Monthly Archives: November 2014

Foreign Affairs and Trade Issues: Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade

Tuesday, 11 November 2014

Senator Mark Daly:  I welcome the Minister to the committee. I will follow on from what Deputy Byrne said about Colombia. We have a Euro-Med trade agreement with Israel which contains a human rights clause. It is entirely unenforceable, however, and does not have any trigger mechanism or review process. It simply does not work. We know that because following the last six attacks in Gaza there has been no triggering of the Euro-Med agreement’s human rights clause, despite attacks on UN compounds. I would ask, therefore, that before Ireland signs up to any trade agreement with Colombia, we would ensure that the human rights clause for which Ireland fought is actually workable and includes trigger and review mechanisms.

I also wish to ask for an update on the situation of undocumented Irish in America. President Obama is about to sign an executive order concerning his powers and what he can do for the 50,000 undocumented Irish people. Perhaps the Minister would consider pushing for a humanitarian visa not only for the 50,000 undocumented Irish but also the 12 million others residing in the United States who cannot leave and return. A humanitarian visa should be part of the executive order, which would allow them to leave in time of bereavement and distress to their families at home while being able to return to the United States. The Government should push for that.

I would like to get the Minister’s views on votes for the Irish diaspora overseas. The Minister of State, Deputy Deenihan, has been talking about this matter, but having it solely in presidential elections is simply not enough. There are only eight countries in the world that confine votes for their diaspora to presidential elections, and all of those have executive presidents with powers similar to those of President Obama. Perhaps the Minister would consider expanding that option for the Irish overseas and those living in Northern Ireland to vote not only in presidential elections but also in Seanad elections.

Is it possible to upgrade our mission in Ramallah to embassy status, thus taking a step towards recognition?

At some future date, could we have a joint meeting with the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement? I know the Minister is very much engaged in the process at the moment, but it is one of the biggest and longest-lasting conflicts in Europe. We are hoping that it is at a permanent peace but because of the historical legacy and issues over flags and parades, it has the potential to come back with a vengeance at any time. I ask the Minister to addresses this matter in his reply, including how the situation is progressing and how he sees it evolving.

In advance of the Inter-Parliamentary Conference for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and the Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) in Rome, Senator Mark Daly will be calling on European states to reinstate their efforts at saving lives in the Mediterranean.

In advance of the Inter-Parliamentary Conference for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and the Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) in Rome, Senator Mark Daly will be calling on European states to reinstate their efforts at saving lives in the Mediterranean. The numbers of vulnerable migrants seeking to cross the Mediterranean has drastically increased in the last few years. This is largely due to increased political instability in North African countries such as Libya, continued poverty in African states such as Eritrea and the ongoing conflict in Syria. This year there has been 153,000 new arrivals fleeing poverty, persecution or simply seeking a better life in Europe; this figure is twice that of last year and represents a proliferation of an already developed humanitarian crisis.
The perilous journey to Europe is typically undertaken in vessels wholly unseaworthy and dangerously overcrowded. This has resulted in several catastrophes leading to the tragic drowning of thousands already this year. As the number of would be migrants increases dramatically so too does the probability of vessels encountering difficulty at sea resulting in the loss of life.
One particularly harrowing case occurred off the Italian island of Lampedusa during October last year. Within days two separate boats sank leading to the death of 360 migrants from Eritrea and Somalia. Navy Capt. Paolo Trucco described how deep sea divers ‘unpacked a wall of The Daily Telegraph, October 8th 2013.. This and many other similar incidents have led commentators to charge that the Mediterranean is at risk of becoming a cemetery for desperate migrants.
Since the beginning of the year, tragically, 3,000 people have lost their lives on the perilous journey to Europe. This represents a clear abdication of a duty of care which European states have for migrants attempting to enter their borders. The duty of care which is not being adequately offered to the migrants is unacceptable; particularly when one appreciates that many of the countries from which they are fleeing were in fact colonized by European nations in the 19th century. The past colonial experience in present day Libya, Somalia, and Eritrea has contributed to the economic, political and social degradation within those countries.
Other European nations too must shoulder the responsibility for the conditions which precipitate the need for migration. Another county with a strong colonial past, has also refused to offer meaningful support to the migrants. The British Foreign Office Minister Baroness Anelay of St John has described the search and rescue operations for distressed migrants as ‘unintended pull factors’ which rather than fulfill a humane roll simply ‘undermines the deterrent for the dangerous journey’ The Daily Telegraph, October 8th 2013. This ‘dangerous Journey’ is interpreted as a positive natural boundary against migration and this illustrates a mindset which has little sympathy for the suffering of others – presumably because of their ethnic background, or social status.
The situation has further worsened since Friday the 31st of October 2014, when the Italian government announced the end of its search and rescue mission in the area titled ‘Mare Nostrum’. Since its inception Mare Nostrum has saved 100,000 shipwrecked refugees – an incredible number considering it was only operational for twelve months. The operation which covered 27,000km2 was ran at the cost of E 9 million a month. The mission included five naval vessels, helicopters, five aircraft, and two submarines and was staffed by 900 personnel The Guardian, October 31st 2014.. Replacing Mare Nostrum will be a fundamentally different venture organized by the European Union’s border agency Frontex. Frontex’s new initiative headed ‘Triton’ will focus on border surveillance and control rather than its pro-active search and rescue orientated predecessor Mare Nostrum. Triton will only patrol within 30km of the coast and has a budget of E 2.9 million – less than a third that of Mare Nostrum. Frontex operations director Klaus Rosler has said ‘the first priority would be ensuring effective border control and monitoring of criminal networks in Northern Africa’. Roberta Pinotti, the Italian minister for defense has voiced similar sentiments, she has accepted that ‘Italian assets in the Mediterranean has decreased from E 9 million to E 3.5 million, from five ‘big ships’ to one ship… and three smaller patrol boats’ The Guardian, October 31st 2014..
This scaling back of rescue capability is an affront to humanitarian well-being in the region. By declining to intervene the relevant powers are consenting to this widespread loss of life. Senator Daly concluded ‘Italy must re-establish a working search and rescue operation. Ex-colonial states have a duty of care to their former colonies, which in this case is compelled by a basic principal of decency – the protection of human life, I call on all those with the capacity to act now and end this crisis by consent’.