Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The international unit in the Department of the Taoiseach gives the Taoiseach advice on international issues including peace and security, overseas development assistance and fundamental human rights. It also monitors progress on the implementation of the UN strategic development goals. I welcome the recent launch of the new national implementation plan for these goals. As regards fundamental rights, like Deputies Bacik and Brady, I also wish to ask the Taoiseach about the current situation in Iran. The death of Mahsa Amini following her detention for failing to wear a hijab has sparked widespread protests. There has been a disproportionate response to these protests and a number of protestors have been killed, as we have heard. There are also concerns about the safety and wellbeing of the Iranian athlete climber Elnaz Rekabi. Now it appears that Iran is supplying drone weaponry to Russia for deployment in Ukraine. Will the Taoiseach continue to raise at EU level the need to impose additional sanctions on Iran in response to these ongoing abuses of fundamental human rights?

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