Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We will continue to raise our concerns on these issues with our European partners. A united EU voice of 28 member states is more appropriate in many circumstances than the voice of one country. Having said that, I personally raised concerns regarding persecution on the basis of religion or belief when I addressed the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva last March. Ireland raised these same concerns in interactive dialogues with the council's special rapporteur on freedom of religion and belief and with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights during the 69th session of the Third Committee of the General Assembly in 2014.

Last weekend, the Taoiseach, the Chinese Premier, Mr. Li Keqiang, the Chinese Foreign Minister, Mr. Wang Yi, and I had a good discussion in a spirit of friendship in which we emphasised Ireland's deep commitment to human rights, the public concern in Ireland regarding human rights in China and the issues upon which we respectfully disagreed, including capital punishment. We welcomed the resumption of the EU-China human rights dialogue last December and expressed the strong wish that it proceed again this year. I had a useful, open and informal discussion with my Chinese counterpart on these issues. We discussed the situation in Tibet, with particular reference to the humanitarian situation in the aftermath of recent earthquakes in Nepal.

I assure the Deputy that we will avail of every opportunity to raise the concern contained in his question.

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