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

It is now five years since the Rohingya crisis began in Myanmar. The violence and terror perpetrated by the Myanmar military created conditions where 750,000 Rohingya people had no option but to flee their country. Conditions for the voluntary, safe and dignified return of Rohingya people to Myanmar remain very uncertain. Approximately 1 million Rohingya refugees continue to seek refuge in Kutupalong, Bangladesh while tens of thousands more are across the region. Over 140,000 internally displaced persons remain confined to camps in Myanmar. The situation has deteriorated further since the illegitimate military coup on 1 February 2021. I am deeply saddened at reports that over 2,200 people have been killed, approximately 15,000 have been detained, over 1 million have been displaced by conflict and over 14 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. Those figures are listed in a statement but when you think about it, it is quite extraordinary that there are 14 million people in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. It is nearly three times the population of Ireland.

On whether Ireland will join the Rohingya genocide case at the International Court of Justice, Ireland is a firm supporter of the International Court of Justice. My Department monitors the cases before the court closely and the question of third party intervention in proceedings between states is kept under close review. I will come back and give the Deputy more detail on that if he wants, if there is time in the next round.

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