Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Phelan for raising this important issue. On behalf of the Government, I want to reiterate our unreserved condemnation of what is happening in Iran, particularly the execution of people who are protesting against the regime there. We stand with the people of Iran in their demands for women's equality, for LGBT rights, for democracy and also for religious freedom.

It is the view of the Government that diplomatic channels should remain open in order to relay these concerns and deal with other important regional issues. In 2021, the Government decided to re-establish a diplomatic presence in Iran. This is now in the form of a chargé d'affaires, who is present in Tehran. For now anyway, the Irish Embassy in Ankara remains accredited to Iran. We have no date at the moment for the establishment of a permanent embassy.

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