I call Deputy Noel Grealish to move his motion regarding the Irish Embassy in Tehran.
Diplomatic Representation: Motion
I move:
That the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade and Defence strongly recommend that the Irish Embassy in Tehran, Iran, be reopened as a matter of urgent priority.
Very recently, I had a meeting with the Iranian ambassador in Ireland. Ireland is the only EU country that does not have an embassy in Tehran. There is a huge potential for trade between Ireland and Iran. One issue of particular interest to me was that the Iran is refusing to buy Brazilian beef and it will not look at Irish beef because we do not have an embassy. They are dealing with New Zealand. It is important for trade issues between Ireland and Iran that we look at the possibility and send a message from this committee to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and to his Department that we should seriously consider reopening the embassy in Tehran as a matter of urgency.
It would be reopening, in fact, rather than opening. We did have a full embassy there.
Question put and agreed to.
The motion will be reported to both Dáil and Seanad Éireann and I propose that a copy of the motion is forwarded to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade. Is that agreed? Agreed.
The joint committee went into private session at 12.05 p.m. and adjourned at 12.15 p.m. until 9.30 a.m. on Thursday, 11 May 2017.