Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Question 3: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs his views regarding repression of the pro-democracy movement in Bahrain; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9013/11]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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I am extremely concerned about the situation in Bahrain following a violent clampdown against protestors demanding political reforms in February and March and continued repression against those advocating reform. Security forces from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, under the auspices of the Gulf Cooperation Council, have been deployed in Bahrain at the request of the Bahrain Government since 14 March. A three month state of emergency was declared on 15 March.

I am particularly worried about the unprovoked and disproportionate use of violence, including close-range lethal shootings of peaceful protestors and the detention of unarmed protestors. I am also alarmed by reports of repression and attacks by the Bahraini armed forces against medical staff and institutions, such as Salmaniya Hospital, the main public hospital in Manama, during and after the recent protests.

The EU Foreign Affairs Council which I attended on 12 April, discussed the situation in Bahrain and adopted strong conclusions, which I fully support, reiterating our serious concern at the current situation and at the arrest of persons exercising their legitimate right to freedom of expression. Ireland and its EU partners are urging an immediate investigation into recent events and the release of detained peaceful protestors. We further call on the authorities and protestors in Bahrain to act with restraint and to begin an inclusive dialogue aimed at agreeing necessary political and economic reforms. Such dialogue and reform is crucial if Bahrain is to emerge from its current difficulties.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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While I welcome the fact the Tánaiste is concerned, we need to be honest. Concern will not be sufficient for the people of Bahrain and neither are investigations sufficient. A ruthless repression of pro-democracy protesters is taking place there. In recent days, hundreds of the people who organised the pro-democracy protest, who were calling for nothing more than democracy-----

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy must ask a question.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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-----have been arrested and detained without trial. The daughter of one of these people is on hunger strike in protest. It is a brutal situation. Saudi Arabia has been involved in supporting this regime. I suggest we need more than expressions of concern from the European Union. Ireland should challenge at European level and also with our US friends the unbelievable inconsistency of sending bombers to deal with one brutal dictatorship in Libya while doing nothing more than expressing concern and talking about investigations when it comes to the suppression of a democracy movement in Bahrain. Is the inconsistency in this matter something to do with the fact that Ireland, the European Union in general and the western powers in general, have major trade links with Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and in the case of the bigger European powers and the US are arming these regimes to the teeth? This is why they want to do nothing to support actively the pro-democracy movements in Bahrain nor do they wish to take any serious action to restrain the authorities from crushing a pro-democracy movement.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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There is nothing inconsistent either in respect of Ireland's position or the EU position on Bahrain. Ireland's position regarding Bahrain is that we are absolutely clear in our desire for an end to the repression. The clampdown on peaceful protest and the way in which it has been treated is unacceptable. The principles of democracy, the rule of law and the application of human rights are universal principles and there is no inconsistency nor any different approach as to how they are applied from one country to another.

In a manner similar to the political upheaval which has occurred in other countries in the region, the protests in Bahrain arise from basic demands for political reforms, including a new constitution, an elected government, more equitable distribution of the country's wealth and the release of all political prisoners. I reiterate my concern about the repressive targeting by the Bahrain Government of, in particular, medical staff and institutions. There have been widespread reports, including by such respected bodies as Médecins Sans Frontières, of the takeover by the Bahraini security forces of medical centres and hospitals, of the arrest and detention of medical personnel such as doctors, nurses and ambulance drivers, the violent prevention of medical personnel attending to injured protesters and many other incidents. These were the subject of discussion at the Foreign Affairs Council on 12 April and I expect they will be discussed again at the next meeting.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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What are we going to do about it? What concrete actions are we going to call on them to take? I do not believe bombing is the way forward in Libya, but I thought it was absolutely right for sanctions to be imposed on the Gadaffi regime for what it was doing to the pro-democracy movement in that country. Why are we not calling clearly for sanctions to be imposed against Bahrain and against the regime in Saudi Arabia, which is actively involved in crushing the democracy movement in Bahrain? I believe we are involved in joint economic commissions with countries like Saudi Arabia. Our export trade with Bahrain is worth €27 million per annum. We import some services and merchandise into this country from Bahrain. Therefore, we have the muscle to do something. The EU certainly has the muscle to impose sanctions against Bahrain and demand an end to this repression. Why are we not making such clear and unequivocal calls?

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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The concerns that Ireland and other EU member states have expressed about the situation in Bahrain have clout for the reasons that have been mentioned. As I have said, this matter was discussed at the meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in April. I expect it will be discussed again at the next meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council. If there is no response to the calls that have been made by Ireland, other member states and the EU as a whole, and if the repression continues in the way I have described, obviously the Foreign Affairs Council will have to consider other measures.