Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I would be the first to admit that our boats have done some good work down there, although I disagree with the military aspect of Operation Sophia. Let us go back to the trade missions. I had a debate here with the previous Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Bruton, in 2014. He actually said that trade missions were not the time or place to raise human rights abuses. When the Minister and his colleagues sit down with governments like the Saudis and the United Arab Emirates - I am not talking about the companies - do they raise human rights issues? There has been a fair bit of trade with the Saudis. For the life of me, I do not know how the Government is having problems dealing with the Russians when it can deal with the Saudis. I am in favour of talking to everybody. However, the Saudis are destroying Yemen. They are creating millions of refugees. There is starvation and cholera of unbelievable proportions. Is the Government raising these issues when it discusses trade with them? That is my question to the Tánaiste.

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