Michael Ahern (Cork East, Fianna Fail)

I thank Senator Bradford for raising this matter on the Adjournment. In the first instance I wish to reaffirm the position of the Government regarding the death penalty; we are adamantly opposed to the use of the death penalty in all circumstances in any part of the world. We believe its abolition contributes to the enhancement of human dignity and the progressive development of human rights.

The House will be aware of the efforts we have made, in conjunction with our EU partners and in accordance with the common EU guidelines on the issue of the death penalty, to seek the universal abolition of the death penalty. The EU has pressed for abolition and has also issued démarches on the use of the death penalty in many countries. In the recent past, démarches have been made in the United States, in accordance with EU guidelines, at both federal and state level, on behalf of a number of individuals. The European Union has also raised the issue in its human rights troika meetings with the US.

The EU guidelines adopted in 1998 set out clearly the common EU position on the use of the death penalty. These guidelines now form the basis for Ireland's concerted interventions, along with other EU member states, in death penalty issues. The objectives of the guidelines are to work towards the universal abolition of the death penalty and, in countries which maintain the death penalty, to call for its use to be progressively restricted and for the strict conditions set forth in international human rights instruments on the use of capital punishment to be respected.