisation. It is an important organisation, with a lower profile than it should have.

The Senator mentioned a particular mission in the Ukraine. We know how important and dangerous that can be. The importance of the contribution of Irish citizens is widely recognised and the conditions of employment of these organisations vary. I have been contacted by some of the individuals affected and they have informed me that the conditions of work may not be satisfactory or competitive. This matter is being reviewed. I am confident that a decision will be taken in the coming months.