Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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453. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the priorities in his Department for the remainder of the term of this Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49024/14]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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The mission of my Department remains to promote and protect abroad the values, interests and prosperity of Ireland and its people.

The vital work of restoring our international reputation, promoting our economic recovery, and the creation of jobs are at the heart of the work of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, with our embassy network playing a particularly crucial role.

The provision of high quality services to Irish citizens travelling abroad through an excellent and efficient passport and consular service remains a central focus in my Department, in particular ongoing work on the reform of the passport service.

The further development of the all-island economy and strong support for political stability in Northern Ireland are high priorities for this Government. I will continue to work closely with the British Government, with the Northern Ireland Executive and with civil society actors, North and South, to advance implementation of the Good Friday and Saint Andrews Agreements and to address those issues which have had a detrimental impact on advancing the reconciliation agenda and economic renewal in Northern Ireland.

Engagement with our EU partners and the broader region will remain a priority for promoting and protecting our interests. Ireland will continue to be a strong supporter of the EU Enlargement policy, which is one of the Union’s most powerful tools in pursuing our strategic objective of promoting peace, stability, democracy and prosperity throughout Europe. The crisis in Ukraine, coupled with the profound implications for the EU’s relations with Russia, will remain an important priority on the international agenda for some time. We will continue to engage closely with our EU partners in supporting international efforts aimed at de-escalating the crisis and finding a peaceful, inclusive and negotiated settlement.

Ireland will also remain actively engaged in promoting a more active EU role in relation to the Middle East Peace Process and in sustaining the viability of a negotiated, two-State solution.

I am deeply conscious of Ireland’s proud tradition in international affairs as a country which seeks to promote and share its values. I am determined to ensure that we seek at every opportunity, to make a direct and significant contribution to the promotion of global peace and stability, most notably through our membership of the United Nations and our support for its peacekeeping operations.

Ireland continues to be a world leader in effectively tackling hunger and poverty and assisting the world’s poorest communities to survive and thrive as was confirmed in the OEDC DAC Peer Review, published earlier this month. A major immediate priority in this area is Ireland role as co-facilitator of the final phase of negotiations on a new global development agenda to success the Millennium Development Goals.

A more comprehensive statement of my Department’s priorities will be contained in our forthcoming Statement of Strategy, which will set out specific goals for the period 2015-2017, informed by the Review of Foreign Policy and External Relations which will I hope to bring Government in the near future.