Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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16. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on the international unit of his Department. [49699/22]

Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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17. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on the international unit of his Department. [51678/22]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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18. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on the international unit of his Department. [51712/22]

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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19. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on the international unit of his Department. [51715/22]

Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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20. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on the international unit of his Department. [51718/22]

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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21. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on the international unit of his Department. [52021/22]

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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22. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the international unit of his Department. [52893/22]

Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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23. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on the international unit of his Department. [53397/22]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take questions Nos. 16 to 23, inclusive, together.

The international section of the Department supports my work at an international level, beyond Europe, to promote Ireland's foreign and economic policy objectives and develop and maintain strong bilateral and multilateral relations. Working closely with other Departments, especially the Departments of Foreign Affairs and Defence, the section provides me with advice and briefings on bilateral relations and international issues generally, including international peace and security, overseas development assistance and international human rights.

The section also oversees the implementation of the Government's Global Ireland: Ireland’s Global Footprint to 2025 strategy, including its renewal. The section chairs a senior officials' group on the sustainable development goals, SDGs, which provides strategic overview and monitors overall performance, supporting the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications, which has overall responsibility for overseeing coherent implementation across government.

The section co-ordinates my international travel as well as my engagements with visiting Heads of State and Government and with other international figures and organisations. Recent outbound visits include my visits to Japan and Singapore in July and my attendance at the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September.

In my political meetings in Japan and Singapore with Prime Ministers Kishida and Lee, respectively, we discussed Russia's war on Ukraine, the impact of which is being felt all around the world. We also discussed a number of global topics of shared concern, including how to restore broken supply chains in the wake of the pandemic and how we can all act together on climate. Japan continues to be the largest source of inward investment into Ireland from the Asia-Pacific region, and I was pleased to meet with a number of industry representatives and Irish State agency clients while there. While in Tokyo, I was also pleased to turn the sod on a new Ireland House, which will bring our embassy and State agencies under one roof in this critical overseas market in order to ensure a joined-up team Ireland approach.

Approximately 5,000 Irish citizens call Singapore home, living and working there and making significant contributions. In my meeting with Prime Minister Lee, we also discussed economic and social changes in each of our countries. In particular, I set out the positive impacts the marriage equality referendum has had on Irish society. I welcome the decision taken since in August by Prime Minister Lee to repeal the law which had criminalised sex between men in that country.

At the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September, I delivered Ireland's national statement. I also engaged with a number of other leaders in round-table discussions, bilateral meetings and in the margins, including with the Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr. Antonio Guterres, the President of the UN General Assembly, the President of Nigeria, the Vice-President of Uganda and the Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands. I participated in a round table discussion on the Sahel region, as I said earlier, attended by regional states and organisations as well as by members of the Security Council. I participated in a SDG-related event on jobs and social protection, delivering a keynote address. I also attended a Forum of Small States reception hosted by Singapore.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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There are seven contributors. They will each have one minute. I call Deputy Brady.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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Iranian protests following the death of Mahsa Amini are now in their sixth week.

Support for the country's women is growing but so is the regime's brutality against its own citizens. Mahsa was arrested in Tehran by Iran's so-called morality police and taken to a re-education centre for lessons in modesty, where she later died. Earlier this month, Iran's revolutionary guard went into a girls' secondary school and forced the children to sing a pro-regime song. The girls refused and were beaten. Seven were arrested, ten hospitalised and 16 year-old Asra Panahi died. The country's military and police continue violently to raid homes, workplaces and education settings. Protesters are beaten and killed and jails are now overflowing with increasing numbers under house arrest.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs summoned the Iranian ambassador last week to raise the case of Mahsa Amini's death and the disproportionate response of the country's security forces to the protesters. What were the outcomes of this meeting? Did the ambassador confirm that Iranian climber Elnaz Rekabi is currently under house arrest? What engagement have the Taoiseach and Minister had with their European counterparts? What further actions will Government and the EU take if the additional targeted sanctions against Iranian individuals do not deliver the intended results?

Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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The State and all of us internationally are dealing with supply chain issues, inflation, the energy crisis and the cost-of-living crisis. Our dealings with the European Union are more important than ever as are bilateral relations, particularly with the United States, while they are absolutely necessary in respect of our nearest neighbour. Has the Taoiseach spoken with or has he plans to speak with Rishi Sunak? We have the issue of the Irish protocol, we all want the Executive up and running and we know we are looking at a deadline and are not quite sure what is going to be the case on Friday.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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To return to what the Taoiseach said about Palestine and his uncritical commitment to the so-called two-state solution, the entire history of the State of Israel has been 70 years of relentless ethnic cleansing and displacement of Palestinian people. The two-state solution is a mirage and a ploy promoted by Israel and the United States, behind which they continue the relentless campaign of ethnic cleansing, colonisation of Palestinian territory and the permanent displacement of about 9 million Palestinians around the world. Instead of repeating that meaningless mantra, should we not call out the apartheid, ethnic cleansing, illegal occupation, war crimes and crimes against humanity and insist that the world isolates a regime perpetrating those kind of crimes? We should insist on equality, self-determination and freedom for the oppressed Palestinian people.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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The Government has very cynically used Putin's imperialist and brutal invasion of Ukraine to drive a coach and horses through what is left of the idea of neutrality. Last week the Minister, Deputy Coveney, said that Ireland will participate in the EU's training mission for the Ukrainian army expected to get under way in mid-November. It is very clear that this is the next step in the Government's determined effort to involve Ireland in European and eventually NATO military undertakings. It comes alongside the fact that the Irish Government has now participated in five meetings of the Ukraine contact defence group, a group described by the US Secretary of Defence as a NATO alliance, a body which meets at the NATO headquarters at the US air base of Rammstein in Germany. It comes alongside the escalation of Ireland's involvement in PESCO and the provision of military equipment to Ukraine. The Government is doing all of this in open defiance of the wish of an overwhelming majority of people to remain neutral from all of the imperialist military blocs that are a scourge on the people of the world. It is also doing it without any vote under Article 28 of the Constitution which states clearly that the State shall not participate in any war save with the assent of Dáil Éireann. Will the Government stop this attack on neutrality and instead focus on real solidarity with Ukrainian people, call for cancellation of the debt, shut down the shadow banking system here and provide housing for Ukrainians and all refugees and homeless people here?

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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I want to condemn in the strongest terms the vicious attacks on the right to strike being carried out in France by the Macron Government. The notorious CRS riot police have been unleashed against striking workers who have been threatened with six months in prison or €10,000 fines if they do not return to work. These are workers at TotalEnergies and Exxon Mobil who dared to strike for 10% wage increases after TotalEnergies gave a €2.6 billion dividend to shareholders and Exxon recorded its largest quarterly profits ever. Incredibly, Macron presided over this repression while heaping praise on the Iranian oil workers who have rightly chosen to strike against the repressive Iranian regime. Will the Taoiseach condemn the actions of the Macron Government and the repression of the French State against workers fighting for fair play and social justice?

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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I raised the situation in Iran with the Taoiseach last week and condemned the brutality of the Iranian regime against women and girls who have been asserting their rights. I received an extraordinary letter today from the Iranian ambassador suggesting there was exaggeration in my "emotive expressions", that I had been making loaded comments and that my contribution was characterised by misinformation. I take huge issue with the response of the Iranian ambassador and renew my call on the Taoiseach. How can we maintain relations with a country that treats its own people in such a way, and that is so intent on spreading misinformation about what is going on in Iran? We know that there have been protestors who have died. We understand some 244 protestors have died including 32 children. We have seen reports of arrests of so many people for protesting for basic rights and women and girls that Iran has run out of jail cells. We are seeing of course also Iran continuing to provide kamikaze drones to Russia that are being used to bomb civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. I am renewing my call on the Taoiseach to end diplomatic ties with Iran given all of the terrible brutality the Iranian regime is perpetrating on its own citizens and others.

Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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The international unit in the Department of the Taoiseach gives the Taoiseach advice on international issues including peace and security, overseas development assistance and fundamental human rights. It also monitors progress on the implementation of the UN strategic development goals. I welcome the recent launch of the new national implementation plan for these goals. As regards fundamental rights, like Deputies Bacik and Brady, I also wish to ask the Taoiseach about the current situation in Iran. The death of Mahsa Amini following her detention for failing to wear a hijab has sparked widespread protests. There has been a disproportionate response to these protests and a number of protestors have been killed, as we have heard. There are also concerns about the safety and wellbeing of the Iranian athlete climber Elnaz Rekabi. Now it appears that Iran is supplying drone weaponry to Russia for deployment in Ukraine. Will the Taoiseach continue to raise at EU level the need to impose additional sanctions on Iran in response to these ongoing abuses of fundamental human rights?

