Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We will maintain our call for the authorities to engage in meaningful dialogue. To be clear, the Government led by the Taoiseach does not accept the results of the election. I want to be absolutely clear. The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, OSCE, of which Belarus is a member, has offered to visit Minsk and help facilitate talks. We will continue to encourage the authorities to grasp the offer with both hands. I am hopeful targeted EU sanctions will be imposed shortly, and the Taoiseach will be very strong when discussing the importance of this step at the European Council later this week.

The European Council operates by consensus. Two member states have difficulties with this, not because they have difficulties in imposing a sanction on Belarus but because of other issues that are important to them, and I acknowledge they are very important to them. I hope we can, through dialogue, encourage this step to take place. We cannot do anything at the European Council without consensus. That is what the Taoiseach and other leaders are working towards this week. I hope we will see a positive outcome. I will be there with the Taoiseach and I will speak to my colleagues on this issue.

Sanctions alone are not the answer. The repression faced by ordinary people in Belarus, including members of civil society, members of the co-ordination council, environmental activists, journalists, human rights defenders and lawyers and almost everybody, except his family and close colleagues it seems, is totally unacceptable and we must support the people in defending their rights. I assure the House that Ireland, led by the Taoiseach and the Government, will remain steadfast in its support for the Belarusian people.