Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. I appreciate that the Department met me. It was a very helpful meeting and it is a way to work. There is, however, no progress in relation to the plan and we are into our fifth year. Trinity College did a report that was a snapshot of large firms operating in Ireland. The embedding of human rights principles received the lowest score. Embedding respect for human rights and conducting human rights due diligence was the theme on which companies, on average, scored the lowest. While some of the actions the Minister reports have been implemented from the last plan, no specific goals were delivered. There is an urgent need to publish this report based on human rights. We know that. I know from meeting personnel in the Minister's Department that they are absolutely doing their best. They are certainly committed to bringing this plan forward but where is the delay? The Minister is talking about a meeting of the stakeholders in a few months and yet he is talking about a plan that will be published soon. Will the Minister clarify that for me?

See this speech in context