Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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670. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality in respect of his responsibility for equality policy the details of engagements between his Department and the ICCL and other civil liberties groups ahead of the Government's adoption of the IHRA working definition of antisemitism and since the adoption of the definition. [25426/25]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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671. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality in respect of his responsibility for equality policy the reason there was no public consultation ahead of the Government's adoption of the IHRA working definition of antisemitism as there was ahead of the adoption of the National Action Plan Against Racism. [25427/25]

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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710. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 112 of 26 March 2025 and his plans to engage with community representatives, if he will meet with representative groups (details supplied) on the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25963/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 670, 671 and 710 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. My Department was not involved in considerations regarding public consultation prior to adoption of the IHRA working definition of antisemitism, nor did the department engage with civil liberties groups on the matter. Any future requests for engagement on this or related matters will be considered in the usual manner.

Matters relating to Equality Policy fall under the remit of the Department of Children, Disability and Equality, which is best placed to answer such queries.