Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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321. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the main policy achievements of his Department since 27 June 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61650/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Over the past two and a half years, my Department has achieved much progress in a number of policy areas, framed by our commitments under the Programme for Government, and the Departmental Statement of Strategy.

Throughout 2020 and for much of 2021, the COVID pandemic was the foremost global challenge, and my Department handled the most extensive repatriation operation in the history of the State, helping well over 8,000 citizens to return from 129 countries across five continents. In addition my Department continued to make an important contribution to the Government response to the pandemic, particularly in strengthening information flows across Government on global developments and trends, which informed critical decision making.

Ireland is a committed Member State of the European Union, and for the period in question, my Department played a central role in managing the outworking of the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement and the agreement and implementation of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement. I remain fully engaged with Vice President Sefcovic and our EU partners as we look to find joint solutions to the challenges around the implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol. We remain committed to securing Ireland’s vital interests, including the hard-won peace and stability on our island, against the backdrop of significant political challenges while also protecting the integrity of the EU Single Market.

As preparations for Brexit advanced, my Department coordinated work across Government to protect the continued operation of the vital Common Travel Area arrangement. I was also pleased to publish joint frameworks for strategic cooperation with Scotland and Wales in areas of devolved competence. My Department led the whole of Government response to mitigate the permanent change arising at the end of the Brexit transition period on 31 December 2020. Working closely with stakeholders across all sectors, I published the Government’s final Brexit Readiness Action Plan in September 2020 and oversaw the passage of the Brexit Omnibus Act 2020 through the Oireachtas.

Following our election in June 2020, Ireland’s two-year term on the UN Security Council began in January 2021. We have been active across the whole Council agenda, including on issues of great significance to Ireland’s foreign policy priorities, such as the JCPoA, the Middle East Peace Process, Libya, Myanmar, and Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. During our tenure, we have twice led, with Norway, negotiations to extend the mandate of the crucial UN cross border humanitarian operation in Syria; have led negotiations to successfully renew Operation Althea in Bosnia-Herzegovina in October 2022; championed human rights in Afghanistan, particularly for women and girls, and being to the fore of efforts to hold the Taliban to account; and led efforts to bring the dire humanitarian situation in Ethiopia to the attention of the Council. Ireland also successfully negotiated a landmark Resolution on peacekeeping transitions, which was adopted unanimously last September; and played a leading role on the Conflict, Hunger, and Women, Peace and Security files.

We have used our voice at the UN Security Council and all relevant multilateral fora to condemn Russia’s illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine, and to work for accountability. I visited Kyiv and Bucha in April 2022 and briefed the Security Council in person shortly afterwards. I travelled to Ukraine again in September, visiting Odesa and reiterating Ireland’s continued support for Ukraine and staunch opposition to Russia’s invasion. Following this visit, I spoke at the UN Security Council on this issue in September, updating on the operations of the Black Sea Grain Initiative. Additionally, at the beginning of the invasion we assisted a number of Irish citizens in leaving Ukraine. We have provided substantial aid to Ukraine, as well as supported neighbouring countries and worked to address the global impact of the Russian invasion, and have consistently supported the strongest sanctions in response to Russia’s aggression.

Elsewhere throughout this period, my Department has led on the formation of a number of international negotiations. At COP27, our delegation played an instrumental role within the EU and together with other Parties to make progress on loss and damage, culminating in an agreement to establish new funding arrangements, as well as a dedicated fund, to assist developing countries in responding to loss and damage. In November this year, I hosted a high-level international conference for the “Political Declaration on Strengthening the Protection of Civilians from the Humanitarian Consequences Arising from the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas (EWIPA)”. This Irish-led Declaration has been endorsed by 83 states to date and will enhance the protection of civilians from explosive weapons in urban warfare. Also in November, the Minister for Overseas Development and Diaspora chaired the European Congress on Global Citizenship Education (GCE) in Dublin Castle, pledging €60 million to the Global Partnership for Education for 2021-2025.

A Better World, Ireland’s policy for international development, provides the framework for a whole of government development cooperation programme. Rooted in the Sustainable Development Goals, it aims to focus our efforts on four policy priorities: (i) gender equality; (ii) reducing humanitarian need; (iii) climate action; and (iv) strengthening governance. It contains a clear commitment, in all our work, to reach the furthest behind first. For 2023, the Government is providing a total of over €1.23 billion for Official Development Assistance. This is the largest ever allocation, and an increase of 17% on the 2022 allocation. The overall increase of €188 million includes €111.5 million for the international development programme operated by the Department of Foreign Affairs. €75 million of this will focus on the direct and indirect impact of the war in Ukraine, and €25 million is towards meeting our international climate finance commitments.

Throughout the period under review, we continued efforts to support investment in public health, by way of response to the pandemic. We also continued to provide support for those countries that are poorest and most vulnerable to climate shocks and ensure that climate change is included as a core theme in strategy development where Ireland has a significant development cooperation programme including Small Island Developing States. We have maintained our solidarity with the people of Ethiopia and in 2021 provided €40.6 million in development and humanitarian assistance. At the 2021 International Donors’ Conference in Solidarity with Venezuelan Refugees and Migrants we pledged assistance of €2 million. Ireland also committed another €2 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross, a key partner in responding to the humanitarian needs provoked by armed conflict worldwide.

Under the Global Ireland initiative, key strategies were launched throughout the period, framing our aspirations for engagement with the Asia-Pacific, Nordic-Baltic and Latin American Caribbean regions, as well as our Diaspora. Our mission network expanded to 97, with seven new offices opening in Kyiv, Manchester, Manila, Rabat, Lyon, Miami, and Toronto. We had over 350,000 visitors to our pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, which was launched in October 2021.

Following disruptions to the service throughout the first year of the pandemic, the Passport Service began scaling up towards normal operations in May 2021. With unprecedented demand seen in 2022, the Passport Service issued its one millionth passport of the year in early November, for the first time in the history of the State.