Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I ask Mr. Turner to tell us something more about his organisation. This committee has been constituted since September 2020 after the 2020 general election and the formation of the Government which was not complete until the summer. We have been in situsince then. We have not had a meeting with Church in Chains since then. Have members of that organisation had meetings with previous iterations of this committee? I know that Church in Chains is a wholly Irish charity. Does it have any formal arrangements with international like-minded groups and organisations? Mr. Turner mentioned the Department of Foreign Affairs. We obviously have ongoing regular contact with the Department of Foreign Affairs on a range of issues that are important to our work priority list. In fact, we have daily contact with the Department.

Mr. Turner did not mention to any great extent the group's relationship with other international organisations with which we would have ongoing and regular contact. I am thinking in particular of the European Union. Does Church in Chains have ongoing advocacy arrangements with the European Union? Regarding the United Nations, from time to time submissions are made by Ministers from Ireland and other EU and international governments dealing specifically with the matter of religious persecution. What formal or informal links does Church in Chains have with the United Nations? Is Mr. Turner satisfied with that relationship? Is there more that the United Nations could do? Is there more that we could do to assist, for example through our relationship with UN committees? I am thinking in particular of the human rights body in Geneva.

One international human rights organisation not mentioned so far is the Council of Europe. Senator Joe O'Reilly who is not here today, is a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe as well as being an active member of this committee. It is a question of having the strongest possible voice in the context of the important issues Mr. Turner has raised.

Over the last three years individually as Deputies and Senators we have met and continue to meet certain groups from time to time. The committee has received submissions and would have dealt on a formal basis with the Baha'i, which Mr. turner specifically mentioned. While we did not meet members of the Yazidi group in Iraq, I know it was the subject matter of debate at this committee and also in the wider parliamentary plenary session.

I thank the witnesses for coming here. I would be very keen to hear more about the activities of the group.

I note that a considerable number of countries are specifically referred to in the witnesses' list. Does Church in Chains have spokespeople from each group, or how does it manage that part of its work?

I dare say the organisation is not flush with cash or donations. In terms of its ongoing expenses, does Church in Chains receive funding from the Government? Is that something it might qualify for, or what arrangements do the witnesses see as being important in that regard?