Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 2 May 2018
79. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has raised with the Indian authorities and/or at the European Foreign Affairs Council the recent report by an organisation (details supplied) of the persecution of Christians in India; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19179/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have received the Church in Chains report entitled “Official India: On the side of the militants”, setting out the details of a number of violent incidents targeting Christian communities in India. The agenda for the next EU Foreign Affairs Council does not include India as a topic for discussion. A suitable opportunity to raise such concerns is in the context of the EU-India Human Rights Dialogue in which the EU and India exchange views on a broad range of human rights concerns as well as on cooperation in multilateral fora. A date for the next dialogue is being sought by the EU.
Ireland strongly condemns the targeting of religious minorities. Freedom of religious expression is a cornerstone of any functioning democracy and those rights must be guaranteed. Acts of violence and discrimination based on religion or belief, committed in the name of religion or national security, whether by individuals or by the state, must be challenged. Officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, including in the Irish Embassy in New Delhi, will continue to monitor the human rights situation in India, in close cooperation with the EU.
