Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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93. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will advocate an ethical labelling policy given that, despite the spin from vested interests, the diamond market continues to be a major source of revenue for rogue regimes in Israel, Zimbabwe, and Angola, that stand accused of grievous human rights violations, including war crimes and crimes against humanity, by the United Nations Human Rights Council, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38992/15]

Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) is the established international regime governing the trade in rough diamonds and Ireland, through its membership of the EU, participates in this regime. The KPCS has developed a set of minimum requirements that each participant must meet to enable them to certify shipments of rough diamonds as ‘conflict-free' and prevent conflict diamonds from entering the legitimate trade.

Ireland participates in the KPCS as a Member State of the EU. The EU as a whole is a single Participant in the KPCS, and Council Regulation (EC) 2368/2002 implementing the KPCS for the international trade in rough diamonds applies common rules in all Member States.

Ireland is fully engaged in the KPCS at EU level and supports efforts to ensure that all trade in rough diamonds potentially used to finance armed conflicts aimed at undermining legitimate governments is prevented.

The prevention of conflict and the protection of human rights remain consistent priorities in Ireland’s relations with other states, both bilaterally and at EU level.