Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)

I welcome the opportunity to respond on behalf of the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to the issues raised by Deputies. The contributions have been of a high quality and revealed considerable engagement by Members in these matters. I also welcome the Russian ambassador, who has been following the debate. In regard to Deputy Eric Byrne's comment about limited public awareness, the Oireachtas delegation to the OSCE parliamentary assembly organised today's debate in an attempt to increase awareness about the OSCE and the important role it plays. Five months into Ireland's chairmanship, this debate has provided a valuable opportunity to assess where we stand. I am pleased that the discussion has been conducted in an open, frank and comprehensive manner. Although Ireland's chairmanship is not yet at its half-way stage, it has already been highly productive and has contributed enormously to Ireland's profile and reputation on the international stage. The Irish chairmanship has attracted praise for its work across the OSCE's three dimensions.

In this regard, I add my voice to the Tánaiste's in thanking the members of the Oireachtas OSCE parliamentary assembly delegation, namely, Deputies Eoghan Murphy, Phelan, Humphreys, Spring and Donnelly, and Senator Jim Walsh. The delegation has been engaged and dynamic in its work thus far, particularly in the area of election observation, and I look forward to continued co-operation throughout the year.

I was delighted to attend the reception that followed the second preparatory meeting of the economic and environmental forum, which was held in Dublin Castle on 23 and 24 April. This high level conference convened over two hundred delegates from across the area covered by the OSCE. Focusing on efforts to combat corruption in support of effective socio-economic development, it provided an opportunity to highlight Ireland's national expertise in this field. The Criminal Assets Bureau, which was represented at the conference by Detective Chief Superintendent Eugene Corcoran, was presented to delegates as an example of successful endeavour in this field. The conference was also addressed by the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Shatter, the Minister of State at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Perry, and the US Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Market Access and Compliance, Mr. Michael Camunez. The conference made an important contribution to Ireland's core theme in the OSCE's economic and environmental dimension, which is the promotion of security and stability through good governance. We look forward to the concluding meeting of the OSCE economic and environmental forum in Prague in September, during which discussion of this important topic will continue.

During the same week as the preparatory meeting Ireland also hosted a high level conference on the experience of achieving a peaceful political settlement in Northern Ireland as a case study of possible relevance to others in the OSCE area and beyond. This conference was the first of its kind to be hosted in Ireland. The event, which was held at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, aimed to draw on Ireland's unique experience of conflict resolution with a view to supporting and encouraging those who strive for peace in other parts of the world. The panel of high profile speakers, who were moderated by former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari, provided fascinating accounts of their first hand experience of diverse aspects of the peace process in Northern Ireland. The conference focused on a number of key themes, including the political process which led to and sustains the Good Friday Agreement, policing and justice issues, the manner in which different traditions have been accommodated and respected and the international dimension to the achievement of the settlement.

The focus was on sharing universal experiences and the message, that with political will and leadership, the seemingly impossible can be achieved. Discussions were frank and open throughout. As the Tánaiste highlighted earlier today, the international response to the conference has been very positive. Ireland has already drawn praise for hosting this unique event and for making a real contribution to the conflict resolution efforts in the OSCE.

With the success of these recent conferences behind us, we now look forward to the upcoming Dublin conference on Internet freedom. The event to be held in Dublin Castle on 18 and 19 June will bring together more than 200 OSCE delegates, members of civil society and representatives of the ICT and media sectors in Ireland and abroad. This important conference has been much discussed in this House and no doubt Members will be interested in it.

An OSCE ministerial council will be held in Dublin on 6 and 7 December. This conference, which will be the largest meeting of Foreign Ministers ever to be held in Ireland, is likely to be worth approximately €2 million to the economy of Dublin, based on Fáilte Ireland figures for the likely spend per delegate. We will continue to ensure that OSCE chairmanship events make a valuable contribution to the Irish economy.

The OSCE continues to engage fully in the important work of building security and stability across its geographical area. In 1975, the Helsinki Final Act, the organisation's foundation document, heralded a new vision in European security, pledging to end east-west divisions and to build a more secure Europe. As the 40th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act beckons in 2015, we have an opportunity to reflect on the contribution the OSCE can make in tackling these global challenges and how the organisation can ensure its continuing effectiveness.

Deputy Clare Daly spoke about Kazakhstan and Deputy McConalogue spoke similarly about Ukraine. There are human rights in both countries. Yulia Tymoshenko, the former Ukrainian Prime Minister, was tried and imprisoned, and recently came off a hunger strike. That is the country that will succeed us. It would be expected that Ukraine would be held to a much higher level of scrutiny when it takes over from Ireland at the helm of the OSCE. We cannot go into great detail on the issue in Kazakhstan to which Deputy Clare Daly referred, as it is a country outside our direct concern. I understand there is no consensus at present on Kazakhstan's period as chair. However, it was an important part of a longer-term process towards greater democratisation. It has a long way to go, but its membership of the OSCE strengthens that process rather than weakening it. The OSCE's election observer mission did not shy away from strong criticism of the conduct of elections in Kazakhstan in 2011.

Deputy Mac Lochlainn referred to difficulties with certain countries in the Middle East and in particular the almost intractable Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It is an issue with which the OSCE and the Quartet are obviously grappling at present. The OSCE invited an Israeli delegation to its deliberations in trying to resolve it.

Many Members raised the issue of the Roma community. The OSCE, under the chairmanship of the Tánaiste, has highlighted trafficking and the Roma community on which considerable work is being done. The former Supreme Court judge, Mrs. Justice Catherine McGuinness, has been appointed to pursue that matter further. I thank Members for their contributions to the debate.

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