Pat O'Neill (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I hope that this American trade will continue and prosper.

On another issue, I ask the Deputy Leader to contact the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Minister, Deputy Charlie Flanagan, in regard to the Baha'i religion and the persecution it is facing in Iran at present. The Baha'i religion is the largest minority religion in Iran, where there are 300,000 Baha'i people. Since the early 1980s they have been denied third level education. In 1984 they set up their own institute of higher education but it has been closed down at least six times by the Iranian Government. Education is not a crime and everybody is entitled to education. The issue of a minority being treated like this by Iran has to be dealt with. I ask that the Deputy Leader contact the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Minister to raise the issue either at EU level or UN level. As I said, education is not a crime. The Baha'i people are being persecuted in Iran for their beliefs and it should be raised at a higher level.