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

The Deputy is correct on young people. We need to try to involve young people and women on much of the post-conflict management, conflict prevention and the accountability agenda which is important from an Irish perspective. We need to be a country that holds in some cases big powerful friends of ours to account through international mechanisms and the Rome Statute.

There was an agreement between my Department and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform that if we were successful in getting on to the Security Council that resources would be made available to ensure Ireland had an impactful presence. We have already committed resources in terms of a significant increase in staff numbers in New York. We will be opening a number of embassies this year that are quite strategic in terms of Security Council membership. We will be beefing up our presence in capitals we believe are necessary to make sure that Ireland is both listened to and is relevant. Resources will not be an issue.

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