Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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I welcome the Minister of State to the House and thank him for attending to address this important topic. I am sure he will agree with me that the crisis unfolding in Venezuela over recent weeks has shocked many people with news reports of people rooting through bins to feed their children, a crisis in the availability, as well as a lack of, basic medical care and supplies, along with inflation of 1 million %. This is all in a country which has generated $320 billion in oil revenue in the past ten years.

Last year’s Venezuelan presidential election exposed and saw electoral fraud on a massive scale. This has been roundly condemned by the European Union and all international observers. We have seen serious human rights abuse reports with 8,000 extrajudicial killings in the past three years by the state security services, while thousands more have been detained without charge, trial or any due process. Many Venezuelans have been stranded abroad during the crisis, including many in Ireland, because their worsening situation has meant that they are able unable to renew their travel documents.

I would be grateful if the Minister could outline what steps the Government is taking about this serious situation, particularly in conjunction with the European Union, to bring about an end to this crisis and an improvement in the lives of ordinary people in Venezuela. Is the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade aware of Venezuelan citizens who may be stranded in Ireland and unable to return home?

Will the Minister of State agree with me that some political parties and Members of the Oireachtas have not covered themselves in glory on this issue? Many Members of this House spent much time raising human rights abuses in the context of the debate on the occupied territories Bill but have been curiously silent on this issue. The Minister of State will be aware that two senior members of Sinn Féin, including its general secretary, attended Mr. Maduro’s inauguration recently. It was Sinn Féin's connected organisation, the IRA, which committed 1,800 extrajudicial killings on this island that are still not condemned outright. In one way, we cannot be surprised that it has no objection to 8,000 extrajudicial killings committed by the Venezuelan regime.

It is not just Sinn Féin of course. Over the weekend, I heard Deputy Paul Murphy of the so-called Socialist Party say that the economic crisis in Venezuela was due to the fact that Mr. Maduro was not left wing enough. Even our President has joined this bandwagon in the past, I am sorry to say. He praised the former Venezuelan President, Hugo Chávez, for achieving "a great deal in his term in office, particularly in the area of social development and poverty reduction”. These policies are now the policies universally agreed to be the root cause of the current misery of the Venezuelan people. I do not say this to be nit-picking but because it is a serious subject. It highlights the bankrupt political ideology of many of the hard left. It does not seem to matter how many people suffer or die, so long as their left-wing experiment is protected at all costs.

I hope the Minister of State will agree with me that sentiments praising the Maduro regime do not represent the views of the Irish people. The Government has moved on this issue by recognising of the head of the Venezuelan National Assembly, Juan Guaidó. Will the Minister of State endorse what two Venezuelan nationals living in Ireland, Kley Salinas and Liliana Fernandez, who said in an interview at the weekend that “Your body is here in Ireland but your mind is in Venezuela”, living in fear for those back home? We have to have in mind these days and show concern for the hundreds of Venezuelan nationals who have come to Ireland to live happy and productive lives but who are in great pain about the plight of their home country.

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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The Government continues to be deeply concerned by the political, economic, social and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela. This crisis continues to have a grave impact on the Venezuelan people. It has resulted in mass migration, affecting countries in the region and overall regional stability.

Particularly distressing is the human impact of the crisis. The UN estimates over 3 million people, approximately one tenth of the entire Venezuelan population, have already left the country. The acute humanitarian needs in the country are well known, particularly regarding shortages in access to medicine, significant increases in malaria, infant and maternal mortality, as well as acute malnutrition.

On 10 January, President Nicolás Maduro started a new mandate on the basis of non-democratic elections held in May 2018.Ireland was not represented at the inauguration and fully supported the related declaration by the EU High Representative and Vice-President of the Commission, Ms Federica Mogherini, which urged President Maduro to release all political prisoners, to uphold the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms and to urgently address the needs of the population.

Ireland, alongside its EU partners, has repeatedly called on the Venezuelan Government to engage in dialogue with the opposition, respect the electoral calendar and fully restore the country's democratic institutions. It is regrettable that the Venezuelan Government has not heeded these calls for fresh presidential elections in accordance with internationally recognised democratic standards and, indeed, the Venezuelan constitutional order.

Ireland fully supports the most recent EU 28 statement made by the High Representative and Vice-President of the Commission, Ms Mogherini, on 26 January which reiterates that a peaceful and inclusive democratic solution is the only sustainable way out of the current crisis and reaffirms the full support of the EU to the democratically elected National Assembly. It stated that if no announcement regarding fresh elections were to be made over the intervening days, the EU would take further actions, including regarding the issue of recognition of the country's leadership. Ireland reaffirms its full support for the democratically elected National Assembly, the last remaining fully democratic institution in Venezuela, emphasising that its powers need to be restored and respected. Ireland supports the call made by the President of the National Assembly, Mr. Juan Guaidó, for free, fair and democratic elections.

Ireland is committed to finding ways to foster shared democratic solutions that can bring political stability and address the pressing needs of the Venezuelan people, including by increasing EU humanitarian support.

A credible, meaningful dialogue leading to an inclusive democratic solution is the most effective way of achieving a peaceful and sustainable resolution of the current crisis in Venezuela. Ireland also supports the remarks made by the High Representative and Vice-President of the Commission, Ms Mogherini, following the informal meeting of EU foreign Ministers in Bucharest on 31 January, including regarding further EU actions to increase humanitarian support and to consider additional targeted sanctions. Ms Mogherini also took the opportunity to announce the establishment by the EU of an international contact group for Venezuela. Ireland, while not seeking membership, welcomes its establishment and believes that the international contact group will be a useful vehicle for facilitating dialogue and working towards a democratic solution. I look forward to the report of the first meeting of that international contact group which is to be held in Montevideo this Thursday.

I welcome the high priority given to the issue by the EU and the regular consultations at the highest levels on developments on the ground. Ireland remains in close contact with our EU partners to consider our next steps for a co-ordinated EU action.

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I want to reiterate something I said in this House last week. While I welcome the general thrust of the Government's approach to this issue, it would be good if we did not just wait for the EU line on these issues. It is important we give strong moral leadership as a small country that has been known to do that in the past and is recognised and respected for its neutrality. Other, larger countries have moved more quickly to make their positions on the matter clear and I would like to see Ireland taking a lead and not just waiting for the EU line.

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Senator. I reiterate that Ireland has continuously voiced its support for the National Assembly, of which Mr. Guaidó was elected President earlier this month, as well as urging Mr. Nicolás Maduro to fully respect and restore the independence and powers of the National Assembly. Ireland is committed to finding ways to foster shared democratic solutions that can bring political stability and address the pressing needs of the Venezuelan people, including by increasing EU humanitarian support.

We have always made the case, and we continue to do so, that a credible, meaningful dialogue leading to an inclusive democratic solution is the most effective way of achieving a peaceful and sustainable resolution of the current crisis in Venezuela. Ireland supports urgent measures to address the humanitarian crisis and reiterates calls for humanitarian actors to be allowed to operate without interference to ensure that the utmost is done to mitigate against the grave effects of the crisis and alleviate the suffering of the Venezuelan people to the greatest extent possible.

Ongoing engagement with our EU partners is critical in trying to effect the kind of change necessary within Venezuela in the most sustainable manner. Our voice is amplified significantly by working in close concert with our EU partners and at the highest level on the issue. The days and weeks ahead are crucial for the people of Venezuela and Ireland will continue to maintain that very close and ongoing contact with our EU partners to repeatedly emphasise the right of the Venezuelan people to choose their future.