Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his reply. The reports of the UN special rapporteur on this issue are damning. The rapporteur has consistently raised concerns regarding the human rights situation of ethnic and religious minorities in the Islamic Republic of Iran and specifically in regard to Baha'i citizens. The Baha'i people are considered to be the largest non-Muslim and unrecognised minority in Iran, numbering an estimated 350,000, and they have suffered the most egregious forms of oppression, persecution and victimisation. I make these comments as somebody who always says that we should turn the mirror on ourselves before we ever criticise another country.

I worded my question very specifically to ask what analysis has been done by the Minister or his Department in regard to the particular issue of identity cards, given that they are the gateway to access to many services. What specifically has he done in response to reports that members of the Baha'i community cannot access identity cards?

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