Ulick Burke (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 81: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the steps he has taken or can take to raise concerns regarding the possible violation of North Korean peoples' fundamental human rights; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29391/07]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland, together with our EU partners, remains seriously concerned at the grave and persistent human rights abuses and the lack of fundamental freedoms in North Korea. Regrettably, while we avail of every opportunity to raise these issues, any meaningful dialogue on human rights with the North Korean authorities has so far proved impossible.

North Korea maintains that there can be no progress on a human rights dialogue until the EU refrains from tabling resolutions against it at the United Nations. The EU has refused to accept any preconditions. Given the lack of any improvement in the human rights situation, the EU again tabled a resolution on North Korea at this year's General Assembly, which was adopted on 21 November 2007. Ireland fully supported this resolution.

Following on from the breakthrough in the Six-Party Talks process in February, an EU delegation visited Pyongyang in March. Human rights issues have also been raised on a number of recent visits to North Korea by delegations from EU member states. During a visit to North Korea earlier this year, Ireland's Ambassador, based in Seoul, accompanied by a senior official from Dublin, expressed our deep concern. Similar points were made at senior official level to the DPRK Ambassador when he visited from London earlier this year.

We will continue, with our EU partners, through the UN and other relevant fora, to make clear our serious concerns about the human rights and humanitarian situation in North Korea.