Barry Ward (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

In the first instance, I seek leave of the House to move an amendment to the Order of Business to take No. 11, which is the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2021, before No. 1.

The Leader will be aware of recent moves in parliaments throughout the world in terms of Taiwan and China's attitude towards Taiwan. Last night, I attended a meeting of the co-chairs of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China and we heard about motions that had been passed in parliaments like France. Last night, the French Sénatpassed a motion that called on China to allow Taiwan to be involved in international organisations like the World Health Organization, international criminal policing organisations and climate change organisations, for example, which it is currently being prevented from doing. Similarly, the New Zealand Parliament passed a motion on the Uyghur situation and criticised China for its human rights abuses. At this point, the Parliament of Ireland has done nothing about the situation. I call for a debate in these Houses, and particularly in the Seanad, for us to discuss the issues of Taiwan, China's attitudes towards Taiwan and the fact that China is preventing the involvement of Taiwan in many international realms, to the detriment of the international community. I say that because there is no doubt, for example, in the context of world health, that Taiwan has an enormous volume of experience volume of experience and expertise that would benefit the World Health Organization and all of us around the world, yet it has been stopped from sharing that because of China's attitude.

I ask the Leader to consider arranging a debate on this issue and address the myriad of issues that exist around China's attitude towards the rule of law and towards its membership of the international community. That is something we must address and I ask for a debate on that issue.