Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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243. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the details of the precise scoring system used to assess each application for an individual election observation mission; if his Department regards each invitation for observers for a particular mission as an open competition; the reason applicants have to complete a new application form for each mission when the data required is virtually the same; and the appropriate action on those occasions when applications are mislaid or end up in quarantine with that candidate not being considered at all. [32660/16]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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International election monitoring missions play an important role in the promotion of democracy and human rights. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade maintains a roster of election observers for such missions. The aim is to ensure that, when requested, Ireland is represented at an appropriate level in international observation missions for both elections and constitutional referendums. Irish observers participate primarily in missions organised by the European Union and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

When the current Election Observation Roster was being established in 2013, all applicants for membership of the roster were supplied with an information note which set out how the selection of the members of individual observation missions would be conducted.

The criteria used for selection of the members of individual monitoring missions are based on the criteria set by the EU or OSCE, which include relevant local and regional experience, language proficiency, gender and length of time since serving on a mission. In many cases, the EU and OSCE also invite Member States to nominate observers who, while they meet the relevant criteria, have not yet had the opportunity to build up their experience, and this is also factored into the nomination process. Following consideration of the applications, a draft list of nominees is submitted for Ministerial approval.

The importance of the individual application form is that it requests applicants to set out their suitability for individual missions against the criteria for a particular mission, for instance regional experience or proficiency in the country’s language. Roster members are also asked to confirm their availability, especially where multiple rounds of elections are planned, their passport details and emergency contact details.

Where IT issues have arisen, occasionally, in the submission of applications, Departmental officials have taken measures to prevent a recurrence. These include the introduction of an automated acknowledgment mechanism for applicants.