Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 318: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on recent developments in Iran following presidential election results on 12 June 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24505/09]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 328: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has had contact with the Iranian authorities regarding the protests in Iran, the conduct of the elections and the safety of Irish citizens living in Iran; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25090/09]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 318 and 328 together.

I have been following, with increasing concern, developments in Iran in connection with the Presidential election which took place on 12 June. Turnout in the election is reported to have been a record 85% with more than 38 million Iranian votes casting their ballots. According to the official results of the election, the outgoing President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, was deemed re-elected, receiving 63% of the votes, compared to 34% for his nearest rival, former Prime Minister Mir Hussein Mousavi.

The election on 12 June had been preceded by a lively and vigorous campaign, with unprecedented live TV debates taking place between all four Presidential candidates and extremely large rallies in support of the principal candidates taking place in Tehran and other Iranian cities. There is no doubt that the outcome of the election, particularly the speed with which results were announced and the subsequent handling by the Iranian authorities of large-scale peaceful protests by supporters of Mr. Mousavi and the other defeated candidates, have given rise to very serious concerns internationally. Ireland fully supports the Conclusions adopted by the European Council on 19 June, preceded by the External Relations Council on 15 June, which stressed that the outcome of the Iranian elections should reflect the aspirations and choices of the Iranian people and which reiterated that there were legitimate questions over the conduct of the election which need to be fully investigated.

I firmly condemn the use of violence against protesters in recent days which, according to unconfirmed reports, have resulted in the deaths of at least seventeen people. I also regret the continuing crackdown by the Iranian authorities on media reporting and personal communications as well as the large-scale arrests of those protesting the election results. The Government has made known its concerns bilaterally to the Iranian Government, at a meeting on 16 June between the Iranian Ambassador and officials from my Department.

A partial re-count of disputed votes is now being conducted by the Guardian Council, the body which retains ultimate responsibility for confirming the final results of the election. In the meantime, I would urge the Iranian Government to comply with its international obligations and permit peaceful protest as well as protect freedom of expression at this sensitive time. Such official investigations must be credible, if the current situation is not to deteriorate further. The Irish Embassy in Tehran is continuing to monitor and report on events and maintain close contact with Irish nationals resident in or currently visiting Iran. Travel advice is being regularly updated by my Department. People currently visiting or intending to visit Iran in the near future are recommended to avoid any large political gatherings or demonstrations and also to comply fully with the terms of their visas. They should also register with the Department's on line registration facility on www.dfa.ie.

Looking to the future, we must continue to encourage Iran to engage with the international community, particularly on such issues as the nuclear question and human rights. Both the EU and the US, under President Obama, have stated clearly their wish to work to improve and develop relations with Iran, once it demonstrates a willingness to respond to international concerns and to comply with its obligations, including those set down in various UN Security Council resolutions.