Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 18 September 2013
83. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the steps he has taken in order to register the opposition of the Irish public to the repression of gay persons in Russia. [37333/13]
View answer102. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his plans to raise the issue of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights in Russia and to highlight this abuse of human rights on an international forum. [37592/13]
View answer103. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the protests he has lodged with the Russian authorities in view of the recent laws enacted there that criminalise persons who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37653/13]
View answer104. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will challenge the anti-discriminatory laws in Russia affecting the LGBT community; and if he will raise it at EU and UN levels. [37656/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 83 and 102 to 104, inclusive, together.
I have been monitoring the situation in the Russian Federation very carefully and share the concerns of the Deputies and indeed of the many citizens who have written to me about the recent Russian legislation.
I am on record in the Dáil and elsewhere confirming Ireland’s firm commitment to combating discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity. Ireland’s position is that consensual, same-sex relationships should not be criminalised and we strongly support measures to ensure that the right to freedom of expression and association can be enjoyed effectively by all.
Therefore, we strongly disagree with the recent Russian legislation and have made our position known to senior officials at the Russian Embassy in Ireland. As I have previously stated in the Dáil, such legislation, while purporting to protect young people, is more likely to result in the further stigmatisation and, indeed, criminalisation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) young people.
Legislation of this type is already the subject of discussion in international fora. Last year at the OSCE, for example, Ireland and twenty-six other participating States issued a joint statement deploring similar legislation which had been adopted by the St. Petersburg legislature.
I have made LGBTI rights a Human Rights priority. Speaking as EU Presidency earlier this year at the Human Rights Council, I reiterated the EU’s grave concern over incidents of discrimination and violence against individuals based on their sexual orientation and gender identity. I said this issue needs to remain on the agenda of the UN.
The particular matter of legislation is also being addressed within the EU. I fully endorse the statement made by the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton, on 20 June in which she expressed concern over the recent Russian legislation including in the context of the ongoing pressure of civil society in Russia. I strongly support her call on Russia to uphold its national and international commitments to non-discrimination, freedom of expression, freedom of association and assembly, in particular in the framework of the Council of Europe, to protect the enjoyment of these rights by all individuals.
Moreover during Ireland’s recent Presidency of the European Union, the EU adopted Guidelines to Promote and Protect the Enjoyment of all Human Rights by LGBTI Persons. The Guidelines state unambiguously that legislative initiatives that criminalise public discussion and/or expression of homosexuality (including the prohibition of “pride marches”) violate the human rights of LGBTI persons.
I have asked officials in my Department to engage actively on this issue and explore what avenues can most effectively be pursued in voicing our concerns, possibly together with our EU partners. Discussions are already underway within the EU on how best to ensure that our concerns are kept firmly on the agenda of the Union’s structured dialogue with Russia. That dialogue includes specific consultations on Human Rights with Russian officials, the next round of which should take place this autumn. Ireland will continue to participate actively in the EU’s preparations for these and other senior-level meetings with Russian representatives.
For my part, I will express Irish concerns at my next meeting with a Russian minister.
