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

We know some of what is happening, and I have been very critical of it, as has the Dáil and Seanad. A very strong motion was tabled by Senator McDowell and others, which was supported by all parties, a number of months ago. Ireland has not been quiet on this issue. We have raised it. With regard to the issue of how we define it legally, certainly the advice I have from the Department is that we do not have sufficient legal certainty to be able to categorise it as genocide. I am not going to use emotive language for the sake of it. To call something genocide is a very serious accusation and we need to be able to back it up in terms of the legal consequences of the term. That is all I am saying.

To respond to what Deputy Stanton raised, my understanding is that access has not been granted. The EU has been raising the temperature on this issue. This is why it has applied targeted sanctions through the human rights system of sanctions now available to the EU. There were retaliatory sanctions, by the way, from China immediately once they were announced. A number of Members of the European Parliament are on the sanctions list. The decision to apply sanctions stung. There is no doubt this issue is a cause of tension between the EU and China. The challenge is for us to have a good relationship with China and, at the same time, to be able to raise real concerns when we have them in a way that is appropriate and in a way that is listened to and lands. Getting that balance right is an ongoing debate within the EU on China.

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