Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State.

Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House to reply to this matter. I ask him to imagine a situation where the Leas-Chathaoirleach was arrested and put in prison for two years and was then sentenced to 11 and a half years for the crime of arranging a parliamentary debate. This is what has happened to the speaker of the Catalan Parliament. We all know the history of what has happened over the past couple of years and how the Catalan people voted in their millions for independence on 1 October 2017. We were all shocked at the scenes of Spanish state police brutally destroying polling booths and hitting elderly frail people. My party had four witnesses who saw that first hand.

After that shocking display of state violence and repression, a number of Catalan leaders were put in pre-trial detention. We heard on Monday how nine of them have been sentenced to between nine and 13 years in prison. The former speaker, Ms Carme Forcadell, faces 11 and a half years in jail for allowing a debate on Catalan independence in parliament. The former vice president, the equivalent of our Tánaiste, Mr. Oriol Junqueras, faces 13 years for peacefully seeking independence for his nation. Several ministers have been sentenced to at least nine years. We now have a new warrant for Carles Puigdemont, who has been living in exile for the past few years, as are others who have been involved. The Spanish state has tried to have them arrested and extradited but it keeps losing these cases because the charges they face have no basis. They are ridiculous charges of sedition and rebellion.

The European Union is supposed to stand for certain important values, such as democracy, freedom and human rights. Recently, we heard the European Commission quite rightly condemned the Polish Government for interfering with its judiciary and we have heard it speak out directly against the awful migration policies of the Hungarian Government.However, there is a conspiracy of silence when it comes to what is happening in Catalonia. No one wants to say anything. Peaceful people have been imprisoned and sentenced to between nine and 13 years. All they did was arrange a peaceful referendum. The equivalent of the Leas-Chathaoirleach has been imprisoned for arranging a debate in a parliament. This is a watershed moment for the EU. How can it have any credibility to speak about freedom, dignity and human rights when it turns its backs on the Catalan people and this horrific repression?

The Minister of State is standing in for another Minister today, but I hope that he will agree that dialogue is the way forward. Currently, we are consumed by Brexit and are hopeful of a good outcome. That hope is based on dialogue. The Spanish state has set its face against dialogue and has set itself on a course of imprisonment and repression of the Catalan people. Where is our Government in all of this? What message can the Minister of State give to the people of Catalonia? What message speaking of human rights and freedom can we hear from him? It would mean much to the Catalan people if he were to acknowledge that dialogue must be the way forward. I hope that he will give a message that, at least here in Ireland, we remember the values of free speech and democracy and that we value the right of the Catalan people to have their say on their future.

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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I thank the Senator for raising this matter. The Government follows closely developments in Spain, which is an important EU partner and a good friend of Ireland's. Irish people know Spain well. After Britain, it is the country to which we travel most. Furthermore, cities and towns across Spain are home to many Irish people and many Spaniards visit and live in Ireland.

Upholding the rule of law in all its respects is a key underpinning of all democracies. The question of Catalan independence remains a deeply divisive and contentious issue in Catalonia and the rest of Spain. Yesterday, the Spanish Supreme Court announced its verdict in the cases of 12 Catalan pro-independence leaders. We are all aware of reactions across the spectrum of opinion in Catalonia and elsewhere in Spain. We also note the Spanish Government's statement on the matter. We respect the separation of powers in Spain as in Ireland and it would not be appropriate for me to comment on a case ruled upon by the Spanish courts.

More generally, the Government's position regarding Catalonia remains that the constitutional and political arrangements in Spain are matters to be determined by its own citizens through its own institutions in keeping with the rule of law. The Government respects the constitutional and territorial unity of Spain, and just as we would expect other countries to respect our courts, we respect the decision taken by the Spanish courts.

Our ambassador and officials based in the Irish Embassy in Madrid continue to monitor developments. They are in constant contact with our Government and are monitoring the situation as regards demonstrations so as to provide suitable travel advice to Irish citizens. We respect people's right to gather and express freely their opinions, but we share the calls for calm, moderation and respect for others so as to allow those who live in Catalonia and its many visitors, including from Ireland, to go about their daily lives without disruption, including being able to travel freely to and from airports and train stations or by car. The freedom to express contesting views is essential in any democracy but differences of opinion must be contested with full respect for the law and the rights of all citizens. This is the foundation that underpins and protects most modern democratic societies.

The Government continues to support a resolution to the current situation that is based on democracy and the rule of law.

Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein)
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I am disappointed with the Minister of State's response.Democracy cannot by its nature be seditious. The Minister of State called for calm and moderation and for respect for others. I support that call but if we are going to respect other people then surely we need to call out that it is wrong to imprison people for arranging a debate in a Parliament or for expressing their will peacefully within the state in which they live. If we cannot call out what is happening in Spain in terms of the open repression of the Catalan people then where are we in terms of the values we seek to preach and believe in? I call on the Minister of State to at least acknowledge the need for dialogue to resolve this situation. Surely he can agree with me on the need for dialogue between the Spanish state and the Catalan Parliament to resolve this situation.

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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As I stated in my opening remarks, the question of Catalan independence remains a deeply divisive and contentious issue in Catalonia and in the rest of Spain. It is through democratic processes in full respect of the law that differences of opinions must be contested. Upholding the rule of law is the foundation that underpins and protects our democracies. The problem presented to the Spanish Supreme Court was a legal and constitutional issue. We should be wary of simplifying a complex issue. As we expect other countries to respect our legal system, we respect the independence and integrity of the Spanish courts. What happens in Catalonia matters to us here in Ireland, as evidenced from Oireachtas interest in developments there. The Government supports all efforts aimed at facilitating reconciliation. We remain of the view that it is for all Catalans and Spaniards to arrive at a shared view of what steps within their laws and domestic institutions best support a process of resolution of divisions.