Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)

Like Deputy Rice, I want to raise the situation of Seán Binder and the 23 other human rights defenders who are appearing in court in Greece today. Their crime is volunteering as rescue workers and saving the lives of those who are distressed at sea. In the seven years since he was arrested, Seán Binder has posed this question, "If you come across somebody in distress, what do you check first, their pulse or their passport?". These human rights defenders now face up to 20 years in prison but this trial is not just solely about them. It is also about the broader message sent to those who choose compassion over indifference. If the Tánaiste could also update me when he gets a briefing from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on its specific intervention in this case, I would appreciate it. I ask him to speak to the issue of what this trial says about the broader question around the approach the EU is taking to people who are found in distressed conditions in these boats. What is the prioritisation here?

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