Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I acknowledge and welcome the fact that this is world human rights week. Monday was the UN's day for recognising human rights. Even in a time of recession, we must reflect on whether we as a nation are doing enough to respect and implement the human rights and dignity of our citizens throughout the world.

I welcome the recent announcement by the Minister for Justice and Equality that the new capacity legislation, which will upgrade our mental health legislation, will be published next year. Following its implementation, Ireland will be in a position to sign up to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Our international record for fighting for human rights is unblemished. For decades, our missionaries have gone to all parts of the Third World and worked tirelessly to try to alleviate poverty in a most hands-on fashion. Our Defence Forces have an unblemished record and their reputation is second to none in terms of the peacekeeping duties they have carried out in Lebanon and other conflict areas.

Given our reputation and the fact that we will take over the Presidency of the EU on 1 January, it is an opportune time to put human rights centre stage and to use our unique six-month position in Europe to promote world human rights and to ensure that the human rights agenda is kept where it should be, namely, to the fore, in all political activity internationally.