Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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339. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will join the Island of Jersey in condemning the Faroe Islands' barbaric 'grindarap', which involves the annual massacre of thousands of whales and dolphins. [32392/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The International Whaling Commission (IWC) was established in 1946 as the global body responsible for management of whaling and conservation of whales. It is an inter-governmental organisation with a current membership of 88 governments from all over the world. Ireland joined the IWC in 1985.

Ireland maintains a pro-conservation position with respect to cetaceans and all cetaceans are protected under the EU’s Habitats Directive. While the EU is not a party, as the IWC pre-dates its foundation, EU Member States who are parties to the IWC act jointly in the interests of the Union and adopt a pro-conservation position at meetings of the IWC.

In December 2021, the Slovenian Presidency of the European Council issued a statement from IWC Contracting Governments that are members of the EU, including Ireland, which condemned the 'cruel and unnecessary killing of over 1,400 Atlantic white-sided dolphins' in the Faroe Islands 'grind' which took place in September 2021.

Furthermore, the statement called on the Faroese Government to immediately stop the practice of whale and dolphin hunting and provide the same strict cetacean protection as EU Member States and as provided by relevant multilateral agreements.

Denmark, in addition to its membership of the EU, has an independent role as the State responsible for the Faroe Islands, which is not a member of the EU and therefore not bound by EU law. In this latter capacity, Denmark did not participate in the Statement.

There has been no change to Ireland's position on the matter since the statement was issued.