Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Ms Romero attended a meeting of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade. She is one of the activists involved in the Cerrejón mine controversy. The mine is one of the largest in Latin America and it has destroyed the traditional lands of 35 indigenous communities, like Ms Romero's.

The mine has destroyed the natural environment and cut off communities. We are worried about the latest threat. I understand a legal case against the mine is being prepared by lawyers who are going to submit it to the International Criminal Court. I do not know if the Minister is aware of that. As we speak here today, Ms Romero and other members of her community are under threat. I call on the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to do anything he can to assist with the case, the details of which I will pass on to the Department.

Considering that the Tánaiste launched the Government's business and human rights policy, which includes a commitment to semi-State companies respecting human rights in supply chains and given that the coal for the ESB's Moneypoint plant comes from the area in question, will he discuss its importing of this blood coal and will he call for an urgent end the practice? It appears to be a contradiction that, on the one hand, we are launching this policy, while, on the other, we are importing coal from a region such as this.

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