Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 June 2008
112 Deputy Leo Varadkar asked the Minister for Finance if, during his meeting on the 5 July 2006 with the Minister for Finance of Jamaica, he raised concerns relating to the human rights situation in Jamaica; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24279/08]
Amharc ar fhreagra113 Deputy Leo Varadkar asked the Minister for Finance if, during his meeting on 12 December 2007 with the ambassador of Saudi Arabia, he raised concerns relating to the human rights situation in Saudi Arabia; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24280/08]
Amharc ar fhreagra114 Deputy Leo Varadkar asked the Minister for Finance if, during his meeting on 10 March 2008 with the Prime Minister of Vietnam, he raised concerns relating to the human rights situation in Vietnam; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24281/08]
Amharc ar fhreagra115 Deputy Leo Varadkar asked the Minister for Finance if, during his meeting on 17 March 2008 with the Minister for Finance of Vietnam, he raised concerns relating to the human rights situation in Vietnam; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24282/08]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 112 to 115, inclusive, together.
Human rights are, and have always been, a priority of successive Governments and central to our foreign policy. Together with our EU partners, the Government monitors the human rights situations in many countries, on the basis of information obtained from a variety of sources including non-governmental organisations. Where the situation warrants, we make known our concerns about human rights violations to the Governments in question, either bilaterally, including in high-level meetings, through the EU which has an active human rights dialogue with many countries, or through action at the UN General Assembly and the UN Human Rights Council. The focus of meetings to which the Deputy refers in his questions was exclusively on specific economic issues.
