Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I can barely see my colleagues. I want to begin by congratulating the Minister, Deputy Coveney, on his reappointment at a critical time for Ireland in international affairs. He has done a very good job to date and I look forward to working with him from the Labour Party’s perspective. I also wish to congratulate the Minister of State, Deputy Brophy, on his appointment. I said to him that he had been sent out to bat so often in tricky circumstances for the previous Government that he certainly deserved promotion and I look forward to working with him on international affairs.

I propose to deal with six issues, pose six questions and then to give the Minister some time at the end to respond to them, if that is acceptable to the Chair and to the Minister.

This is a very broad Estimate covering many areas and we will tease them out in detail when we have a chance to read the Minister’s script.

First, I will deal with the Minister’s commitment to deal with our citizens impacted by Covid-19 abroad. In the early part of the crisis we dealt largely with repatriations. That was a very worthwhile and elaborate scheme that brought many thousands of people back to Ireland and I commend the Minister for that. We now need to have real concrete supports for individual citizens all over the world in desperate hardship. I heard in the Minister’s contribution about the support of organisations but there are individuals who have no income, are out of work and cannot pay their rent. Is there an overall picture that the Minister can present to us on that and how he intends to address it?

My second question is on Northern Ireland. I was interested in the comments of the new Taoiseach on the specific Northern Ireland facility that he is establishing in expanding his own Department to have a Northern Ireland office there. I ask how specifically that will interact with the Minister's Department and where responsibility for Northern Ireland policy will lie. Heretofore the Minister has been the lead in this policy.

I congratulate the Department and everybody involved in securing a seat on the United Nations Security Council for next year. It is no mean feat to defeat Canada. I pay special tribute to Ambassador Geraldine Byrne-Nason for her sterling work in that regard. The Minister said that our policy in regard to that seat will be anchored in human rights. In that context, while we do not have an extradition treaty with the People's Republic of China, since last year we have had an extradition agreement with Hong Kong, in respect of which the Minister signed Statutory Instrument 395/2019. My third question for the Minister is as follows. In the light of the national security law now being imposed on Hong Kong by Beijing and the decision yesterday of Australia to suspend its extradition arrangement with Hong Kong, does the Government intend to suspend the agreement of last year as a clear signal of Ireland's opposition to the imposition of that security law?

My fourth question relates to the issues in Yemen. It is an area of urgent monumental concern. My own judgment is that it is the most shocking crisis currently facing the globe. Can Ireland, the Minister and we as a Parliament lead on this issue? What role will we take to highlight the ongoing shocking suffering that is being endured by the people of Yemen right now?

My fifth question is in regard to Palestine. When we raise the issue of Palestine we are constantly reminded of the two-state solution that is the anchor of all our policy. A two-state solution can only work when there is a willingness for the creation of two acceptable and sustainable entities, two acceptable and sustainable states, supported by Israel and by Palestine. It is clear that the ongoing illegal annexation of more and more Palestinian territory by Israel is making that two-state solution increasingly distant and unviable. In those circumstances, what is our other plan? We cannot simply state that this is our plan if it is being actively undermined. What action will Ireland undertake to defend that core mission?

My final question relates to Brexit, which, although I have left until last is very high on our priority list. We have enjoyed strong cross-party support in regard to our approach to Brexit to date. There are real challenges coming on stream now. What specific plans does the Minister have to ensure there is continued close co-operation across all political parties as we reach the crucial climax of the exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union?

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