Rónán Mullen (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am disappointed by the response. If the notion that we cannot comment because this is a matter for another state was to be followed in all situations where something so blatantly unjust and cruel was to be disclosed, we would have zero international engagement. The reason we have a Ministry for foreign affairs is to conduct relations with certain states. According to my recollection, Ireland has always seen itself as a country with a moral voice and perspective on world affairs. What I am hearing from the Minister of State's reply is a "hear no evil, see no evil" approach. I am not at all reassured that there is also not a "do no evil" commitment because it is unclear from the reply that the Irish authorities would not take a similar cruel approach. I hoped that the Government's reply would at least have stated that these situations ought to make us think and review our policies just to see whether there could be unintended consequences of such magnitude.While I accept, as the Minister of State said, that this has not been taken up, I question whether the Government ought to wait to be approached when such troubling cases as these have come to public notice.