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Deputy Helen McEntee:   Deportation officials in Ireland have the same rights as any other deportation officials to make a call. As a Government, however, we need to closely observe what has happened here and the fact they are possibly pursuing a more aggressive policy on deportations. This impacts on the four individuals now. They may apply to return to Israel in the future but we expect that they would be excluded again.
Looking at the bigger picture, this Government has on several occasions commented on its concern about increasing moves to hinder the work of Israeli and Palestinian non-governmental organisations, NGOs, the presence of international NGO workers and even international parliamentary and ministerial visits to parts of the West Bank and Gaza. A state which can stand over its actions needs do none of these things. When we get a response outlining the reason for this we will respond to these individuals.
Human Rights
11. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade when the report on human rights and business will be launched; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39824/17]
Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan: With the Ceann Comhairle's indulgence, I would like to speak on the previous question because I met that group and was with it for a few days. Other members of the group, some of them young students, who were interrogated by the immigration authorities in Tel Aviv airport were traumatised by the way the immigration authorities spoke to them.
My question is to establish when the report on human rights in business will be launched.
Deputy Helen McEntee: The national plan on business and human rights was approved by Government in July and will be launched by the Minister, Deputy Coveney, within the next few weeks. Ireland will be the 16th country in the world, and the 12th EU member state, to adopt a national plan on business and human rights. The publication of the national plan meets a commitment made by the previous Government in June 2014 to give effect to the UN guiding principles on business and human rights which were adopted by the Human Rights Council in 2011. The guiding principles are a globally recognised framework which outline the roles of states and businesses in protecting human rights as well as providing for access to remedy when they are breached.
The national plan being launched is the result of a collaborative effort, led by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and involving extensive consultations with business, civil society organisations and other Departments and agencies. Its goal is to promote responsible business practices at home and overseas by all Irish business enterprises. It brings together two of our national priorities: our commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights and to being one of the best countries in the world in which to do business. The implementation of the actions identified in the national plan will be a collective endeavour. In this regard, several actions will be assigned to a business and human rights implementation group to be established comprising representatives from Government, the business community and civil society.
Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan: This has been a long time coming. It was announced in October 2013 and I have tabled several questions on it in the meantime. The answer is always that the process is under way. The working outline was produced in 2015 and last year it was said it would appear in the first quarter of 2017. I hope it happens as the Minister of State says it will.
We know it is important because it will implement the UN guiding principles on business and human rights. We have seen many examples of violations of human rights in order to facilitate multinational companies, violations on the part of some governments with the displacement of people and land grabs. The Rana Plaza disaster was caused by the desire for greater profits, faster turnaround times and cutting corners. It is vital to have this report. Many submissions were made by organisations in Ireland with a lot of recommendations but that was a few years ago. The political landscape has changed, legislation has been introduced, and there is the problem of Brexit. Maybe there is a way in which those recommendations could be updated, not that anybody wants another consultation process but because it has been so long in coming there is a need to facilitate the voices of those who made submissions which may need to be reconsidered to ensure they are relevant today.
Deputy Helen McEntee: Touching on the delay, the Deputy has outlined some of its stages. It began at the Department's annual NGO forum on human rights in November 2014 and continued as further consultations took place throughout 2015. This included workshops with business and civil society representatives. In February 2015 following the public consultation it received over 30 submissions which had to be addressed. Based on these inputs a working outline of Ireland's national plan was published in December 2015. Written submissions on the working outline were received and further consultations took place last year and early into this year. The presentation on the final draft of the plan was made to a meeting of the interdepartmental committee on human rights in May 2017 and all relevant Departments and agencies were given the opportunity to submit comments and observations prior to the submission by Government. There has been a lengthy process and individuals have had the opportunity to have their say. It is important now that it is published. The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade has committed to publishing it in the coming weeks. We hope to stick to that deadline.
Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan: The EU Commission and the UN Human Rights Council have called on states to develop national action plans to implement the guiding principles. Some of the plans produced by other countries have been weak, some have been aspirational and some have been voluntary rather than binding. I ask that ours will not be weak, aspirational or voluntary. It was recognised in the working outline how important it was to have legal remedies for those who suffer human rights violations in business. That would include Irish companies doing work overseas. There is also a need for a gender focus but we have to be strong in conveying to Irish companies which are working abroad that we will not tolerate violations in other countries that would be illegal in this country.
Deputy Helen McEntee: There will be a deadline for the implementation of this plan. The business and human rights implementation group, which will comprises representatives of Government, the business community and civil society, will take forward the implementation of the actions in this plan and it is proposed that the implementation group will meet twice yearly over the first three years to review the implementation. The initial priorities for the implementation group are set out in the plan and are structured according to the three pillars of the UN guiding principles: the state's duty to protect human rights, the corporate responsibility to protect human rights and the access to remedy. A forum on business and human rights will be convened within two years of the adoption of the plan to review progress in achieving delivery on its commitments.
Human Rights
12. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on representations that he has made to secure the release of a person (details supplied) who is awaiting a verdict in their trial in Egypt; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39778/17]
15. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has been in contact with President al-Sisi with regard to the continued detainment of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39874/17]
33. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the efforts being made by the Government to secure the release of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39703/17]
Deputy Paul Murphy: Justice delayed is justice denied which is the case for Ibrahim Halawa. It is, however, fair to say that many people in this country and around the world were delighted that his campaign was vindicated, he was found not guilty earlier this week. Unfortunately, of the 500 or so involved with him in the mass trial, up to 300 were jailed for varying lengths of time. My question is to know what the Government's plans are to get Ibrahim home as soon as possible.
Deputy Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 12, 15 and 33 together.
I am sure all Members of the House joined with this young man's family and friends on Monday last, 18 September, in welcoming the news from Cairo that he and his three sisters had been acquitted at the conclusion of the trial in which they were defendants along with more than 400 others. This young man's name, Ibrahim Halawa, has been cleared and his innocence confirmed.
This Irish citizen has been deprived of his liberty for four years, and he has endured great hardship and distress. He has missed out on family celebrations, weddings of his siblings and births of nephews and nieces. When he should have been studying and planning his future in Dublin, he was a teenager locked in a prison cell in Cairo.
I want to pay tribute today to this extraordinary young man for his maturity, his strength of character and his resilience.
I would like also to pay tribute to his family for their relentless support of their son and brother throughout the past four years. Their dignity and tenacity have been an inspiration.
The Government's priority now is to support this young citizen and his family in every way that we can in order to ensure that he is able to return home to his family and friends in Dublin as soon as possible.
There are some practical procedures and formalities to be gone through in Egypt before he is able to fly back to Dublin, and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and our embassy team will be assisting and supporting him and his family to work through these processes and to make the necessary arrangements so that he gets home as soon as possible.
It is also appropriate today that I acknowledge the very significant efforts made on this young man's behalf by Members on all sides of this House, and also by fellow public representatives in the Seanad, the European Parliament and councils around the country over the past four years, and not least the Ceann Comhairle and the all-party and all-group delegation that went to Cairo in January to advocate for his release.
I also want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the efforts made on his behalf over the past four years by the staff at our embassy in Cairo and in the consular unit of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. |
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