Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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490. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his plans to recognise the deaths of a very large number of Armenian persons in 1915 as genocide; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37972/17]

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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502. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if there is a proposal for Dáil Éireann to recognise the Armenian genocide; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38155/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 490 and 502 together.

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. It is Ireland’s general practice to recognise genocide only where this has been established by a judgment of an international court or where there is international consensus on the matter.

A Notice of Motion on this issue was received on 31 August 2017.