Eric Byrne (Dublin South Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am no historian but I am very familiar with the arguments about the death of so many Armenians. I know it is a very emotive issue. There is a relatively small and compact Armenian community in Ireland. I have met members of it at celebrations. They have some religious leaders here in Ireland and they would argue very strongly that they do recognise it as a serious political issue. I have heard some of their academics speaking in Dublin who were incredibly open-minded about the massacres and deaths that occurred and how one arrives at a solution to the historical complexities of whether it was genocide or how one classifies it.

My only interest in this is in possibly getting a brief from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Unfortunately, I did not know the motion was coming up. I would like to do some research on it and contact some of these Armenian academics who do not support the simplistic flag waving that it was genocide and do not believe this view is a solution to the long-term historical problems that occurred in that period. I am asking whether it is possible to get a briefing and if I could be allowed to do some research regarding Armenians I have heard speaking on this issue in Dublin in order to broaden the debate rather than have a two-line simplistic notion that we have the historical facts right.