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

We are already doing things. I am not quite sure what the Deputy is suggesting we do. This week, the Minister of State, Deputy Cannon, and I were at the Human Rights Council in Geneva and in a contribution I made I referred specifically to the need to protect human rights defenders. I have met the Saudi ambassador in Dublin on two occasions to talk about Yemen and the Khashoggi case with particular reference to the promise of an independent investigation. There is engagement with the Saudi embassy in Dublin and in international fora, in particular at UN level, and there have been multiple discussions within the EU on human rights concerns in Yemen and the need for Saudi Arabia to ensure solutions are implemented which move away from war and violence towards the protection of civilians. I am happy to explore any new approach that we can take. In my experience, getting results in international politics requires one to talk to people, not simply engage in grandstanding. We will take on board any suggestions the Deputy has, but they need to actually work.

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