Parliamentary questions

51. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the status of relations and engagement between the State and Western Sahara’s Polisario Front; if the Government recognises the Polisario Front as interlocutors for the Sahrawi people; and if this Government will commit to recognising a sovereign Sahrawi state. [3417/25]

52. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs what engagement, if any, his Department has had with Spain regarding the status and conditions of political prisoners in that country, in particular the status of Basque political prisoners and the campaign for their repatriation to their homeland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3418/25]

53. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will call on the Iranian government to intervene to save the life of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3419/25]

54. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the urgent diplomatic actions the Government is taking to prevent the execution of a person (details supplied), a Kurdish humanitarian worker and civil society activist sentenced to death in Iran; and whether he will publicly condemn this sentence while engaging with his Department to apply diplomatic pressure on the I…

55. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the measures his Department is taking to encourage civil servants in his Department to take or avail of special leave or career breaks or other forms of leave to encourage and facilitate Ireland's 2026 EU Presidency, the Government "Career for EU" jobs strategy, and the Department's Gaeilge-Irish language poli…

15. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of civil servants in his Department, and in agencies under the aegis of his Department, who were on career break in 2023 or 2024, by month and grade, and by length of career break; the number of civil servants in his/her Department and in agencies under the aegis of his Department who were on career break…

16. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of vacancies, by month and by grade, in his Department, and in agencies under the aegis of his Department, in 2023 and 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46209/24]

17. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs to provide an assurance that no civil servant has had their career break extended beyond five years where there is a suitable vacancy in their home Department or agency; to provide an assurance that, where a civil servant has had their career break extended beyond five years on account of there being no suitable vac…

18. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of contracts to provide services and or consultancy to his Department that have been granted without having to go to public tender; the companies that were granted these contracts and the nature of the works involved; and the qualifying criteria that were applied to any company awarded such a contract in 2024. …

19. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has spoken to US Vice President Elect JD Vance since his election. [46376/24]

20. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the staffing budget allocation to each Irish embassy and consulate general office in 2023, 2024 and 2025, in tabular form. [46377/24]

21. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if there are plans to open a new Irish consulate general office in Luxor city, Egypt, during 2025. [46393/24]

22. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the measures Ireland is taking to support women’s rights internationally, particularly in countries that face extreme discrimination and violence, like Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and so on. [46496/24]

23. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if his Department will consider introducing a foreign travel advice warning of the harm caused by orphanage volunteering. [46516/24]

24. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will consider extending voting rights to Irish citizens living abroad. [46523/24]

25. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the preparations to date his Department has undertaken for a united Ireland, or a united Ireland referendum. [46524/24]

26. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the prospect of a united Ireland; and how he sees it evolving in the next five to ten years. [46525/24]

27. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs to outline the process by which it was agreed that the Irish embassy in Britain would host a book launch for a person (details supplied); whether this facility is open to all authors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46535/24]

28. Deputy John Brady asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the status of a passport application for a child (details supplied); if the application will be expedited as the applicants travel date is imminent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46573/24]

29. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the details of the requirements for having a passport issued with the name in Irish when a person had previously used their English name; if these requirements are discordant with State efforts to facilitate increased use of the Irish language; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46658/24]

30. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if an urgent passport application for a child (details supplied) will be expedited. [46671/24]

31. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the status of a foreign births registration application (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46759/24]

32. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the release from prison of a prominent Tibetan environmental rights defender (details supplied) after serving a 15-year prison sentence; if he will publicly support the release of the activists brothers, who were arrested after their environmental protection group sought to expose local of…

33. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs his position on the continued detention of the political prisoner (details supplied) in Hong Kong, on efforts made by his Department to raise the case with Chinese authorities; if he is concerned by the use by China of its national security law; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46782/24]

34. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the actions taken during 2024 at international level by Ireland in support of Ukraine and against the illegal invasion by Russia; the number of public statements or press releases issued by his Department on Ukraine during 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46783/24]