Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chairman. To respond to that last point because I know a number of people have mentioned it, I have a good short and concise note on it. On 9 November, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia signed an agreement to bring an end to the conflict. This agreement was to come into effect at midnight on 10 November. This followed significant Azerbaijani military gains on the ground which could have cut off Armenia from Nagorno-Karabakh. The agreement, if fully implemented, would see a lasting ceasefire, a return of territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan and the deployment of Russian peacekeepers. Those peacekeepers would be mandated to safeguard a land corridor for Armenia with those parts of Nagorno-Karabakh that are not under the full control of Azerbaijan. Armenia, in turn, is to provide transport links for Azerbaijan to allow it connect with the autonomous republic to the south west of Armenia.

Internationally displaced persons or refugees will return to the territory and adjacent areas under the control of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Ireland will continue to monitor developments closely and we will work constructively with our EU partners to assist in the challenging task of making any ultimate settlement sustainable. It is good that we would have an official position on that.

To respond to Deputy Clarke, on the global business and human rights treaty, Ireland is committed to the UN guiding principles on business and human rights adopted unanimously by UN members in 2011.

Any new UN initiatives should be consistent with and build on the guiding principles and important measures, including the OECD guidelines for multinational enterprises and the International Labour Organization tripartite declaration principles.

The sixth session of the open-ended working group took place in Geneva from 26 October to 30 October, two months after a second draft of a legally binding instrument on business and human rights was circulated. The EU made a statement on behalf of member states, which Ireland helped to shape. The EU statement welcomes some of the changes in the current draft of the legally binding instrument and highlights the further necessary changes and the measures taken by the EU and member states to protect human rights in the context of business activities.

Ireland has taken an open-minded, constructive approach on the matter and we will continue to consult relevant stakeholders, including civil society.I am aware of the strong views of the Irish Coalition for Business and Human Rights. My officials in Dublin and Geneva have met members of the coalition, including in recent weeks, and we will continue to have this valuable engagement.

We have a very strong record in supporting human rights defenders in different parts of the world and I presume members are familiar with the Front Line Defenders awards that take place each year. Before I was a Minister I was on the panel of people who chose who would be given those human rights defenders awards each year. In Iveagh Gardens, next door to the Department of Foreign Affairs, we have mounted a plaque that is essentially a monument to human rights defenders.

This is an area on which we want to continue to be a global voice. Unfortunately, there are many people in incredibly vulnerable positions trying to raise concerns and protect people. These include indigenous or vulnerable populations that are being persecuted. They need a voice and often that voice gives them protection as well, and that is what we are trying to do.

I am always told by my team that I cannot speak about individual consular cases because there are so many sensitive cases. The member has named Hazel and I presume she is okay with that. I know she has also raised her own case. All I can say is that we have a consular charter on our website and it indicates how we are supposed to support and protect Irish citizens abroad when we can. This is a case that happened in 2004 and I would like to hear more about. If a note is sent to me, I will certainly take a look at the case to consider lessons learned or how we could have supported her in a more comprehensive way. If mistakes were made, we will try to learn from that. I certainly was not familiar with the case at the time.

We have a 24-hour helpline for emergencies that people can call from any part of the world. In many cases we have helped people to get legal representation in different parts of the world they may not have been able to get themselves, or there may be language or access difficulties and so on. Our consular team does an extraordinary job, often in very difficult circumstances. I am very proud of the work it does but that does not mean we cannot constantly strive to do things better or learn lessons from individual cases. If Deputy Clarke wants to follow up the conversation on Hazel's case, I will certainly try to be as supportive to her as I can be.

I am not familiar with the element of the Finance Bill that was raised. I am sure the Minister, when he addresses the Bill-----