Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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42. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has had any recent discussions with his EU counterparts about the situation in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37940/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Ireland regularly coordinates with our EU Partners in relation to the ongoing issues facing Afghanistan and its people. This includes strongly condemning the brutal human rights abuses perpetrated by the Taliban against Afghan citizens, and the ongoing humanitarian crises gripping the country. In line with the commitment in the Programme for Government, Ireland continues to play an active role in seeking to maintain EU and international attention on the appalling human rights situation within Afghanistan and, in particular, the utterly unacceptable restrictions imposed by the Taliban on Afghan women and girls as well as on vulnerable minorities.

I believe that the current dire human rights and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan clearly warrants a political level discussion within the Foreign Affairs Council, given that the last such discussion took place in March 2023. Ireland will continue to advocate for this within the relevant Council bodies. Ireland also took a lead role in securing agreement within the EU Political and Security Committee earlier this year, tasking the EU External Action Service to propose further measures to improve EU leverage on the current situation.

Ireland fully supports the role of the EU Special Envoy in working to address the human rights and humanitarian situation and to promote more inclusive and democratic governance within Afghanistan. I look forward to early appointment of a new EU Special Envoy, following the departure of the previous Special Envoy earlier this year. Through the EUSE, the EU continues to play an important role within the UN-led Doha Process in promoting international collaboration on Afghanistan and ensuring the focus remains clearly on human rights and full compliance by the Taliban with Afghanistan’s international legal obligations.

Ireland will continue to be active at EU and international level to ensure all possible pressure is maintained to bring about improvements in the dire political, economic and humanitarian situation confronting the Afghan people.