Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will deal with the question of gay and lesbian rights in the first instance. An anti-homosexuality Bill was passed by the Ugandan Parliament in 2013. That Bill was signed into law by President Museveni in February 2014. The Act further criminalised homosexuality and imposed even harsher penalties. In a welcome move in August last year, the law was struck down by the Constitutional Court of Uganda as the President lacked a quorum when the Parliament passed the Bill. Uganda's President Museveni has indicated that he will not pursue new anti-homosexuality legislation as current legislation, that is, the law prior to the one that went through without a quorum, is sufficient. The Ugandan President has also acknowledged the extent to which the legislation has damaged Uganda's reputation which he sees as important for investment in the hospitality sector and so on.

Ireland, along with other donors, engaged intensively on this issue behind the scenes and at the highest level with the Ugandan Government and continues to do so. Some aid donors instituted aid cuts to the Ugandan Government when the anti-homosexuality law was enacted. As Ireland had not provided funding through the Ugandan Government since 2013, prior to the enactment of that Bill, this question did not arise in respect of funding from Ireland. Nevertheless, there continues to be discrimination against LGBTI communities in Uganda and elsewhere in the region, including reports, as Deputy Martin pointed out, of violent attacks against some people. We strongly condemn discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity and support the promotion and protection of the human rights of all persons, irrespective of their sexual orientation or their gender identity. We are working with the authorities and the human rights organisations in Uganda to address the safety concerns of the LGBTI community.

In the context of our membership of the UN and, in particular, as a member of the UN Human Rights Council, Ireland is strongly committed to combatting discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity, and supports the promotion and the protection of the human rights of all persons irrespective of their sexual orientation and gender identity. In fact, the Government's review of foreign policy, The Global Island: Ireland's Foreign Policy for a Changing World, which was published in January 2015, reaffirms our country's commitment to promoting the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex individuals, who continue to suffer disproportionate levels of violence and face systemic discrimination in many countries. During the 2013 Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, we facilitated and made substantial input into the EU guidelines on LGBTI issues, which were adopted during Ireland's Presidency. We are currently participating in EU discussions on the implementation of these guidelines as part of the European Union Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy 2015-2019. In addition, our diplomatic network has been active in its advocacy of LGBTI rights, including on issues relating to the decriminalisation of homosexuality and by supporting civil society organisations that are active in the field, many of which operate in difficult environments.

I agree with Deputy Martin; nobody could disagree. The exodus from Syria is unprecedented. Over 1 million people have been assimilated into south Lebanon, many in poor conditions. I understand the camp in Jordan is well run, but it is in the desert and a long way from anywhere. The refugees, many of whom are middle-class and educated, with their families, who were the first to leave Syria, have a sense of frustration at what is not happening for them because they see others being adopted by other countries, in some cases in considerable numbers, and this is a cause for concern. The European Council has discussed this on a number of occasions and we have received reports from the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, about the problems arising due to the reduction in the amount and quality of food given to many of the camp residents. I might say it has been brought to my attention that the camps in the Horn of Africa are simply appalling. Clearly, the news today from Ethiopia of a severe drought that may lead to serious problems next year is not encouraging.

Deputy Martin will be aware that in Turkey there are a further 2 million Syrian refugees, the vast majority of whom would like to stay in their own country if the situation were normalised. For the first time, Iran was involved in discussions. This cannot and will not be sorted until Iran, Russia, Syria and the United States are able to hammer out a solution. Otherwise, the exodus from Syria will continue. I have spoken to people who worked in Syria a number of years ago when that country was making great progress, but it is now in a desperate situation whereby Assad has been responsible for the vast majority of deaths that have occurred there. It is a really difficult situation that is taking up quite a deal of time at the European Council. The consequence of not being able to deal with it are these significant numbers of refugees moving through the Balkan countries to Austria, Germany and some of the Nordic countries. This will get much more difficult in the next two or three months with the coming of winter. In eastern Europe, winter can be exceptionally harsh and very different from what refugees from more southerly countries have been used to.

On the question of the free movement of people as a cornerstone and principle of the European Union, either one has external borders that one is able to deal with and has internal freedom of movement, or one does not. A case in point is Greece, where there are significant difficulties; this is now at last being focused upon by the European Council. Meetings held recently mean that there are negotiations and discussions with the Turkish authorities on the opening of pre-accession chapters for consideration for the European Union. and also on requests for funding to deal with the scale of the influx into Turkey and, obviously, the other problems arising from that.

I take Deputy Martin's point that organisations that do not support the rights of LGBTI persons should not be in receipt of funding from any country, and in so far as any aid from Ireland to such organisations is concerned, I will have that checked with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade.

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