Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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80. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 59, 60 and 61 of 24 January 2019, if he will address a matter regarding the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4518/19]

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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As a result of a selection process held during 2018, a new roster of international election roster observers was put in place in January 2019. There was a particularly high number of applications, with almost twice the number of applications to roster places. A number of unsuccessful candidates have asked that their applications are formally reviewed by way of an appeals process. It would not be appropriate for me to comment on any individual application while an appeals process is on-going.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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81. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his Department operates a national roster for international election observation; the way in which the roster is drawn up; his plans to observe elections in 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4523/19]

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade administers and maintains a roster of suitably skilled individuals who are available to deploy on international election observation missions organised, in the main, by the European Union (EU) and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

A new roster was put in place in January 2019. This followed a selection process launched on 2 July 2018. A Volunteer Information Booklet was made available on the Irish Aid website, which provided information on the operation of the roster and the selection process. I refer the Deputy to the response to Parliamentary Question 109 of 19 December 2018, which outlined the selection process. Training for new roster members is currently being provided and security vetting is on-going.

The EU and the OSCE/ODHIR issue regular calls for nomination of observers to participate in the election missions organised under their auspices. The Department will review each call which issues in 2019 on a case-by-case basis and respond accordingly, including with regard to the overall annual budget available for participation in election observation missions.