Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)

The Government has been invited by the Olympic Council of Ireland to be represented at the Beijing Olympic Games but at this stage no decision has been taken on the question of Government representation.

The European Parliament recently passed a resolution calling for a common EU position with regard to the attendance at the Olympic Games opening ceremony of the Heads of Government, Heads of State and the EU High Representative, with the option of non-attendance in the event that there is no resumption of dialogue between the Chinese authorities and the Dalai Lama. EU Foreign Ministers have not supported calls for a boycott of either the games or the opening ceremony.

The Government has welcomed the meeting on 4 May between the Chinese authorities and representatives of the Dalai Lama in Shenzen. We also welcome indications that a further meeting will now be held over the summer, and hope that these meetings can move quickly to remove any remaining impediments to more substantial talks which could address the issue of autonomy, within the framework of the Chinese constitution.

The Olympic Games issue was discussed on 17 March at an informal meeting of EU Sports Ministers in Slovenia. Ministers expressed their concerns at the political developments in Tibet and suggested that the 2008 Olympic Games might provide the ideal context for an improvement in the human rights landscape. The Ministers took the view that major sporting events, such as the Olympic Games, are an extremely efficient tool for strengthening intercultural dialogue while developing a culture of respect for human rights. At the meeting, there was a consensus that there should be no support for calls for a boycott of the games.

In Ireland, there is much public debate around attendance at the opening ceremony of the games. I understand that the President of the Olympic Council of Ireland has been reported as saying that there is no question of the Irish team boycotting participation in the games. Recently, the International Olympic Committee asked that there be no propaganda or demonstrations at Olympic venues, given the fact that 205 countries are represented, some of which are in conflict, and that the games are not the place to take political or religious stances.

The Government has consistently made its views known on human rights issues in both Tibet and China and we feel it is important to continue to voice our concerns. We should also be cognisant of our hard-working athletes, who only have the chance to compete in the Olympic Games once every four years. The Government has been represented at the last six Olympic Games.

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