Tony McCormack (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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11. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will request the Irish Embassy in Washington DC to engage with the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations to ensure its members are not subjected to disinformation in regard to proposed Government legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38165/25]

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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What does the Tánaiste consider the best response to the comments by the chair of the United States foreign relations committee that the occupied territories Bill is blatantly antisemitic?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I deplore antisemitism, as does everybody in this House. We should speak with one voice in condemning antisemitism in all its forms. It needs to be called out and we all need to do more, as countries, as the European Union and as a global community, to stamp out antisemitism. That is beyond doubt.

Separate and distinct from what I just said, we will continue, as a country, to speak up for our values as a people in terms of human rights, the work of the ICJ and our feeling of obligation to be in compliance with ICJ advisory opinions. That is where this legislation has come from. It came from the fact that an international court of justice looked at the situation in the illegally occupied territories and has called on countries like Ireland - in my view, it has compelled countries - to act. We would not be true to our values, nor, I believe, to our obligations and the work of the ICJ, if we did not act.

In respect of the United States, we will not respond to bombast but we will continue to respectfully engage. I look forward to engaging with the new US ambassador on a whole range of topics. I will have a substantive meeting with him next week. I will continue to engage with my counterpart, Secretary of State Rubio, and with the commerce secretary and the trade representative. The Taoiseach will continue to engage with the President on all issues to do with our bilateral relationship.

Senior level engagement with the United States is a top priority for me. It is also identified as a priority in the programme for Government, which includes a commitment to "strengthen our political, cultural, economic and trade relationship with the US at all levels, recognising the unique significance of the transatlantic relationship between us". Our embassy in Washington DC, the staff of which I thank for their great work, is continually engaged with a number of committees across Congress, particularly the Senate and House committees that deal with foreign relations. This provides an opportunity to ensure Ireland's foreign policy, including on the Middle East, is well known and, I hope, understood in key Congressional committees.

It is easy to talk when there is agreement on everything. It is harder, but more important, to continue to engage when there are points of difference. We do that in a manner that is respectful of the deep relationship between Ireland and the US.

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome and echo the Tánaiste's remarks. The small Jewish community in my constituency of Dublin South-West feels particularly vulnerable at times of protest.

Outside our relationship with the UK and the European Union, we have a unique relationship with the United States. This issue provides an opportunity, not to review it but to move forward with a different kind of dynamic. Some people on the left are the first to protest when members of the Houses of Congress who may hold strong views with which we disagree visit this House. These visits are opportunities to engage and to outline the rationale behind Ireland's stance on particular issues, as opposed to having a blanket protest against their presence in the House. In that engagement with people who hold particular views, it is important that we express to the Americans that it is not the Irish Government that has been accused of genocide, crimes against humanity and weaponising of hunger. Those views must be made known as strongly as possible to our American counterparts.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Absolutely, and that is the difference between the Government and the Opposition. The Taoiseach and I were in the United States, where he had a meeting with President Trump, engaging on behalf of this country, speaking up for our values, putting forward our views and valuing our relationship. The leader of the Opposition took the weekend off. That is the difference. It is easy to turn up when everybody is getting on great. It is more important to turn up when there are legitimate points of disagreement and to articulate our views in that respectful manner. We have a very deep, cultural, economic and person-to-person relationship with the United States of America. That is a good thing. We also have our own policies and that is okay too. We are a democratic, sovereign country and we engage in that respectful manner.

Separately to the formal engagement that happens at the Congressional committees I referenced, our ambassador to the United States, Geraldine Byrne Nason, who is doing an excellent job, regularly meets with members of Congress from both parties. Our consuls general across the US mirror that federal level engagement with state-level Congressional leaders. The ambassador and the team at the embassy regularly engage with the US Administration at a senior level. The embassy is fully aware of the need to ensure timely and accurate information on Ireland's policy priorities in respect of both our foreign and economic policy.

There will be lots of visits from Congressional delegations, as the Deputy rightly noted. Regardless of our political perspectives, we should all take those opportunities to engage.

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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I echo the Tánaiste's comments regarding our diplomats.

The week of St. Patrick's Day is a particularly important week for Ireland. Is it time to look at mobilising more politicians, outside of just Ministers and Ministers of State, to engage at state House level in the United States, open up a new conversation with American legislators and mobilise our considerable diaspora? There was a time when we had very significant figures on Capitol Hill but that has diminished a little bit. The Cathaoirleach of the Seanad has done a lot of work on creating new connections and networks in the US. Other countries have trade envoys and political envoys who convey particular messages. There are some messages diplomacy cannot deliver but which face-to-face political connections can. I seriously encourage the Tánaiste to look at the possibility, over the lifetime of the Government, of having some politicians act as envoys on behalf of the Government in particular areas and with a particular focus on the US.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I remember the challenges to do with envoys previously. I agree with the Deputy's broader point on the need to empower as many people as possible to engage. I will reflect on his point. The first way we should do that is by continuing to facilitate and host Congressional delegations, known as CODELs, whereby people from both sides of the aisle, Republicans and Democrats, travel to Ireland together. One of the most recent delegations, which visited in April, included three members of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. They met with a number of Oireachtas Members and Government representatives. We plan to proactively engage with further CODELs due to visit Ireland in the coming months, which will include a number of important interlocutors.

The Deputy is right that we have built up great relationships over the years with senior Irish-American figures. We need to look to the next generation of people who may have an affinity with our country. I acknowledge the work done by the Cathaoirleach of the Seanad. The US is a federation and engaging on a state-by-state basis is very important.