Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Nolan for repeatedly asking parliamentary questions on this issue and for highlighting the matter. She is associated with this Topical Issue matter. Last Saturday, we were fortunate enough to have a celebration of mass by our parish priest, Fr. Michael Toomey, out at a mass rock, where priests were victimised and terrorised, and indeed, paid the ultimate price with their lives during the time of the Penal Laws. Thankfully, we have moved on since then. We were able to celebrate mass there. Fr. Paddy O'Hanlon started the tradition of saying the mass some 20 years ago. We have the mass every July amuigh faoin spéir. It is a wonderful day in the parish. It is nice to remember that.

The Minister of State referred to the vicious attack on the church in Nigeria where people had gathered to worship. Such attacks are happening on an hourly, daily and weekly basis. The Nigerian Government must be held to account. It is the same in Yemen and other countries in the world where people are persecuted. Ireland must be at the forefront in highlighting the issue. I do not hear anything. The Minister of State outlined how the issue is being raised by our officials at a UN level. Why is our Taoiseach not cheerleading on the issue, as he is on matters in other countries, such as the war in Ukraine? We must be even-handed. We must deal with all persecution on the basis of religion. The ease of access that Boko Haram and other groups have is obnoxious and obscene. They can easily recruit people who do not have a great education. I wish to thank the religious sisters and the priests of Ireland. They have travelled all over the world to provide education. They are still doing it. Goodness knows, they get enough criticism in this House, but I want to salute them for what they have done and what they continue to do. We need to keep highlighting the issue at UN and EU levels and anywhere else that we can raise it, because it is just not acceptable that this kind of religious persecution can take place. The savage loss of human life is atrocious.

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