Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It should be made clear to the Iranian authorities, in the nicest way possible, that there must be some progress on this recognition of human rights. We cannot ignore it indefinitely, in their own interests. When I visited Tehran all I could see was high cranes rusting because of the international sanctions, and that still continues. It is appalling to see such a very large population whose destiny is in their own hands if they had the will to respond. The international community does not want to usurp their authority and we must fully recognise their entitlement to run their own affairs, but they must also in some way adhere to international norms in respect of human rights.