asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has at any time protested to the Government of the USSR against the jailing of academics which is a violation of basic human rights and a contravention of the Helsinki Agreement.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Jailing of Academics.
1.
The Soviet Government is fully aware of the importance which the Government attach to questions of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Our view on these issues has been made known both at the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe and at the United Nations.
Moreover, during his recent visit to the USSR, the Minister exchanged views with the Soviet Foreign Minister on a number of international questions; including the need to continue efforts to implement in full all the provisions of the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe which was signed in Helsinki in August, 1975. In this context, the Minister availed of the opportunity to emphasise once again the importance which we in Ireland attach to full and effective implementation of those provisions of the Final Act dealing with human rights and problems of a humanitarian kind.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware of any response to these representations from the Soviet Foreign Minister?
I am afraid I cannot give the Deputy a detailed answer to that. I do recall having heard the Minister privately express qualified satisfaction with the way his representations had been received but I cannot give the Deputy any more detail.
Then the Parliamentary Secretary would not be aware whether any of the people about whom the Minister made representations will be released from Soviet prisons? Will he be kept informed or allowed to make future inquiries about their wellbeing?
I cannot say what will happen. There is no reason why the Minister should not make future inquiries and I will certainly convey the Deputy's interest to him.
Would the Minister assure the Soviet Government that we do not want to be associated with Governments who deliberately imprison people simply because they are of a certain faith or belief? Will the Minister keep up such representations to them, showing that we do not want to be associated with such a country, keeping that Government aware of our abhorrence of this type of treatment of people?
I am sure that the Government, and all the Government's supporters, just as the Deputies on his side of the House, share the Deputy's views of abhorrence of inhuman treatment. But the Deputy will appreciate that we have never conducted diplomatic relations in this country on the basis that because we disapproved of a country's internal system we did not have anything to do with them diplomatically. If we were to enunciate that principle now we would have to admit that we had made mistakes in the past in setting up diplomatic relations with quite a number of countries.