Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am glad to hear that. I was just about to say that I think many of our county managers and council officials meet Chinese officials and representatives regularly. In this context, I am concerned that human rights issues would be on the agenda and not simply glossed over in the interests of business and employment, which, of course, are important. There are serious human rights abuses happening in China. I am glad the Tánaiste is going to raise this at Council level but I also ask him to look to what his counterpart in the UK is doing and see whether there is anything Ireland can do following on from that. The Tánaiste is correct to state that the best action we can take is probably in the context of the EU, and I welcome that. Britain will not be part of the latter, which is unfortunate because we have more influence in the EU than Britain will have on its own. That is the truth. I recognise the cases of other minorities. A question we will not get to concerns the new homophobic laws in Brunei. It is important we stand up for what our beliefs are in this country and that people have an entitlement to practice whatever religious beliefs they want in absolute freedom.

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