Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 23 to 30, inclusive, together.

On Monday, 27 January, I joined other world leaders at a ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau and to commemorate international Holocaust remembrance day. It was a day where we remembered the unique horrors of the Holocaust, in which 6 million Jews from across Europe were murdered in Nazi death camps. The commemoration was probably the last significant one at which survivors of Auschwitz were able to recount first hand the horrors of what happened to them and other concentration camp inmates. We remembered also the Roma, the disabled, the political dissidents, the members of the LGBTQ community and all who were persecuted and murdered without mercy in the camps. We owe it to them to ensure that now, and for all generations to come, we remember and say “Never again.”

In 2025, Ireland will contribute €50,000 to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation to support the preservation of the site and a history that should never be forgotten. My Government remains committed to denouncing and combating antisemitism and all forms of discrimination, intolerance, racism and xenophobia. In recent years, we have witnessed a shocking rise in antisemitism and Holocaust denial, both online and offline. I take this issue very seriously and the Government will continue to work at home and with international partners to tackle all forms of discrimination, including antisemitism. I condemn outright the recent incident of antisemitism witnessed in Dublin. This is entirely unacceptable and completely incompatible with what this country and its people stand for.

In this spirit, we recently endorsed the global guidelines for countering antisemitism and the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism. We will also continue our close relationship with the Jewish community in Ireland and ensure that their concerns are heard.

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