Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Question 417: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will investigate media reports regarding the execution of gay men in Iraq; if he will raise Ireland's concerns with the Iraqi Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22912/09]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I am aware of some disturbing reports in early April this year, alleging the detention of numbers of Iraqi men, on the grounds of their sexual orientation, with suggestions that they are to be executed. The situation in Iraq is, of course, complex and I understand that international NGOs have been unable to get confirmation that these men are in custody, what charges they may be held on, or whether they are facing execution.

Ireland does not have diplomatic representation on the ground in Baghdad but I have asked my officials to engage in fact-finding with EU member states and other concerned parties and we will continue to follow this matter closely. The EU has repeatedly affirmed the principle of non-discrimination, which requires that human rights apply equally to every human being, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity. Ireland joins with the EU in rejecting and condemning any manifestation of homophobia as a blatant violation of human dignity.

I am deeply concerned by all violations of human rights, including those based on sexual orientation and, in particular, the recourse to the death penalty on such grounds. I very much welcomed the de facto suspension of the death penalty which had been observed in Iraq from August 2007 until very recently. It is regrettable that this moratorium appears to have ended and executions resumed, with the carrying out of death sentences against 12 individuals in Kadhamiyah Prison on 3 May. I strongly support the European Union's call for the resumption of this suspension, pending legal abolition of the death penalty in Iraq.

Along with our EU partners, Ireland will continue to support steps by the Iraqi authorities to protect and promote human rights for all Iraqis. Human rights issues are likely to be one of the principal issues addressed in the EU's future political dialogue with Iraq. Arrangements for such political dialogue will form one of the main provisions of the proposed Partnership and Cooperation Agreement currently under discussion between the EU and Iraq.

More generally, the EU continues to be actively engaged in efforts within the United Nations to tackle racism and discrimination, including discrimination based on sexual orientation. The French Presidency delivered a statement at the UN General Assembly debate in December 2008 in which the EU urged States to take all necessary measures to ensure that sexual orientation or gender identity should under no circumstances be the basis for criminal penalties, in particular executions, arrests or detentions.

Most recently, the Czech Presidency issued a declaration on behalf of the EU on the occasion of the International Day Against Homophobia on 17 May, expressing concerns about violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms based on sexual orientation and gender identity, in particular the use of death penalty on these grounds, the practice of torture or other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment, arbitrary arrest or detention, denying the right to peaceful assembly, and deprivation of economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to health.

Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 418: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the latest reports on human rights abuses in prison camps in North Korea; if he has had representations from human rights groups on this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22920/09]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I am aware of recent reports from a range of reliable sources, including the US State Department, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, about prison conditions in North Korea. To date, my Department has not received representations from human rights groups regarding these recent reports.

I am gravely concerned about the evidence which exists that serious human rights violations, including the use of torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment, as well as appalling living conditions, are systemic in the North Korean prison system. My concerns extend also to the grounds upon which severe prison sentences are imposed, not only on individuals, but also on their family members, including children. These issues – and others relating to human rights violations - are raised bilaterally with the North Korean authorities by our Ambassador in Seoul, who is accredited to North Korea, during his regular visits to the North. They have also been raised by senior officials visiting from my Department. Our representations have been met with strong denials and accusations of interference in North Korea's international affairs.

North Korea broke off the human rights dialogue which the EU initiated with it some years ago, after the EU had spearheaded the successful move in the UN's Human Rights Council to have a Special Rapporteur on Human Rights appointed for North Korea. EU meetings with North Korea continue to take place and human rights concerns, including issues relating to prisoners, are always raised by the EU side. The most recent such meeting, at senior official level, took place during an EU Troika visit to Pyongyang from 21-23 March 2009. Other EU countries, including Ireland, continue to raise human rights issues in bilateral contacts with North Korea.

North Korea has consistently refused to recognise, or to co-operate in any way with, the Human Rights Council's Special Rapporteur on Human Rights for North Korea, Vitit Muntarbhorn. The country's human rights record will be subject to review under the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism of the Human Rights Council in December 2009. Ireland will be actively involved in this review.