Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour) | Oireachtas source

We have already pursued this issue on a number of levels. My Department has been in contact with the Russian chargé d'affaires to inform him of our concerns. I have asked officials to engage actively on this issue in various international fora and to explore which avenues can most effectively be pursued in voicing our concerns, including with our partners in the European Union. Together with our like minded partners we worked to ensure that the EU statement at the 24th session of the Human Rights Council contained a strong reference to our serious concern regarding the Russian LGBTI legislation. We again expressed our concern at the meeting last week in Strasbourg of the committee of Ministers' deputies of the Council of Europe, of which Russia is a member. In my statement at the United Nations General Assembly I was very critical of legal measures being adopted which do not protect human rights in law and instead discriminate against people on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. I specifically identified with the courageous leadership shown by the UN Secretary General when he promised in April to lead a global campaign for gay rights. I am due to meet a member of the Russian Government in the near future, when I intend to take the opportunity to discuss this issue.

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