Committee Reports::Annual Report of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs, 1997-1998::01 November, 1998::Report


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TITHE AN OIREACHTAIS

TUARASCÁIL BHLIANTÚIL ón gComhchoiste um Ghnóthaí Eachtracha

ANNUAL REPORT of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs

1997-1998

TITHE AN OIREACHTAIS

TUARASCÁIL BHLIANTÚIL ón gComhchoiste um Ghnóthaí Eachtracha

ANNUAL REPORT of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs

1997-1998

TITHE AN OIREACHTAIS

TUARASCÁIL BHLIANTÚIL ón gComhchoiste um Ghnóthaí Eachtracha

ANNUAL REPORT of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs

1997-1998

Table of Contents

1.	Content and Format of Report	3
2.	Functions and Powers of the Joint Committee	3
3.	Chairman, Vice Chairman, Convenors and Membership	3
4.	Establishment of Sub-Committees	3
5.	Meetings, Attendance and Recording	4
6.	Number and Duration of Meetings	4
7.	Work of the Committee	5
8.	Groups and Individuals attending before Committee	6
9.	Committee Reports	7
10.	Work in Progress	8
11.	Function and Powers	8
Appendix 1: Orders of Reference		A1
Appendix 2: Members of the Joint Committee		A11
Appendix 3: Members of the Sub-Committee on Development Co-operation		A12
Appendix 4: Members of the Sub-Committee on Human Rights		A13
Appendix 5: Meetings of the Joint Committee		A15
Appendix 6: Meetings of the Sub-Committee on Development Co-operation		A17
Appendix 7: Meetings of the Sub-Committee on Human Rights		A19
Appendix 8: Attendance at Meetings of the Joint Committee		A21
Appendix 9: Attendance record of the Sub-Committee on Development Co-operation		A23
Appendix 10: Attendance record of the Sub-Committee on Human Rights		A24
Appendix 11: Minutes of Proceedings of the Joint Committee		A25
Appendix 12: Minutes of Proceedings of the Sub-Committee on Development Co-operation		A57
Appendix 13: Minutes of Proceedings of the Sub-Committee on Human Rights		A81
Appendix 14: Work Programme 1999		A97

1.Content and Format of Report

This report has been prepared pursuant to paragraphs 3, 4, 5 and 6 of Standing Order 79A, Dáil Éireann and paragraphs 3, 4, 5 and 6 of Standing Order 63, Seanad Éireann which provides for Select Committee reports and work programmes as follows-

•review of its procedure and its role

•annual work programme

•laying minutes of proceedings

At its meeting on 28 October, 1998 the Committee agreed that all these items be included in its annual report.

2.Functions and Powers of the Committee

The Dáil Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Seanad Select Committee on Foreign Affairs meeting jointly, hereafter referred to as the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs, was established following Orders of the Dáil of 13 November 1997 and Seanad of 19 November 1997. The Orders of Reference of the Joint Committee are set out in Appendix 1.

3.Chairman, Vice Chairman, Convenors and Membership of the Joint Committee

Deputy Desmond J. O’Malley was elected as Chairman of the Joint Committee on 12 November, 1998.

Deputy Austin Deasy was elected as Vice-Chairman of the Joint Committee on 10 December, 1998.

Deputies Brendan Smith and Theresa Ahearn are the Convenors of the Joint Committee whose function it is to ensure the availability and attendance of Members or their substitutes for meetings of the Joint Committee and, in particular, to ensure Members’ availability for divisions.

The Members of the Joint Committee are set out at Appendix 2.

4.Establishment of Sub-Committees

Standing Order 78A (3) confers on Committees the power to appoint Sub-Committees and to refer to such Sub-Committees matters covered by its orders of reference.

The Joint Committee agreed at its meeting on 26 November, 1997 to create two Sub-Committees to deal with Development Co-operation and Human Rights respectively. It was also agreed that the Sub-Committees would each consist of 8 Members (6 Dail and 2 Seanad). The Members of the respective Sub-Committees are set out in Appendices 3 and 4.

At its first meeting on 16 December, 1997 the Sub-Committee on Development Co-operation elected Senator Mick Lanigan as Chairman.

At its first meeting on 16 December, 1997 the Sub-Committee on Human Rights elected Deputy Gay Mitchell as Chairman.

5.Meetings, Attendance and Recording

Meetings of the Joint Committee and its Sub-Committees took place in the Committee rooms in Kildare House. Meetings were in public unless otherwise ordered by the Joint Committee.

Televised coverage of public meetings of the Joint Committee was broadcast live within the Leinster House complex and was available for subsequent public broadcasting by R.T.É.

Copies of reports published by the Joint Committee and its Sub-Committees on Development Cooperation and Human Rights may be obtained from the Clerk, Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs, Kildare House, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. A list of these reports is set out at Section 9.

6.Number and Duration of Meetings

The Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs met on 19 occasions in the year under report, one of these in joint session with the Joint Committee on European Affairs. The number of hours discussion involved in these meetings was in excess of 31 hours. The date and subject matter of each meeting is set out at Appendix 5.

