Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 1044: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs his plans to raise the arrest and detention of Bishop Jia Zhiguo with the Chinese Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30049/08]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I am very concerned about the case of Bishop Jia Zhiguo, who was rearrested on 24th August in Zhengding. Though he was allowed to return home on 18th September, he is currently under house arrest. Bishop Jia Zhiguo has been the subject of repeated arrests over a great many years.

His case has been raised on a number of occasions with the Chinese authorities through the EU-China Human Rights Dialogue, including at the most recent round of the dialogue which was held in Brdo, Slovenia on 15th May last. This Dialogue is the agreed formal framework through which the EU raises human rights issues, as well as individual cases of concern. My Department will seek to ensure that his case is raised again at the next Dialogue meeting, which is expected to take place at the end of November. We will also raise the case bilaterally with the Chinese authorities.

Human rights are a constant and important subject of dialogue with the Chinese Government at bilateral as well as at EU level. In our contacts with the authorities we continually stress the importance the Government attaches to issues such as freedom of expression and freedom of religion. My Department will continue to monitor the situation of Bishop Jia Zhiguo. It is particularly disappointing that he should have been rearrested so soon after the end of the Olympic Games. His age and state of health give grounds for particular concern.