Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

A few years ago, on 23 January 2015, something very strange happened. This country flew its flags at half mast for the death of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, who was without doubt one of the world's greatest butchers and tyrants. We now know, thanks to the pioneering work of Irish journalist, Sally Hayden, that things are getting worse rather than better in Saudi Arabia. Members can see in this morning's edition ofThe Irish Times that she reports that African and Asian migrant workers are being locked up in unsanitary conditions, tortured, beaten and, in some cases, killed in Saudi Arabia. This relates to new research by Human Rights Watch and she went on to report:

Inside the centre [where these poor migrant detainees are kept they are] beaten with rubber-coated metal rods, which allegedly led to three deaths between October and November. Other interviewees said they had seen people, who were badly injured, being taken out of the centre and never returned.

Saudi Arabia, one of the world's richest countries, has no excuse for detaining migrant workers in appalling conditions, in the middle of a health pandemic, for months on end.

[One can see] video footage of people crammed together, allegations of torture and unlawful killings are shocking ...

Detainees told the organisation that they are being held in cramped rooms with as many as 350 other people.

It is impossible to all sleep at once, so they take it in turns to lie down. There are between two and five working toilets, and there is no access to showers or soap.

I could talk at length, but for the time available, about Saudi Arabia's appalling role in the war in Yemen and our complicity in that war because we continue to facilitate the US military in Shannon. It is disappointing that Sinn Féin is the only party to ever raise that issue but so be it. We are used to it at this point in time. I call for an urgent debate on the crimes and the human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia. There has been a consistent silence on the part of Government parties with regard to this issue. I hope and trust that will change today in the Leader's response.