Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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44. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC ) resolution on Sri Lanka 30/1, extended by resolution 34/1, which is due to expire in March 2019 (details supplied); if efforts to ensure a new strong UNHRC resolution on Sri Lanka post-March 2019 will be supported; and if requests for the creation of an international tribunal into the allegations of war crimes in Sri Lanka which have yet to be properly investigated and the perpetrators punished will be supported. [9635/19]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Ireland continues to monitor developments in Sri Lanka. Under the terms of resolution 30/1, adopted by the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on 1 October 2015 and later extended by UNHCR Resolution 34/1 on 23 March 2017, which Ireland co-sponsored, the Council welcomed the commitment of the Government of Sri Lanka to undertake a comprehensive approach to dealing with the past and to promote reconciliation, accountability and human rights. We welcomed the co-sponsoring of Resolution 30/1 by Sri Lanka, which demonstrated the Government’s resolve to ensure justice and strengthen human rights, democracy and the rule of law.

Ireland has been pleased to note the steps taken by the Government of Sri Lanka to implement Resolutions 30/1 and 34/1 but has also noted the continuing challenges facing civil society and human rights defenders there.

Three decades of civil war in Sri Lanka, which ended in 2009, have left their mark. As we know in Ireland, reconciliation is an ongoing process which requires constant effort and engagement by all involved. Progress has been made but much remains to be done.

The political crisis in Sri Lanka at the end of 2018 tested Sri Lanka’s democratic institutions. I welcome the peaceful and democratic resolution of the crisis in accordance with the Constitution.

I understand that a resolution on Sri Lanka will be brought forward at the current Session of the Human Rights Council. Drawing on our experience with the preceding resolutions, Ireland will engage constructively with the issue through our Permanent Mission in Geneva. However, a final decision on supporting such a Resolution will only be taken when its content becomes clear.

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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45. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a Kurdish Member of Parliament (details supplied) is on a hunger strike since November 2018; and if concerns for their health and well-being will be raised with his Turkish counterpart. [9638/19]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Irish Government is aware of and very concerned about the case of Kurdish MP Leyla Güven. As the Deputy would know, the case was raised recently in Dáil Éireann, and we urged the Turkish authorities then to take urgent measures to alleviate the situation, including her release from prison and her immediate transfer to a hospital in order that she receive adequate medical treatment and contact with her lawyers and family. I was pleased when Ms. Güven was released from prison on 25 January but she is continuing her hunger strike and we are very concerned at the deterioration of her health.

We have been conveying our concerns to the Turkish authorities, both in relation to Ms Güven’s case and the arrest of HDP MPs, along with other elected politicians, journalists and academics over the past two years.

On the wider Kurdish issue, it is clear that this can only be addressed through dialogue aiming at establishing a peaceful, comprehensive, and sustainable solution. Ireland has called for the resumption of such a dialogue to allow the political process to resume. We continue to support efforts to maintain contacts between the Kurdish and Turkish sides through our funding of the Democratic Progress Institute’s Turkey Programme.

I want to assure you that the Irish Government will continue to monitor developments in Turkey both in terms of the hunger strike, and on our wider concerns on human rights, freedom of expression, the rule of law, and democracy.