137. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the measures he is proposing to ensure that there is a formal and clear mechanism for Colombian civil society involvement in the decision-making process of the allocation of the €3 million his Department has contributed to the EU trust fund for the implementation of the peace agreement in Colombia. [21767/16]
136. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on Palestine’s call, an open letter from Palestinian civil and political society sent to all Oireachtas Members; and if he will exert pressure on the State of Israel, through the use of sanctions and other parliamentary actions to end its illegal occupation of Palestine and to grant the Palestinian people their rights in accordance with UN resolutions and international law, as requested in the letter. [21766/16]
135. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on Palestine’s call, the open letter from 45 Palestinian political and civil groups calling on the Government to act to bring justice to Palestine; the further actions he will take on this request; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21765/16]
318. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation how she intends to protect Irish citizens from the European Commission's proposal to provisionally apply the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, CETA, prior to a definitive legal ruling as to the distribution of competences relating to new proposals to subject the EU to an ISDS under the CETA (details supplied). [20186/16]
317. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the reason she supports the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement and its investment state dispute settlement, ISDS, (details supplied). [20185/16]
316. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if she is aware of the fact that the European Commission is engaged in legal action at the European Court of Justice against five member states requiring that they terminate their intra-EU bilateral investment treaties, BITs, because investment state dispute settlement, ISDS, contravenes the principles of the Single Market (details supplied); and her views on a scenario (details supplied). [20184/16]
315. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if she is aware that the European Commission's legal service has made amicus curiae submissions to investment state dispute settlement cases involving intra-EU bilateral investment treaties in order to make its legal case that ISDS is incompatible with EU law (details supplied); the way in which her position that the ISDS of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement is compatible with EU law; and the reason she does not invoke Article 218.11 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and ask the European Court of Justice to deliver a legal ruling as to whether ISDS is compatible with EU law. [20183/16]
314. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if she is aware that the European Commission staff working document, SWD, on the free movement of capital in the EU, SWD (2013) 146 final, states that, with relation to a private company using an intra-EU member state investment state dispute settlement, ISDS, mechanism, such agreements clearly lead to discrimination between EU investors and are incompatible with EU law (details supplied); and the way in which she can explain her position that the ISDS of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement is compatible with EU law. [20182/16]
313. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if she is aware that Article 218.5 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union declares that the Council, on a proposal by the negotiator, shall adopt a decision authorising the signing of the agreement and, if necessary, its provisional application before entry into force; and if she will detail the necessity test it is using to inform its thinking on the provisional application of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement. [20181/16]
312. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the way in which, given that Article 30.7.4(d) of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement declares that the parties shall understand the term, "entry into force of this Agreement", as meaning the date of provisional application, she can claim that the agreement and its settlement will not be enforced upon Ireland prior to the agreement being approved by Dáil Éireann. [20180/16]
311. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation her views that Article 29.5.2° of Bunreacht na hÉireann places a constitutional imperative on the State to have any international agreement involving a charge upon public funds to be approved by Dáil Éireann; should the European Council of Ministers vote by a qualified majority vote to approve the signing and provisional application of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, and considering the ISDS mechanism of the agreement is designed specifically to allow for a charge upon public funds, her views on whether this would thus create a constitutional crisis for Ireland and the EU whereby Ireland could be the subject of the settlement cases which lead to a charge upon public funds prior to Dáil Éireann approving the agreement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20179/16]
310. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if, given that the European Commission's stated intention is to ask the European Council for permission to provisionally apply the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement at the same time as it is asking the European Council for permission to sign-off on or conclude the final text of the arrangement, she will make public her position as to whether she supports provisionally applying the agreement. [20178/16]
309. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation when the European Commission will present a proposal to the Council of Ministers asking the European Council to vote to give the Commission the authority to sign-off on the final text of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement with the Canadian Government; when she will get access to the wording of this proposal to conclude the agreement; and if she will make this proposal public. [20177/16]
289. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the action being taken to eradicate the invasive dace fish in the River Barrow; the amount of money being spent on this eradication scheme; and the success of this scheme to date. [20190/16]
226. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health the number of admissions, by town, to the south Kildare child and adolescent mental health services. [20189/16]
225. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health his plans to relocate the south Kildare child and adolescent mental health services team from Athy to Kildare town; when this move is expected to be finalised; if there any impediments to the move; if so, his plans to address them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20188/16]
158. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has met with the family and legal team of a person (details supplied); if he has met with the Egyptian ambassador to Ireland; and if he will now request a presidential decree under law 140 from the President of Egypt, Mr. Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, to ensure the person is released from prison and returned here immediately, given that the person's trial has been postponed. [20176/16]
157. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he is aware that on 15 June 2016, at the European Parliament's Subcommittee on Human Rights, representatives of the office of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Commissioner Federica Mogherini, confirmed that due to the worsening human rights situation in Egypt, Ms Mogherini is now making public statements on individual cases; and if he has asked the Commissioner to make a public statement on the case of a person (details supplied), given that he is the only citizen of an EU member state who is in an Egyptian prison, especially now that the person's trial has been postponed for the fourteenth time. [20175/16]
114. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to outline his plans to introduce a new business rates model. [20191/16]
71. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if the Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal is fully staffed and working at full capacity to review claims and appeals. [20187/16]
325. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he is aware that the ruling regime in Bahrain has revoked the citizenship and passport of a person (details supplied) and the person will then be considered stateless; and if he will raise this case and the continued human rights violations in Bahrain with his Bahraini counterpart. [18226/16]
324. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he is aware of Value Added in Africa’s second report on Ireland’s trade with its key partner countries in Africa: 2011-2014; that it outlines that Ireland’s balance of trade with its key partner countries in Africa has become more unbalanced in Ireland’s favour, increasing from 15:1 in Ireland’s favour to 60:1; that this is a negative reflection on Ireland’s commitment to a policy coherence for development; and his plans to rectify this imbalance. [18225/16]
323. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he is aware that the Israeli non-governmental organisation B’Tselem has announced that it will no longer refer cases of alleged abuse to the Israeli military for disciplinary action that it has said co-operation with the military investigation and enforcement systems has not achieved justice but lent legitimacy to the occupation regime and helped whitewash it; his views on this development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18224/16]
322. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the progress he has made on developing a national plan on business and human rights. [18223/16]
321. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he is aware of the Western European and Others Group’s decision to nominate Israel for the chairmanship of the United Nations General Assembly Sixth Committee; if Ireland will back this nomination; and if he is concerned that Israel, a state that continues to breach international law and conventions, international humanitarian law and countless United Nations resolutions, is being nominated to head a legal committee that aims to promote international law and protect basic human rights and freedoms. [18222/16]
320. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he is aware of reports that Turkish soldiers shot dead eight refugees on the Turkish-Syrian border on 19 June 2016; that it has been reported that 60 civilians have been shot while trying to flee across the border from Syria into Turkey since the beginning of 2016; and if he will urgently raise these cases with his Turkish counterpart. [18221/16]
319. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to provide a report on his recent trip to Israel and Palestine; whom he met and the subjects discussed; his views on the current state of play in the Middle East peace process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18220/16]
40. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Finance the reason Ireland is committed to appealing a decision on the Apple state aid case if it finds that state aid was present; the latest estimate of his Department of the potential amount that could be repayable to the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17518/16]
36. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Finance to list the changes in standard variable rates at the largest banks in the State since he met them in May 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17519/16]
382. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she has discussed the option of selecting a fixed Sunday in the year for the national famine commemoration day with the National Famine Commemoration Committee; and if this decision will be taken soon. [15404/16]
339. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he is aware of the planned signing of the Economic Partnership Agreement between the Southern African Development Community, SADC, and the European Union which is due to take place on 10 June 2016; that the agreement will be provisionally applied from 1 October 2016; his views that it will be provisionally applied by the SADC countries without waiting for their parliaments to vote on it; that the provisional application of international agreements is not foreseen in the constitutions or legal structures of most SADC countries; and if he will call for the signing to be suspended until the SADC countries are given appropriate time for the necessary parliamentary scrutiny and until voting on the agreement takes place. [15403/16]
338. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he is aware of the latest torture allegations that a person (details supplied) has made including details of gruesome treatment being meted out to prisoners; his views that the person's situation has clearly deteriorated; if he will respond to these reports as a matter of urgency; and immediately raise the person's treatment with their Egyptian counterpart. [15402/16]
337. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the reason he did not send a long-term observer to monitor the June 2016 Mongolian elections despite asking for applications; the target number of long-term and short-term observers he will deploy for the remainder of 2016; his plans to replace observers who have resigned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15369/16]
336. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the key criteria and skills necessary for service as an overseas election observer; the criteria used to select observers for specific assignments; if experience and qualifications for a particular mission is the most important factor or if he bases selection lists on the length of time since a person's last assignment. [15368/16]
335. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the reason the number of Irish overseas election observers has fallen in each of the years 2013 to 2016 to date. [15367/16]
67. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he met or will meet his counterparts in the Northern Ireland Assembly and in the British Parliament to discuss the fall-out from a British exit from the European Union on cross-Border co-operation and on issues relating to his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15621/16]
353. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will publicly release the full briefing materials that were provided to him by departmental officials on his first day of taking up his ministerial appointment. [14385/16]
352. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he is aware of the European Commission's capacity building for security and development plans; if he is concerned that these plans will divert money that was previously earmarked for development and peace building to be spent on training and equipping military forces in fragile countries instead; his views on whether lobbyists for the defence industry may have had undue influence in this policy change. [14329/16]
223. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the cost of Ireland's NATO Partnership for Peace liaison office in Brussels, Belgium, in each of the years 2011 to 2014. [14046/16]
121. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality to set out the number of members of An Garda Síochána assigned to and active in the Tallaght drugs unit in each of the years 2010 to 2015. [14045/16]
102. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health why, as of 29 April 2016, only 116 of 154 previously closed hospital beds were reopened; the reason there have not been further reopenings; the progress made to date to increase capacity; and the funding allocated and used to date for this purpose. [13696/16]
8. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health why, as of 29 April 2016, only 234 of 301 new hospital beds were added to support the acute hospital system; the progress being made to date to increase capacity; the funding allocated and used to date for this purpose; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13697/16]
531. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he is aware that a US Marine Corps military aircraft landed at Shannon Airport on 24 May 2016; if he granted permission for the aircraft to land at Shannon Airport; if he will agree that it is inconceivable that this aircraft was not carrying weapons and munitions, at the very least the personal arms of the crew and its military passengers; and if he received any assurances that its stop at Shannon Airport was not helping to facilitate a military operation. [12973/16]
530. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he is aware of the legal attacks that an organisation (details supplied) is facing and that it is facing a demand to disclose the identity of its testifiers who spoke out after Operation Protective Edge, which is an attempt to eliminate its testimony project; if he is further aware that this is part of wider organised and political attacks that the organisation has faced in recent years, which has been supported by a variety of politicians including the Israeli Prime Minister; and if he will raise any concerns about these developments with his Israeli counterpart. [12972/16]
72. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to provide year round visitor access to the cairns at Sliabh na gCailleach, Loughcrew, County Meath. [13268/16]
250. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide enough funding to complete the Athy southern distributor road in County Kildare; and the number of car journeys travelled on the assessment of route selection, given that Kildare County Council is not supplying this information. [12418/16]
249. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if the bridge in Kildanghan, County Kildare can be made safe and if he will provide funding, given there is no footpath and children and parents traverse it daily. [12417/16]
232. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will establish a sugar beet processing factory in County Kildare or in a neighbouring county. [12415/16]
205. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health the amount his Department spent on grant aid to the meals-on-wheels project in 2015 and the projected amount for 2016 by county. [12419/16]
204. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health the child psychiatric services available for children addicted to drugs in County Kildare. [12416/16]