11 Jun 2014, 17:21
The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade has this afternoon agreed a motion on Nigeria.
11 June 2014
The Committee recently met with the Ambassador of Nigeria to Ireland Felix Yusufu Pwol to consider the current situation in Nigeria. The motion is as follows:
The Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade:-
- pledges its solidarity with and support for the citizens of Nigeria in their attempts to deal with the on-going security challenges posed to them by Boko Haram;
- calls on the Irish Government to encourage, both member states of the European Union and the international community in general, to take all available steps to find a solution to the insurgency being waged by members of Boko Haram;
- urges the international community, through the Irish Government, to assist the authorities in Nigeria in determining the location of the school girls recently kidnapped from Chibok in order that they can be freed and returned safely to their families;
¬- emphasises the need for the Irish Government to encourage dialogue between the various stakeholders in Nigeria and in the wider region; in this regard Ireland should play a key role in building EU, wider European, and broad global consensus in adopting measures that will attempt to prevent organisations, such as Boko Haram, from being able to carry on their activities, apparently without impunity, both in Nigeria and in neighbouring states;
- stresses the need for the Irish Government to actively support international organisations in seeking to achieve the aims outlined in the recent Special Summit on Security on Nigeria, hosted by France; and
- supports equality of opportunity in education and in particular strongly emphasises the need for girls to be given equal access to education and every encouragement to attain their full potential in their studies.
Media enquiries to:
Paul Hand,
Communications Unit,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
P: +3531 618 4484
M: +353 87 694 9926
Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade
Deputies:
Pat Breen, Fine Gael (Chairman)
Eric Byrne, Labour
Bernard Durkan, Fine Gael (Vice-Chairman)
Seán Crowe, Sinn Féin
Olivia Mitchell, Fine Gael
Gerald Nash, Labour
Dan Neville, Fine Gael
Brendan Smith, Fianna Fáil
Maureen O’Sullivan, Independent
Senators:
Deirdre Clune, Fine Gael
Mark Daly, Fianna Fáil
Lorraine Higgins, Labour
Michael Mullins, Fine Gael
David Norris, Independent
Jim Walsh, Fianna Fáil