The Dáil Select Committee met on 1 occasion in the year under report. The meeting took place on 16 June 1998 in order to consider 1998 Estimates for the Department of Foreign Affairs. The meeting was attended by:

Mr. Desmond J. O’Malley, TD (Chairman), Mr. Liam Aylward TD, Mr. Ben Briscoe TD, Mr. Ivor Callely TD, Mr. Prionsias De Rossa TD, Mr. Bernard Durkan TD (substituting for Mr. Gay Mitchell T.D.), Mr. Michael D. Higgins (substituting for Mr. Dick Spring T.D.), Mr. Seamus Kirk TD (substituting for Mr. Michael Kitt T.D), Mr. Michael O’Kennedy TD and Mr. Brendan Smith TD.

Apologies for inability to attend were received from Ms. Theresa Ahearn T.D.

The Sub-Committee on Development met on 10 occasions in the year under report. The number of hours discussion involved in these meetings was in excess of 11 hours. The date and subject matter of each meeting is set out at Appendix 6.

The Sub-Committee on Human Rights met on 8 occasions in the year under report. The number of hours discussion involved in these meetings was in excess of 7 hours. The date and subject matter of each meeting is set out at Appendix 7.

Records of attendance by Members of the Joint Committee and their duly nominated substitutes at meetings of the Joint Committee are set out at Appendix 8.

Records of attendance by Members of the Sub-Committee on Development Cooperation and their duly nominated substitutes at meetings of the Sub-Committee are set out at Appendix 9.

Records of attendance by Members of the Sub-Committee on Human Rights and their duly nominated substitutes at meetings of the Sub-Committee are set out at Appendix 10.

Minutes of proceedings of the Joint Committee in public session are attached at Appendix 11.

Minutes of proceedings of the Sub-Committees on Development Co-operation and Human Rights are set out in Appendices 12 and 13 respectively.

7.Work of the Committee

7.1Joint Committee

On the 19 occasions the Joint-Committee met it dealt with the following matters:

•Ireland-USA relations

•Algeria

•The Great Lakes region of Africa

•Lithuania (in joint session with the Joint Committee on European Affairs)

•Nigeria

•Cambodia

•Burma

•The Balkans

•Indonesia and East Timor

•European Security Architecture

•Russia

•Global Economic Crisis

•Strategy Statement of the Department of Foreign Affairs

7.2Sub-Committee on Development Co-operation

On the 10 occasions the Sub-Committee met it dealt with the following matters:

•Irish Aid Policy

•Policies and Outlook of Trócaire, Concern and Goal

•Debt of Developing Countries with special reference to Tanzania • Sudan

•Great Lakes Region

•Mozambique

•Angola

7.3Sub-Committee on Human Rights

On the 8 occasions the Sub-Committee met it dealt with the following matters:

•Algeria

•The Death Penalty in the USA

•East Timor

•Colombia

•Refugees

•Tibet

•Land Rights in Brazil

•Sri Lanka

•Great Lakes Region

8.Groups and Individuals attending before the Committee

8.1 Joint Committee

In the year under report the Joint Committee met with the following:

•The Minister for Foreign Affairs

•The Secretary General and officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs

•Parliamentary Delegations from the USA and Lithuania

•Representatives from Concern, Trócaire, Amnesty

•NGOs representing the Ogoni people of Nigeria, Burmese groups, Cambodian exiles, the East Timorese

•Prof. Abdelhamid Brahimi, former Prime Minister of Algeria

•The Ambassadors of Austria, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland and Rwanda

•Representative of NATO

•Academics from Trinity College, Dublin

8.2 Sub-Committee on Development Co-operation

In the year under report the Sub-Committee on Development Cooperation met with the following:

•Minister of State with responsibility for Development Co-operation at the Department of Foreign Affairs

•Assistant Secretary with responsibility for Development Co-operation at the Department of Foreign Affairs

•Representatives of Concern, Trócaire and Goal

•Representatives of the Debt and Development Coalition, the Irish Mozambique Society and UNITA

•A private company

8.3 Sub-Committee on Human Rights

In the year under report the Sub-Committee on Human Rights met with the following:

•Representatives of the East-Timor Solidarity Group, the Union Patriotica political party in Colombia, the Latin America Solidarity Centre, the Tibet Support Group and concerned individuals in relation to Sri Lanka and Brazil

•Representatives from Trócaire and Goal

9.Committee Reports

9.1 Joint Committee

During the year under report the Committee published the following reports:

•Work Programme 1998 (December, 1997)

•The Great Lakes Region of Africa (April, 1998)

•Nigeria, Cambodia and Burma (May, 1998)

•Algeria (May, 1998)

•Visit to the Middle East (October, 1998)

9.2 Sub-Committee on Human Rights

During the year under report the Sub-Committee on Human Rights published the following reports:

•Algeria (February, 1998)

•Colombia (March, 1998)

10.Work in Progress

The Joint Committee has held a number of hearings to date on European Security architecture and will be returning to this subject in the coming months with a view to preparing a report on the matter.

A copy of the Joint Committee work programme for 1999 is at Appendix 15.

The Sub-Committee on Human Rights advertised for submissions in September, 1998 with a view to preparing a report in December to mark the 50th anniversary of the Declaration on Human Rights.

11.Function and Powers

The Committee is happy with its present procedures and role.

_________________________

Desmond J. O’Malley, T.D.

Chairman of the Joint Committee

November 1998