Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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105. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to recognise the mass killing of up to 1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman Turks in 1915 as genocide. [15165/16]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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The Irish Government has expressed its deepest sympathy for the enormous suffering of the Armenian people during the terrible events of 1915 which resulted in the tragic deaths of very large numbers of the Armenian population in the Ottoman Empire.

No Irish Government has taken a position on the recognition of the events of 1915 as genocide, believing that it is not in a position to adjudicate on this contentious matter, involving the consideration of a number of legal issues and an assessment of the actions and intentions of many parties during that time. I am aware that statements on these tragic events made in some European countries do refer to genocide. However, the position remains that there is no international consensus and neither the UN nor the EU has adopted a position on this case.

As we in Ireland know well, the process of reconciliation and coming to terms with the past is never easy. I urge both Turkey and Armenia to take advantage of any opportunity for reconciliation between their two peoples.