Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

My job, as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, is to uphold Irish values and to look for Irish interests in terms of the relationships that we have abroad. Of course, there is concern about the direction that politics has taken in Brazil but we will have to work with the new President. We will have to build a relationship with that Government. We will be critical of him or any other world leader, if it is appropriate to do so. That is what we try to do, through UN structures and through EU structures, to support multilateralism, to support a rules-based order and to make sure that human rights organisations and NGOs are protected where possible. Our actions have been fairly consistent in that regard.

Whether we like it or not, there is a new President-elect in Brazil. We must judge that person on how he performs as President when he takes office on 1 January and we will do that without fear or favour.

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