Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The EU Commission and the UN Human Rights Council have called on states to develop national action plans to implement the guiding principles. Some of the plans produced by other countries have been weak, some have been aspirational and some have been voluntary rather than binding. I ask that ours will not be weak, aspirational or voluntary. It was recognised in the working outline how important it was to have legal remedies for those who suffer human rights violations in business. That would include Irish companies doing work overseas. There is also a need for a gender focus but we have to be strong in conveying to Irish companies which are working abroad that we will not tolerate violations in other countries that would be illegal in this country.

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