Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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We will, as a committee, invite the Indian ambassador to attend a meeting. All we can do is invite her and we hope that she will agree to attend.

Some time ago I sought replies to my parliamentary questions from the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade. He indicated that Ireland would raise at the UN the right of people to freely practise their religious beliefs, particularly at the Human Rights Council, the UN General Assembly and also the European Union Council. As a committee, we could ask the Minister to again raise, specifically at a meeting of the Council of EU Foreign Affairs Ministers, the need for the European Union to take a very strong line on this matter. It is deplorable to hear that Christians have been persecuted and, indeed, people of any belief or no belief. Church in Chains has done a good job in bringing these matters to our attention. I agree with Deputy Barrett that the matter has not received the media attention that it deserves. We hope that, following our committee giving Church in Chains the opportunity to raise these important issues, it would merit some consideration and awareness in this country.

With regard to what Church in Chains has asked the committee to do, we will invite the ambassador of India to come here. We will also ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to again raise the issue at the Council of Ministers and also, very strongly, at the UN Human Rights Council. We should raise this matter at every forum possible, be it at Government or parliamentary level, or in any other representative capacity. Let us remember that our own people, in their day, were persecuted for holding their faith. It is unacceptable to persecute people for their beliefs in this so-called civilised world.

I ask Mr. Turner to make a brief concluding remark because the committee has a tight timeframe due to having other business to conduct. Has Church in Chains engaged with church leaders in this country, India and elsewhere about these important issues? The report presented by the organisation today, and the reports of previous years, give a frightening picture of the persecution of innocent people.