Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)

I commend the motion so ably and passionately proposed by Senator Norris, as it is necessary. I also commend him on using a Private Members' motion to raise concerns about human rights and the decimation of a number of agencies that deal with them and equality.

In December 1948, the United Nations adopted one of the most profound documents in the history of humanity, namely, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Article 1 sums up human rights simply by stating:

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

The principle of inalienable human rights runs through many constitutions and declarations worldwide. The European convention on human rights, to which Ireland and other countries are signatories, enshrines fundamental rights such as the right to life, the prohibition of torture, the banning of slavery and forced labour, rules on lawful detention, the right to a fair trial, a right to privacy, freedom of conscience, religion and association and the prohibition on discrimination. Signing up is one matter, but adhering to those principles is another.

Abolishing pointless quangos and amalgamating others is all very well, but the only ones that seem to have been targeted are those that dared to stand up to the Government, as mentioned by Senator O'Toole. The Government has strangled the Combat Poverty Agency, savaged the Equality Authority to the point of being effectively unworkable and tried to silence the IHRC by slashing its budget. These are the facts.

My party has criticised these decisions because the Government has not used the cutbacks to get efficiencies, but to silence criticism and to send a message to other groups, namely, that they will be left alone if they do not cause it trouble, but that they will be crucified, like the organisations to which I have referred, if they stand up and point out that the Government is wrong. It was cynical, dishonest, reprehensible and wrong to do so.

Fine Gael tabled motion No. 32 on the Order Paper to address this matter. We are prepared to back fully the motion proposed by Senator Norris and seconded by Senator O'Toole.

Fine Gael regularly stresses the importance of ethics and the rule of law in foreign policy. During the recent war in Gaza we called for independent verification of all claims by all sides and that all breaches of international law and human rights obligations by Israel or Hamas be prosecuted.

Once a trade deal includes human rights protocols they must be followed and monitored. Human rights should never be sacrificed for trade. Fine Gael places strong emphasis on the rule of international law. There must be no running away from human rights. Trade is crucial but lives are sacrosanct and human rights are central.

Fine Gael always has and always will oppose extraordinary rendition. We understand the sense of fear that existed after the terrorist attacks on 9 September 2001 in the United States but to use the words President Obama addressed to his fellow citizens at his recent inauguration, "As for our common defence we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals". We hope that the election of President Obama means an end to rendition and that a new foreign policy, radically different from some of the appalling policies of President Bush, will be pursued.

Anything that compromises the fundamental principles of human rights in a society is a defeat for that society. Human rights are neither optional nor negotiable. We in Fine Gael do not accept the abandonment of the rights of the people of Tibet purely for economic gain, nor do we accept the denial of human rights to the peoples of Israel and Palestine. That does not mean we do not have contact with the governments of these people or that we must not have trade with them but we must at all times keep diplomatic channels open. Contracts on trade must never mean silence on human rights. I agree with Senator O'Toole that when we go on diplomatic visits to countries such as China we should not be afraid to voice our opinions and our concerns about human rights in Tibet and other nations. We should be prepared to speak and people will respect us for our principles. Conscience must never be sold for 30 pieces of silver or any other currency.

I strongly agree with the principle of this motion that this House call upon the Government to strongly and publicly affirm its commitment to human rights and to the individual exercise of those rights domestically and internationally. Principle belongs in politics and there is no more fundamental principle than the commitment to human rights. For this reason my party fully supports the motion proposed by Senator Norris. I refer to our similar motion No. 32 on the Order Paper which we may move at a later date if we do not see any progress on the issues raised here this evening.