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 4 o’clock
Deputy Paul Murphy:   The notion that slow and steady progress is being made towards democracy in what was Burma is contradicted by what is happening to the Rohingya people. They are a severely oppressed ethnic minority and they are not recognised as such, unlike 135 recognised ethnic groups in Myanmar. They have been denied citizenship under the 1982 law. The government presents them as having come from Bangladesh, despite being a traditional, long-standing element of what was formerly Burmese society. Unfortunately, Aung San Suu Kyi got the votes of ethnic minorities and those who hoped for a break from the old military rule but she has been completely incorporated into a crony capitalist, military system with the increasing dominance of China. The Government should support the call for her Nobel Peace Prize and for the freedom of the city of Dublin to be taken from her. I support those on Dublin City Council who are trying to do that.
Deputy Helen McEntee: Ireland very much urges the government of Myanmar to begin implementing all the recommendations contained in the final report of the advisory commission on the Rakhine State as soon as possible. We very much welcome the government's announcement on 12 September of the formation of the implementation committee to take this forward. When the time comes, it is critical that the refugees and many of those to whom the Deputy referred who have fled their homes in the Rakhine State are also allowed to return. The Government has called on the government of Myanmar to end its discriminatory policies and practices towards the Rohingya people and to take comprehensive steps to address the root causes of the situation. We in Ireland understand that building peace and trust takes time and we are particularly aware that respect for human rights and access to livelihoods for all these communities is central to enabling long-term peace and stability.
Human Rights
5. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the use of detention centres in Libya to address the migrant issue. [40014/17]
Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan: My question relates to the detention centres in Libya. I seek the Minister of State's views on these centres being used to address the migrant issue.
Deputy Helen McEntee: I strongly condemn all human rights violations and abuses against refugees and migrants, both in Libya and along the central Mediterranean route. I am aware of reports of appalling conditions currently faced by migrants in Libya.
The security situation in Libya is fragile, and the government has only partial control of the territory, which limits the capacity of the international community to ensure accountability in response to reports of abuses.
At the June 2017 Foreign Affairs Council, FAC, Ireland expressed deep concern at the conditions experienced by migrants in detention centres in Libya. EU Foreign Ministers adopted Council conclusions in July, which urge the Libyan authorities to improve humanitarian access to and conditions in detention centres, as well as to look for alternatives to detention.
The EU has a number of initiatives which provide assistance and protection to migrants in Libya, in particular inside detention centres. The EU also supports the work of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR, and the International Organization for Migration, IOM, to ensure that there are adequate reception facilities for migrants. The EU also provides training and other support to enhance the border management capacities of the Libyan authorities. Total EU support to these initiatives amounts to €182 million.
Bringing real improvements to the situation of migrants in Libya will require restoration of political stability, through the formation of a functioning government and a return to order throughout the country. Ireland both supports UN mediation and regional efforts in pursuit of stabilisation in Libya.
The fight to reduce poverty in countries of origin, which is one of the main drivers of large irregular migratory flows, remains firmly at the core of Ireland’s aid programme.
Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan: There is an irony in depending on the Libyan authorities to sort this out because the situation in Libya is one of turmoil and of chaos. I tabled a Topical Issue matter on this a few months ago and the then Minister said the EU would closely monitor the migrant issue because it recognised the difficulties on the ground. Months later, the horror continues, as documented in a recent report by Amnesty International and by medical teams from Médecins Sans Frontières, MSF, who are telling us about cases of torture, sexual violence and rape, forced labour and extortion. The EU, therefore, is not meeting its international obligations, which are to protect and to assist people in need. European policy is exposing refugees and migrants to awful conditions and violations in these detention centres. At the next FAC, will Ireland be a voice advocating a review of this policy of containment?
Deputy Helen McEntee: The Deputy is correct that EU Foreign Ministers adopted Council conclusions in July, which urge the Libyan authorities to improve humanitarian access to and conditions in detention centres, as well as to look for alternatives to detention. People are making huge profits from smuggling and we need to this be brought under greater control. The EU has a number of initiatives which provide assistance and protection to migrants, refugees and host communities in Libya, in particular inside detention centres. It also provides training, including in international humanitarian law and rights and gender issues, and other support to enhance the border management capacities of the Libyan authorities. The Union also supports the work of the UNHCR and the IOM. Of the €182 million provided for migration-related projects, Ireland has provided €9.5 million to support the International Committee of the Red Cross this year. Ireland is very much supportive of the measures that are being put in place. However, the most important step in ensuring better conditions for migrants in Libya is the formation of a functioning government, which can restore order in the country. Through the EU, Ireland both supports UN mediation and regional efforts in pursuit of stabilisation in Libya.
Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan: I question the UNHCR funding because reports are saying that due to difficulties with access and restrictions on personnel on the ground, officials are not in a position to implement and to monitor and, therefore, the funding is not having an impact. There is also a need for monitoring of the training of the coast guard personnel in order that we know exactly what work they are doing because there have been difficulties in this regard as well.
With regard to funding, according to a reply I received some time ago, €90 million was provided for the protection of migrants; €4.8 million for protection activities; and €42 million for socioeconomic development at municipal and local government level. This was on top of an earlier €120 million allocation. There is a need for an exact breakdown of where that money is going because the Amnesty International report and the MSF medical teams are telling us that the horror is continuing and these detention centres are not the answer.
Deputy Helen McEntee: I am, unfortunately, unable to give the Deputy a breakdown but perhaps I will be able to get that for her. Given the particularly difficult situation in Libya, the monitoring and evaluation of programmes is very much subject to a number of other measures regarding good delivery and proper reporting. These include the fact that beyond the obligation of partner organisations to report regularly on the implementation of the projects the Deputy mentioned, third party monitoring will also be conducted. In addition, the European Commission can conduct additional ad hoc monitoring and should conditions on the ground not allow for proper implementation, further measures can be taken, including the suspension of programme activities. These are being closely monitored but I share the Deputy's concerns. People are experiencing horrendous conditions and others are making huge profits from the situation the Libyan government finds itself in. We will do everything we can to work with the government to make sure a stable government is in place and to ensure we continue to support and provide aid. I will get the breakdown for the Deputy as soon as possible.
Other Questions
Catalan Referendum
6. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has received reports from the embassy and the consulate in Barcelona regarding the upcoming referendum on Catalan independence; if he has raised this issue with the Spanish authorities or at a European Union level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39779/17]
Deputy Paul Murphy: Will the Government condemn what can only be described as Francoist repression on the part of the Spanish state against the people of Catalonia where there has been an effective occupation by the Spanish state police with the arrest of upwards of 20 government officials, the seizure of ballot boxes, ballot papers and more than 100,000 elections posters, the opening of post and the effective suspension of Catalan regional autonomy the other day?
Deputy Helen McEntee: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. Ireland enjoys a close relationship with Spain. These relations are deeper and more textured than simply involving periodic government-to-government relations or developing trade ties or occasional encounters at multilateral events. Our close friendship has at its heart an empathy which is nurtured by generations of contacts between our peoples and what happens in Spain is of great interest to our Spanish friends in the society we represent.
I am very much aware of the recent developments in Spain regarding Catalonia. Constitutional and political arrangements in any country of the European Union are matters to be determined by their own citizens through their own democratic institutions in adherence with the rule of law. It would not be appropriate to comment further on matters that are internal to Spain. |
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