Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independent)
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16. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will condemn the violence and ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya in Myanmar; the action he plans to take to hold the Government of Myanmar to account and stop this humanitarian crisis; and his views on a call for the freedom of Dublin city to be stripped from Aung San Suu Kyi. [39696/17]

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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17. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the recent human rights violations of the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar; and if Ireland will condemn these actions. [39832/17]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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18. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the efforts being made at international and EU level to end the violence in Rakhine State, Myanmar; the efforts made to protect the Rohingya people; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39702/17]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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21. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has been in contact with his counterparts in Europe to condemn the treatment of the Rohingya people in Myanmar; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39875/17]

Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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22. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has contacted Ms Aung San Suu Kyi and the Government of Myanmar to protest at the treatment of the Rohingya people of Myanmar; if he will request an immediate cessation of the attacks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39699/17]

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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25. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the violence that is being inflicted on the Rohingya minority in Myanmar; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the UN and NGOs have documented massive human rights abuses and that the violence is likely to constitute ethnic cleansing; if he will speak out against this ethnic cleansing; and if Ireland is providing assistance to Rohingya refugees who have fled over the border to Bangladesh. [39766/17]

Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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32. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will condemn the human rights abuses against the Muslim Rohingya people of Myanmar and call on the political authorities there to take immediate steps to end the violence against the Rohingya people and provide humanitarian aid to prevent further harm. [39695/17]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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41. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which he directly or together with the EU and-or the UN has sought to influence positively the situation in Myanmar, with particular reference to the immediate cessation of violence and-or ethnic cleansing; if the UN has been requested to intervene; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39851/17]

Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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42. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the plight of the Rohingya people in Myanmar; and his further views on the way Ireland can assist in addressing the inhumane treatment of the Rohingya. [39821/17]

Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independent)
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Will the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade condemn the violence and ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya in Myanmar? What action does he plan to take to hold the Government of Myanmar to account and stop this humanitarian crisis? What are his views on a call for the freedom of Dublin city to be stripped from Aung San Suu Kyi?

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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The Minister of State will respond, after which we will go to other Members if we have time.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 16 to 18, inclusive, 21, 22, 25, 32, 41 and 42 together.

The Government condemns the violence has taken place in Rakhine State. This includes the attacks by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, and the excessive actions which the Myanmar security forces have undertaken in response. It is imperative that an end is brought to this violence. I reiterate that it is essential that any further security operations carried out by the security forces in Myanmar are in line with international human rights obligations.

The reports of human rights violations by the security forces in Rakhine State are deeply troubling. Along with other EU member states, Ireland has supported the establishment and extension of the mandate of a UN fact finding mission in order to establish the facts of the situation on the ground. During an interactive dialogue at the Human Rights Council on 19 September, we continued to urge the Government of Myanmar to enable access to the team and to co-operate fully with it. The Government is raising its concerns through our bilateral contacts with the Government of Myanmar and in the context of our EU membership. Ireland's embassy in Bangkok, which is accredited to Myanmar-Burma, is monitoring the situation closely. Ireland fully aligns with recent statements by High Representative Vice-President Mogherini, in which she called for an end to the violence and for humanitarian access to be brought to those in need. The concerns of the EU have also been expressed directly to the Government of Myanmar. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is liaising closely with other EU partners at official level in Brussels, Yangon and UN fora to contribute to the EU response to this issue.

In addition, Ireland continues to monitor this protracted humanitarian situation closely and may allocate additional humanitarian assistance in the coming months, in line with humanitarian needs.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Only three minutes remain. I will take three very quick supplementary questions.

Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independent)
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I have a number of questions I wish to put to the Minister of State. This issue is not something that started only three or four weeks ago. We know it has been going on for centuries. The Rohingya are not recognised and are treated in a disgraceful way. Since 2012, when the violence started, 500,000 Rohingya people were already in Bangladesh. This is on top of the 400,000 who moved over the border in the past two weeks. Why do we supply Myanmar with humanitarian assistance to aid the people of Rakhine, including the Rohingya community, when they are being treated like this? Why is the Government supplying guns to the Myanmar generals and army? We should call for this to be stopped. Does the Minister of State, the Minister and their party support the call for the freedom of Dublin city to be stripped from Aung San Suu Kyi?

Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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Before the current crisis, the Rohingya were recognised as one of the most persecuted minorities in the world. I had a question on this for the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade some years ago when the persecution first came to light. Since it was not dealt with adequately then, space was made for it to be exacerbated. We are seeing that now. What is alarming is the way the Government is not accepting the reports of the UN. It is accusing the UN of false representation. I acknowledge the Rohingya community in Carlow, whose family members have been affected.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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To be honest, I am surprised by how tame the criticisms are and by the use of the word "excessive". Even according to the French President, Mr. Macron, this is genocidal violence. It is textbook ethnic cleansing, as the UN representative implied. Some 400,000 people have been driven out. The treatment of these people is reminiscent of scenes from "Apocalypse Now" or "The Deer Hunter". It is absolutely appalling. What is most shameful of all is that the winner of a Nobel Peace Prize, Aung San Suu Kyi, is apologising for this stuff. That is what she is doing. She accused the Rohingya of being Bengalis and, incredibly, of burning their own homes, thus giving licence to the military, which has been doing this for years, to genocidally attack and ethnically cleanse the Rohingya in vicious Islamophobic violence, at an enormous human cost. We should be absolutely forthright in demanding the stripping from Aung San Suu Kyi of the freedom of this city and of her Nobel Peace Prize. There should be absolutely forthright criticism and an end to any kind of co-operation with the Burmese regime, the Myanmar regime, while it continues with this activity.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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This, in itself, deserves a specific debate. I ask the Minister of State to convey this to the Minister. What specific efforts is the Government making at UN and EU levels? This is genocide. Deputy Boyd Barrett and others have covered it. We know and we can see what is happening. I know importance is attached to the freedom of the city, which I understand, but we want to know what the Government is willing to do at a practical level. Would the Government support immediate sanctions against Myanmar? Would it propose this at EU level? These are real, fundamental steps. I heard members of the Rohingya community on the radio last week. There is quite a significant community here. They are seeking something tangible. We just cannot stand by. Even though our voice is small - I get that we are not going to save the world in the morning - we could propose immediate sanctions against Myanmar. People would listen to us. We have a very good track record on human rights internationally and we should actually follow that. I ask the Minister of State to outline the practical measures the Government can take.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Regarding the freedom of the city, it is a matter for Dublin City Council. It was a decision made by the council in the first place, so any decision on this has to be taken by it.

Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independent)
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Fine Gael has members on the council.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Government absolutely condemns the violence that is taking place, including the attacks by the Salvation Army or the "excessive actions" of the security forces. We absolutely condemn this violence. I was asked about the Irish position. As a member of the European Union, Ireland is seeking to find solutions both in a bilateral context, with Myanmar, and via participation at international level through the UN General Assembly and the Human Rights Council. They are meeting this month in New York and Geneva. The EU has led a resolution on the human rights situation in Myanmar. The Human Rights Council addresses such matters annually. Most recently, in March of this year, the mandate of the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar was renewed by the council for another year. These concerns are being raised directly with the Government of Myanmar. The EU delegation, which was led by the EEAS, raised this matter when it met the Myanmar authorities in early September. The EU delegation continues to do so regularly. As a member of the European Union, Ireland is very much part of that process.