Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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837. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality whether an organisation’s working definition (details supplied) of antisemitism supersedes the description of racism given in the National Action Plan Against Racism, namely that racism has its roots in colonialism, oppression and domination, given that the organisation’s working definition of antisemitism considers that describing Zionism as form of racism to be inherently antisemitic while Zionism is defined by support for settling or colonising historic Palestine so as to construct a Jewish state. [24469/25]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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838. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if his Department is responsible for the implementation of an organisation’s working definition of antisemitism (details supplied). [24470/25]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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839. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality given that the Government has adopted an organisation’s working definition of antisemitism (details supplied), whether the illustrative examples of antisemitism appended to this definition should be considered to have also been adopted by the Government; if this is not the case, how he will ensure that this is clear to all relevant staff, officials and those in receipt of relevant education or training; and to respond to concerns that several examples are disputable and to concerns that several examples are ambiguous; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24471/25]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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840. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality for details of engagements between his Department and an organisation (details supplied) or other anti-racist groups ahead of the Government’s adoption of the IHRA working definition of antisemitism and since the Government’s adoption of the IHRA working definition of antisemitism. [24472/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 837, 838, 839 and 840 together.

Ireland has a longstanding commitment to supporting freedom of religion or belief, equality and non-discrimination. This commitment has been expressed over many years, including at the UN and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), and as a member of the EU. Ireland is also a longstanding member of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA).

At a time of rising global antisemitism, the decision to endorse the IHRA definition reinforces our commitment to tackle all forms of discrimination and signals support for Ireland’s Jewish community at a concerning and challenging time. Endorsing the IHRA definition also reflects commitments made in the recently adopted EU Council Declaration on Fostering Jewish Life and Combatting Antisemitism.

Endorsing the IHRA definition does not preclude criticism of the Government of Israel by individuals or by Governments. The definition is not legally binding.

The preliminary work on adopting the IHRA definition was led by the Department of Foreign Affairs, which leads Ireland’s delegation to the IHRA.