Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)

I will not repeat any of the questions. On the issue of the Olympics, I agree we should try to keep sport out of politics. Athletes should not have to do the work of politicians. Does the Government have plans to use the occasion of the Beijing Olympics to raise genuine human rights concerns about a series of human rights abuses in China?

Will the Taoiseach provide more detail on the discussions by European leaders of UN reform, specifically on the effectiveness of the new United Nations Human Rights Council and the way in which European countries are working the system, if one likes, to raise human rights concerns? Were these issues discussed because there are problems in these areas? What other areas were discussed in the context of UN reform? Does the European Union plan any new initiatives in this area, in which the Minister for Foreign Affairs has been involved?

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