Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

While I said that the issue of women's rights was not discussed specifically, we did discuss the issue of human rights generally. There have been a number of positive developments in recent years, but human rights remain a very contentious issue in Saudi Arabia and the rights of women is one of the areas of concern.

Ireland has been active in raising human rights concerns with Saudi Arabia through the UN Human Rights Council, of which both Ireland and Saudi Arabia are members. In October last year Ireland made two recommendations during the examination conducted by Saudi Arabia under the council's universal periodic review mechanism. Ireland particularly expressed concern about women's rights, including the lack of progress in abolishing the male guardianship system, as well as the failure to enact a law of association to guarantee the right to form civil society organisations and to protect those organisations from government interference. Those two recommendations were made by Ireland at the UN.

Ireland is also an active member of the EU human rights groups in Riyadh, which co-ordinates EU policy on human rights issues within the kingdom of Saudi Arabia and progresses implementation of the EU's human rights country strategy for Saudi Arabia. That enables member states to share information on human rights issues and to discuss how these can be most effectively progressed. That group meets regularly and engages with the Saudi Arabia human rights activists and seeks ways to develop co-operation with local human rights groups.

Ireland also regularly raises human rights issues directly with the Saudi Arabian Government. For example, Ireland's ambassador to Saudi Arabia has been active in highlighting human rights cases raised by the Irish non-governmental organisation, NGO, Front Line Defenders. The interests of those involved would not be served by specifically identifying relevant cases here, but in July our ambassador highlighted concerns relating to the case of a number of human rights defenders with the appropriate Saudi authorities. In recent months, our embassy also highlighted a number of cases at EU level which led to the EU delegation in Riyadh raising it directly with the Saudi National Society for Human Rights. That work will continue.

In respect of Qatar, I had never previously been to that country. The weather when I was there was quite cool, in the sense that the temperature was suitable for playing games or athletics. Obviously the temperatures rise dramatically during the summer. It depends on when the World Cup authorities decide on the timing for holding the World Cup.

The Government is very concerned about reports of abuses of migrant workers in Qatar and strongly deplores any such abuses. I did not hear the report the Deputy referred to, but I will listen to it. All countries should be fully compliant with international standards for labour protection and ensure that all workers have proper working conditions, which is a human right. Qatar has the highest ratio of migrants to citizens in the world. Nearly 88% of the total population is composed of foreign workers employed largely in construction, services and domestic work. The strong protection of workers' rights is particularly critical in this context. The presence of large numbers of migrant workers in the Persian Gulf area, especially in construction, is a long-standing phenomenon and does not relate solely to the World Cup.

The UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants and the UN International Labour Organization have made it perfectly clear in their recommendations that Qatar must ensure its labour laws are amended to grant migrants the right to form and to join trade unions, access to proper grievance procedures and a minimum wage. They have also recommended a review of the foreign work sponsorship system which has been linked to abuse of migrant workers. The Government has called on the Qatari authorities to implement these recommendations to improve the situation of migrant workers and their families in the country. Qatar must take effective and urgent measures to ensure that adequate sanctions are applied to employers who impose forced labour. Qatar will be reviewed at the next session of the UN periodic review later this month and I expect that Ireland will intervene and make recommendations on the issue on this occasion.

It is critical that Qatar proves it is making real efforts to improve the protection of the rights of all workers, including construction workers, ahead of the FIFA World Cup scheduled for 2022. I welcome FIFA's promise to demand high standards of workers' rights and its recent request for a detailed report on improvements implemented following the visit of FIFA's president to the emirate last November. I met a number of Irish construction engineers who have significant numbers working for them. They are very happy to know that the rights given to those workers are as they should be.

