Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 585: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to a publication (details supplied) which seeks to raise awareness of countries in which Christian communities are suffering persecution; and if he monitors such situations and raises them in his interaction with the governments of the countries involved. [29689/09]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I am aware of the work of the Church in Chains organisation and of their quarterly and other publications on the situation of persecuted Christians around the world. Arising from correspondence I had with the National Co-ordinator of the organisation earlier in the year, I arranged for officials from the Department's Human Rights Unit to meet with representatives of Church in Chains. This meeting took place on Friday, 19 June 2009, and enabled the organisation to brief officials fully on their activities. It was agreed at the meeting that contact would be maintained so that the Department is fully aware of Church in Chains' concerns.

I am deeply concerned at the growth of religious intolerance and discrimination against, or persecution of, people based on religion or belief. I will continue to work for the eradication of all forms of religious intolerance at both the international and national levels.

Ireland and the EU attach great importance to combating all forms of discrimination based on religion or belief and incitement to religious hatred, and consider that the United Nations General Assembly and the Human Rights Council should continue to address these issues. We firmly believe in tolerance, non-discrimination, freedom of expression, freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief. These are concepts on which the EU was founded and to which all EU member States are steadfastly committed.

At a recent session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva in March 2009, Ireland co-sponsored a resolution on 'Discrimination based on religion or belief and its impact on the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights' which reaffirmed the right to freedom of religion or belief.

We continue to raise relevant concerns in our bilateral official and political contacts. In addition, Ireland has, on a number of occasions, raised issues of freedom of expression during the Universal Periodic Review sessions at the Human Rights Council which review the human rights records of individual UN member States.