Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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102. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the action Ireland is taking to protect people from persecution on account of their religious beliefs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13645/23]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland strongly condemns all forms of persecution on the basis of religion or belief, irrespective of where they occur or who the victims are.

The protection and promotion of freedom of religion or belief is a priority for Ireland and the EU’s human rights engagement at both bilateral and multilateral levels, as reaffirmed in The Global Island: Ireland's Foreign Policy for a Changing World.

At a multilateral level, the right to freedom of religion or belief features prominently in Ireland’s engagement at the United Nations including in the General Assembly, at the Human Rights Council, and during our recent term on the Security Council. Ireland consistently co-sponsors resolutions on freedom of religion or belief at the UN General Assembly and at the Human Rights Council.

On 9^thMarch 2023, at the 52^ndSession of the Human Rights Council, Ireland highlighted our concerns about the rise in incidents of religious hatred, discrimination, and intolerance and called on States to ensure that religious communities can manifest their right to freedom of religion or belief and to contribute to society openly and on an equal footing.

Ireland also participates in intergovernmental alliances dedicated to religious freedom and the protection of religious minorities, including the International Contact Group on Freedom of Religion or Belief and the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance.

Within the EU, Ireland works with partners to address the persecution of religious minorities and to step up action to combat discrimination on any ground, including religion or belief. During our Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2013, Ireland played a key role in the development and adoption of the EU Guidelines on Freedom of Religion or Belief. These guidelines provide a framework for the promotion of freedom of religion and belief in the EU's external human rights policies.