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

Some of what the Deputy says is true but there is no international consensus on whether the events of 1915 can be considered a genocide. There has been no ruling in regard to this matter by an international court and neither the EU - that is, the European Council and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy - nor the UN has recognised these events as genocide. The European Parliament, it is true, adopted a resolution on 15 April 2015 on the centenary of the Armenian genocide, calling on Turkey to recognise the events of 1915 as genocide and calling on both Turkey and Armenia to work towards reconciliation and normalisation of their relations. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe recognised the events as genocide in a 2001 resolution. The parliaments of 15 member states have passed resolutions recognising the events of 1915 as genocide. However, Governments of ten member states have said they do not recognise the events of 1915 as genocide or have refused to take a position on the matter. Remaining member states have avoided being drawn into the issue.

The point I am making is that there is not a settled international position on this; far from it. I have outlined the basis by which Ireland would introduce a resolution on this matter and we do not have it.

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