Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 10: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the situation in Iran, including the statement made by the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency that Iran was unlikely to produce a nuclear warhead. [31741/09]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The internal political situation in Iran remains of serious concern. While the public demonstrations arising from last June's disputed presidential election may have abated somewhat, the overall human rights situation has deteriorated considerably in Iran since then. The response of the Iranian authorities to the largely peaceful protests, the most recent of which took place on 18 September, has been harsh and repressive, with many hundreds arrested and detained. There are disturbing reports of maltreatment of prisoners and on the conditions of their detention. There have been allegations of torture, rape and even death in custody. We have witnessed what can only be described as mass show trials of opposition political activists and others who participated in peaceful demonstrations against the election result.

Ireland and the European Union continue to make known to the Iranian authorities our serious concerns at these developments as we have done since the start of the crisis. Any failure on Iran's part to ensure observance of international legal standards in conducting the trial of those now charged will have serious consequences and will draw an appropriate response from the European Union. We also continue close contact with and support for our French and United Kingdom colleagues in their ongoing diplomatic efforts to secure the freedom of the French national, Clothilde Reiss, and to ensure the proper and lawful treatment of locally-employed embassy staff. This has been a particular issue for the United Kingdom. One must keep human rights in Iran at the forefront of our relations with that country in light of the current difficult internal political situation.

On the second issue of Iran's nuclear programme, attention is currently focused on the proposals submitted by the Iranian Foreign Minister to representatives of the E3+3 group, that is, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, China and Russia on 9 September. Having read through it, I must state that it is a slim document. These proposals outline a general commitment on Iran's part to engage in comprehensive, all-encompassing negotiations but do not refer directly to its nuclear programme and contain no real indication from the Iranian Government that it is willing to suspend any ongoing enrichment activities. The E3+3 group has agreed, however, to meet Iran representatives to discuss these proposals. A meeting between Javier Solana and the Iranian chief negotiator, Saeed Jalili, is scheduled for 1 October. In the meantime, Iran and its nuclear ambitions are likely to be a major topic of discussion at the UN General Assembly session this week and at the G20 Summit in Pittsburgh.

Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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I welcome and join in the Minister of State's emphasis on defending the rights of those who are being incarcerated and those who are being made the subject of show trials in Iran. He has my support in this regard. I remain unconvinced about the viability of the negotiations with the E3+3 group regarding the issue of nuclear enrichment. The inspector, on behalf of the IAEA, has published a report that suggests that Iran is not proximate to the capacity for a nuclear missile. That is a fact.

Ireland is getting sucked into an unreal conversation with those who will not submit themselves to the non-nuclear proliferation treaty by way of inspection, such as Israel, whose official policy is non-denial, which I think means that it has capacity but is not willing to state it. I refer to President Obama's statements, in co-operation with the Israeli and Russian response. I do not want to be regarded as making the case for President Ahmadinejad but there is no demonstrable breach in the non-proliferation agreement. There is a report from the inspector to say that one is very far from a finished project with regard to material. This is a space that President Obama's Administration is willing to enter, with Russian assistance. I contrast that approach with those representing the European Union, which has an interest in not taking the same position as the advanced position of the United States in recent times.

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy is correct. Dr. Elbaradei made a number of comments in June and July on the issue. We must be careful because there have been cases of selective, out of context quotations as there always are in these issues. A month earlier he said it was his gut feeling that Iran would like to have the technologies "to enable it to have nuclear weapons if they decided to do so". Addressing the IAEA board earlier this month, he stated that Iran had not co-operated with the agency. From the discussions I have been party to within the European Council, a cat and mouse game is being played and this is causing difficulties. It serves Iran ill to behave in this manner because it allows speculation. Deputy Higgins is correct in saying that Dr. Elbaradei made those comments. One must be even-handed in these matters. That is very important because the tut-tutting and finger-pointing at Iran alone is unlikely to bring Iran into the space we want to bring it into.

Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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I am not making the case for Iran. The raising of a non co-operation issue to a treaty breach issue, which it is not, is very dangerous in seeking a resolution to this matter. Proposals have been made, for example with the Russian agency, that would have enabled significant progress to be made but the use of the non co-operation issue and its assertion inappropriately has tended to block at least two separate independent initiatives on the supply of material, which would have allowed us to make progress.

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy is correct but there is a core issue of failing to co-operate with the IAEA, which is a serious matter. I accept that Deputy Higgins is not an apologist for President Ahmadinejad and his regime. On top of other matters, including human rights violations, it is true that there is not full co-operation with IAEA.