Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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86. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the treatment faced by followers of Falun Dafa in China; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23503/21]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Government regularly discusses human rights concerns with the Chinese authorities in bilateral meetings and in the appropriate multilateral fora, including rights related to freedom of expression and freedom of religion or belief. In that regard, my Department closely follows reports of the treatment faced by Falun Dafa practitioners by Chinese authorities.

These issues are also raised regularly by the EU, including most recently during the EU-China Leader's Meeting in September 2020, where the EU reiterated its serious concerns about the treatment of ethnic and religious minorities, the situation of human rights defenders, as well as the limitations to freedom of expression and access to information.

We, together with our EU partners, will continue to address human rights concerns with China, in frequent and regular dialogue, through our contacts in both Dublin and Beijing, and through the relevant multilateral channels.