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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A number of Deputies including Deputies Haughey, Brady and Bacik have raised the Iranian situation. The death of a number of women and girls and the underlying human rights situation for women and girls in Iran stand to be condemned. It is of deep concern. The Minister, Deputy Coveney, has twice raised the specific case of Mahsa Amini and the unjustified response to peaceful protestors directly with the Iranian Foreign Minister and has called in the Iranian ambassador. He has also raised with the Iranian ambassador concerns for the safety and welfare of Elnaz Rekabi, the Iranian rock climber who could face charges in Iran for not wearing a head scarf while competing at an event in South Korea. Iran's supply of weaponry to Russia, which Deputy Haughey referenced, is directly contributing to violations of international law. Last Thursday the European Union adopted additional targeted sanctions to add three Iranian individuals and one entity involved in the development and delivery of drones to Russia.

More will be added in the coming days.

The fundamental question of diplomatic relations applies to many states that engage in practices we do not approve of, but diplomacy is the last channel remaining to try to persuade people to do differently and to articulate our concerns, consistently raise issues and, into the future, try to develop channels to get a change in how people practise. It is a matter of the gravest of considerations to end diplomatic relations, particularly in a context where we decided only in more recent times to restore diplomatic relations with Iran and given we are working in the context of the UN Security Council on the nuclear file, endeavouring to get the six-party treaty in place, and get Iran, the US, the EU and so on involved in denuclearising any potential for nuclear weapons in Iran. Keeping our diplomatic channels open is very important to the realisation of our goals as members of the UN Security Council, especially since we were responsible for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, JCPOA, file at the Council.

I must take issue with Deputy Murphy's point. He said we are cynically using Putin's war to drive a coach-and-four through our neutrality. One might imagine we had contrived the war to enable us to do this. It is a shocking thing to say.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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It is what the Government is doing. It is more shocking to do it.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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We are not doing that at all. I reject the claim in its entirety. The Deputy will hate me for saying this, but over the 45 minutes we have been here this afternoon, he has done what he does, which is to attack everyone else and to attack Ireland. He is attacking us now in the context of the Government and the Ukraine war. He is not attacking Russia.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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I said it three times in a row.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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The Taoiseach should stop misleading the Dáil.

Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party)
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May we have the Taoiseach without interruption?

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy Murphy says it and then he speeds on quickly.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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The Taoiseach is lying and the record will show it.

Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party)
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Deputy Murphy is aware of the long-standing tradition of not using such language.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The point is the Deputy spent the past three or four minutes saying the Government is trying to breach neutrality. That was of more concern to him than the fact Iranian drones are raining down on Ukrainian civilians. Why did the Ukrainian Government ask us for help in regard to training? I met the Prime Minister the week before last at a meeting of the European Political Community. What did he ask me? He asked for help with demining. Why did he ask for help with demining? He did so because there are mines all over Ukraine.

The Deputy has turned that into an attack on neutrality. It makes my blood boil. He only sees evil everywhere. He sees wrong everywhere. He sees wrong motivation. I have made it clear we are not joining NATO and no Government decision has been taken. By the way, people can have different perspectives on that.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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Why are people being sent to NATO headquarters?

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I suggest we have a citizens' assembly in the fullness of time but not now in the middle of this war.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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The Taoiseach is trying to drag us into a military conflict with no vote in the Dáil.

Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party)
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The Taoiseach, please, without interruption.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The point I am trying to make is that, where we can help and where we should help, is with what Prime Minister Shmyhal said is a real problem for Ukraine, which is that as Russian forces vacate areas, there are mines left behind.

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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Will the Taoiseach answer my question?

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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We knew this when we were involved, with Norway and the Vatican, in leading on the Convention on Cluster Munitions more than ten years ago. We know armies like the Russian army leave stuff behind them, which will lead to children having their legs amputated when they step on mines and so on. Ukraine has asked us for help with demining. I think we should train Ukrainians if they seek help on that aspect of it.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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Is that all the EU military training is doing? No, it is not.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Other European countries are free to do what they want within their laws. We can only do what can be done within the framework we have set ourselves in terms of the triple lock and so on. We are not participants in the war because of our neutrality policy.

Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party)
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We are way over time, Taoiseach.

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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What about my question on the situation in France?

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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That has been made crystal clear to Ukraine. Our military neutrality has been made crystal clear to all parties. That is accepted. Please do not try to throw fog in the way or throw confusion about the place by accusing us of actions we are not engaged in and alleging motivations that are completely untrue.

Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party)
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Go raibh maith agat, Taoiseach.

Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Has the Taoiseach spoken to Rishi Sunak?

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I want to give Mr. Sunak time to draw his breath. I have not called him yet.

Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party)
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We might draw breath ourselves.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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On Deputy Barry's question, I do not know the specifics of the case but President Macron is a liberal politician who likes discussing and debating with people. I have no doubt he would welcome an opportunity at some stage in his life to debate with the Deputy the pros and cons of how society should best be organised.