John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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801. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if the Human Rights Implementation Group under the Irish National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights, has recommended including mandatory human rights due diligence mechanisms in line with similar provisions in other countries as he suggested in Dáil Éireann on 5 March, 2020 (details supplied); if these mechanisms will be employed by Ireland in the case of trade with the Cerrejón mine in Colombia; if he has engaged with the ESB on the Cerrejón issue; if imports of coal are continuing from Colombia to Ireland, including the Moneypoint plant in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39073/21]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The role of the Implementation Group for the National Plan on Business and Human Rights is to focus on the implementation of the commitments made in the National Plan. These include a series of commitments in relation to human rights due diligence.

Implementation of the National Plan is ongoing. Recent achievements include the publication of new guidance on business and human rights for business enterprises and accompanying webinars, all of which are available on my Department’s website.

While my Department provides the secretariat to the multi-stakeholder Implementation Group, the National Plan is a whole of Government plan. Moreover, implementation of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights requires wide engagement from across Government, the business sector and wider society.

The European Commission is currently finalising proposals for a legislative initiative in relation to sustainable corporate governance. These are expected to include EU-wide mandatory social, human rights and environmental due diligence requirements in relation to the supply chains of business enterprises. I understand that the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, as lead Department, is following developments closely.

In relation to the Deputy’s questions regarding the ESB and importation of coal from the Cerrejón mine in Colombia, policy responsibility with regard to the ESB and importation of coal falls outside the remit of my Department. Detail on any current developments may be available from the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications as the ESB’s parent Department.