Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this. While I make the case that the share of the overall portfolio of ISIF's investments is a small one, millions of euro is a lot of money for the Deputy and me. I accept that point.

The Deputy raises very important foreign policy and human rights issues. My Department engages with ISIF and the NTMA on these and other matters. The concerns and issues the Deputy has raised are very well understood.

The Deputy referred to issues of policy. I must emphasise again that, given the scale of the portfolio ISIF manages and how much of our money it manages overall, it is important that I respect and support the independence of the board and the decisions it makes. Divestments have already taken place and the ISIF board will determine what is the right investment in a way that is consistent with our independence and the mandate it has. It is well aware of the issues the Deputy raises and the exchanges the Deputy and I have had on a regular basis on this.

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