Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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113. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the Government's position on the growing crackdown on human rights in Hong Kong by the Chinese Communist Party. [56819/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Government remains deeply concerned about the human rights situation in Hong Kong and the impact on the political pluralism and rule of law that are central to Hong Kong’s identity and prosperity.

The use of the National Security Law, together with the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance that was introduced in 2024, undermines human rights and fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong. In addition, the legislative changes have had a chilling effect the civic space and are a risk to Hong Kong’s high-degree autonomy of under the One Country, Two Systems principle.

The Government remains committed to ensuring that human rights remains on the agenda with China, and we will continue to raise our concerns with regard to the situation in Hong Kong, at the bilateral level. Most recently, I set out Ireland’s long-standing concerns around the human rights situation in China, including in Hong Kong, during my meeting with the Chinese Foreign Minister in February.

Ireland also regularly raises this issue in multilateral fora. At the recent 60th session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) in September, Ireland’s national statement brought attention to our concerns over restrictions on freedom of expression, and called for the right to freedom of assembly and association to be respected in Hong Kong. At the last Universal Periodic Review of China at the HRC in 2024, Ireland focused on the restrictions on freedom of expression, including in Hong Kong, and called for the immediate release of all arbitrarily detained human rights defenders, journalists and civil society activists.

The Government remains committed to ensuring that human rights remains on the agenda with China, and we will continue to raise our concerns with regard to the situation in Hong Kong, at the bilateral and multilateral level.