The EU maintains an ongoing dialogue with the Qatari authorities regarding human rights, particularly migrant rights. The EU also liaises closely with the UN and the International Labour Organization on these issues on a regular basis. Most recently, an ad hoc delegation from the European Parliament visited Qatar last week. It comprised members of the committee on foreign affairs and of the sub-committee on human rights. They met with the Prime Minister of Qatar and other government representatives as well as the supreme committee in charge of the World Cup preparations and discussed the situation of migrant workers and their rights. They also met with migrant workers to hear directly from them. The delegation expressed its concerns and supported recommendations that Qatar ratify relevant International Labour Organization conventions. The delegation was informed the Qatar will implement a comprehensive revision of the sponsorship system. Ireland will continue to monitor that closely. More broadly, the promotion and protection of migrant workers' rights throughout the world, including in Qatar, will remain a priority for this country and we will avail of every opportunity to raise the issue both bilaterally through the Irish embassy in Abu Dhabi, which is also accredited to Qatar, and through relevant multilateral channels, including the UN and EU human rights mechanisms. I thank the Deputy for raising the issue.

The Deputy mentioned the Middle East peace process. Direct negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians, which began last July at the initiative of the US Secretary of State, John Kerry, continue. The resumption of these negotiations is a positive step and is one which Ireland and the EU have warmly welcomed. We must continue to give our support to this process. There have been 20 meetings so far. We have all been encouraged by the seriousness that the negotiators have shown. Since the beginning of this year there has been a change of emphasis and a sharper focus on the issues. Mr. Kerry is preparing a framework document containing US proposals to focus work on the key issues for decision. It is expected to be revealed shortly. Clearly, the EU at European Council level will do everything it can to help this at political level with the wider public on both sides. As Deputy Martin knows, it goes back to the fundamental agreement to a two-state solution and the discussions always take place around that.

I agree with the Deputy that the situation in Syria is a human catastrophe. It is spilling over into Jordan and Lebanon. There are huge numbers of refugees on either side and this cannot continue. It must be dealt with. The conflict has intensified in recent weeks. The UN has stopped releasing estimates of fatalities.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which is based in London, now reckons that 140,000 people have been killed. This represents a 40% increase in the last six months, so it is a catastrophe.

I welcome the approval of UN Resolution 2139 on the humanitarian situation in Syria by the UN Security Council, which we have been calling for since last autumn. This resolution makes absolutely clear the obligations and the duties on all parties, especially the Assad regime, to uphold humanitarian principles and international law. Ireland has contributed more than €14 million to humanitarian relief and we pledged a further €12 million at the donor conference organised by the UN in Kuwait at the beginning of the year. Funding is being provided to the Irish-based NGOs, such as GOAL, Oxfam, Plan Ireland, World Vision and Concern, for humanitarian assistance inside Syria and for Syrian refugees in host communities in Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt. Funding is also being provided by the regional development and protection programme, which is an initiative led by the European Commission and Denmark to support refugees and communities affected by the ongoing crisis in Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq over the next three years. We increased support to host countries which we see as crucial to defeating the growing tension between host and refugee communities that could exacerbate the situation and extend this already entrenched and complicated conflict.

The horrific violations of human rights perpetrated against the Syrian people will have to be accounted for. We have consistently called on the Security Council to refer the many allegations of war crimes to the International Criminal Court. It is a matter of serious and deep regret that there was no progress on the establishment of a representative transitional executive at the recent Geneva II negotiations. The continued reports of violence against civilians served to underline the importance of the Geneva negotiations and of renewed efforts to get a transitional executive authority in Syria. We continue to monitor closely the verification mission aimed at eliminating Syria's chemical weapons stocks. Reports of recent delays have been a matter of concern and we urge that every effort is made to expedite the destruction of these chemical weapons. The international community cannot accept anything less than full Syrian compliance. We have contributed €200,000 in financial support for this mission, and we will contribute further where we can.

At the European Council meeting, one of the complications is that this mission in respect of chemical weapons is led by Denmark, and its first marine support assistance is given by the Russians. Members can understand the complications that can arise at the European Council following the Crimea and Ukraine business, when Russia is an essential part of the process for taking chemical weapons out of Syria.

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