Written answers

Tuesday, 21 June 2022

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Passport Services

Photo of Brendan GriffinBrendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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313. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will address a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31946/22]

Photo of Brendan GriffinBrendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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445. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of a passport application in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork who is unable to find the application number; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32403/22]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 313 and 445 together.

With regard to the specific case about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service has issued a passport to the applicant. 

Photo of John BradyJohn Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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330. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of a passport application for a person (details supplied) given that the application has exceeded the target issue date and date of travel is imminent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31970/22]

Photo of John BradyJohn Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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331. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of a passport application for a person (details supplied) given that the application has exceeded the target issue date and date of travel is imminent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31971/22]

Photo of John BradyJohn Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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332. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of a passport application for a person (details supplied) given that the application has exceeded the target issue date and date of travel is imminent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31972/22]

Photo of John BradyJohn Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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347. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of a passport application for a person (details supplied) given that the application has exceeded the target issue date and date of travel is imminent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31987/22]

Photo of John BradyJohn Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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350. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of a passport application for a person (details supplied) given that the application has exceeded the target issue date and date of travel is imminent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31990/22]

Photo of John BradyJohn Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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360. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of a passport application for a person (details supplied) given that the application has exceeded the target issue date and date of travel is imminent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32000/22]

Photo of David CullinaneDavid Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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390. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of a passport application by a person (details supplied) given that it has exceeded the target issue date and applicants travel date is imminent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32242/22]

Photo of David CullinaneDavid Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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392. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of a passport application by a person (details supplied) given that it has exceeded the target issue date and applicants travel date is imminent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32244/22]

Photo of David CullinaneDavid Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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398. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of a passport application by a person (details supplied) given that it has exceeded the target issue date and applicants travel date is imminent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32268/22]

Photo of John BradyJohn Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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402. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of a passport application for a person (details supplied) given that the application has exceeded the target issue date and date of travel is imminent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32296/22]

Photo of John BradyJohn Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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403. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of a passport application for a person (details supplied) given that the application has exceeded the target issue date and date of travel is imminent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32297/22]

Photo of John BradyJohn Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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404. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of a passport application for a person (details supplied) given that the application has exceeded the target issue date and date of travel is imminent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32298/22]

Photo of John BradyJohn Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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405. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of a passport application for a person (details supplied) given that the application has exceeded the target issue date and date of travel is imminent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32299/22]

Photo of John BradyJohn Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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415. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of a passport application for a person (details supplied) given that the application has exceeded the target issue date and date of travel is imminent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32309/22]

Photo of John BradyJohn Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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417. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of a passport application for a person (details supplied) given that the application has exceeded the target issue date and date of travel is imminent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32311/22]

Photo of John BradyJohn Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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492. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of a passport application for a person (details supplied) given that the application has exceeded the target issue date and date of travel is imminent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32710/22]

Photo of John BradyJohn Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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493. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of a passport application for a person (details supplied) given that the application has exceeded the target issue date and date of travel is imminent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32711/22]

Photo of John BradyJohn Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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494. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of a passport application for a person (details supplied) given that the application has exceeded the target issue date and date of travel is imminent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32712/22]

Photo of John BradyJohn Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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496. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of a passport application for a person (details supplied) given that the application has exceeded the target issue date and date of travel is imminent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32714/22]

Photo of John BradyJohn Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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499. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of a passport application for a person (details supplied) given that the application has exceeded the target issue date and date of travel is imminent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32717/22]

Photo of John BradyJohn Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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505. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of a passport application for a person (details supplied) given that the application has exceeded the target issue date and date of travel is imminent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32723/22]

Photo of John BradyJohn Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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507. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of a passport application for a person (details supplied) given that the application has exceeded the target issue date and date of travel is imminent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32725/22]

Photo of John BradyJohn Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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515. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of a passport application for a person (details supplied) given that the application has exceeded the target issue date and date of travel is imminent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32733/22]

Photo of John BradyJohn Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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518. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of a passport application for a person (details supplied) given that the application has exceeded the target issue date and date of travel is imminent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32736/22]

Photo of John BradyJohn Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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522. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of a passport application for a person (details supplied) given that the application has exceeded the target issue date and date of travel is imminent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32740/22]

Photo of John BradyJohn Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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523. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of a passport application for a person (details supplied) given that the application has exceeded the target issue date and date of travel is imminent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32741/22]

Photo of John BradyJohn Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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525. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of a passport application for a person (details supplied) given that the application has exceeded the target issue date and date of travel is imminent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32743/22]

Photo of Marc MacSharryMarc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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529. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade when a decision will be made in relation to a passport application by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32805/22]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 330, 331, 332, 347, 350, 360, 390, 392, 398, 402, 403, 404, 405, 415, 417, 492, 493, 494, 496, 499, 505, 507, 515, 518, 522, 523, 525 and 529 together.

With regard to the specific applications about which the Deputies have enquired, the Passport Service has reviewed the applications and progressed as appropriate.

Photo of Joe FlahertyJoe Flaherty (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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373. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of a passport application by a person (details supplied). [32013/22]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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With regard to the specific application about which the Deputies have enquired, the Passport Service has provided an update on the status of the passport application to the applicant.

Photo of Cormac DevlinCormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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376. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide an update on the status of persons (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32057/22]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for raising these important cases of political prisoners in Belarus. The journalist Roman Protasevich and his partner Sofia Sapega were detained by Belarusian authorities following the forced diversion of a Ryanair aircraft to Minsk in May 2021.

Reports indicate that Mr Protasevich and Ms Sapega were sent to prison until June and subsequently transferred to house arrest. Mr Protasevich appears to have been the subject of state violence and intimidation, and gave what observers suggested was a coerced confession on state television in June 2021. Mr Protasevich faces charges of causing civil disturbances, an offense punishable by up to 15 years in prison. He has yet to go on trial and the status of the investigation against him is unclear.

In May of this year, a Belarusian court sentenced Ms Sapega to six years in jail, on politically-motivated charges of inciting social discord, and illegally collecting and disseminating information about the private life of an unnamed person without his consent.

The ongoing state persecution of Mr Protasevich and Ms Sapega is an affront to freedom of speech, freedom of the press and the fundamental principles of democracy. Unfortunately, they are not the only victims of Alexander Lukashenko’s campaign to suppress all opposition to his rule. Viasna, a human rights organisation, reports that there were 1,227 political prisoners in Belarus as of 16 June.

Ireland has repeatedly condemned the Lukashenko regime in international fora, including the UN Security Council and the Human Rights Council. We have supported six packages of sanctions concerning Belarus, and co-sponsored the two most recent packages. We continue to engage regularly with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and other figures in the Belarusian opposition. In terms of funding, we have provided €50,000 to the International Accountability Platform for Belarus to help ensure that those perpetuating this repression can one day be held accountable for their actions. We have also provided €150,000 to support independent media in Belarus.

Political prisoners are a specific focus of Ireland’s advocacy on Belarus, and I thank those Members of the Oireachtas who have sponsored political prisoners to help raise awareness of their plight.

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