Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 October 2020
102. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will write to his Polish counterpart to call for an end to the discrimination against Polish LGBT+ people; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28426/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Minister will be aware, one third of Poland has declared so-called LGBT-free zones. The existence of these so-called LGBT-free zones in the European Union is an affront to European Union values and is in no way acceptable. We cannot tolerate this. Will the Minister write to his counterpart in Poland about this? At a European Union level, what action is he taking to address this?
I am very concerned at developments relating to LGBTI+ people in Poland. The principles of equality and non-discrimination are enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. It is important that these principles are protected and promoted throughout the Union.
The Government has expressed its concerns regarding this issue publicly. My colleague, the Minister of State with responsibility for European affairs, has written to his counterpart in the Polish Government in the past month, emphasising the deep commitment of the Irish people to the fundamental values enshrined in EU treaties, including respect for human rights.
Advancing human rights is central to Irish foreign policy. We are committed to promoting the rights of LGBTI+ people, who continue to suffer disproportionate levels of violence and discrimination around the world. Ireland continues to support initiatives in the EU and other international forums which promote and protect the rights of LGBTI+ people and condemn violence and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
The Irish Embassy in Poland undertakes a number of initiatives, including with local non-governmental organisations, to raise awareness of and facilitate discussion on the rights of LGBTI people. Our ambassador also signs an annual letter in support of the Warsaw equality parade and other such parades around the country. This year's letter was published on 27 September and was signed by 50 ambassadors and heads of international representations. The letter expresses support in particular for efforts to raise public awareness of issues affecting LGBTI people.
The ambassador is currently engaged in a series of meetings with NGOs to hear their perspectives on recent developments in Poland and to see how the embassy can best work to support them. These meetings will help the embassy to plan further supports. We will also continue to work bilaterally and at an EU level to promote and protect the rights of LGBTI people across the EU and beyond.
I thank the Minister for his response. Will he write to his counterpart in Poland? He might address that question.
There is agreement in the EU in respect of a €750 billion recovery fund. Once that is disbursed to countries like Poland, if the rule of law, democracy and minority and LGBTI rights are not addressed and dealt with it will be very difficult to deal with them afterwards. We are talking about Irish money going from taxpayers here to countries like Poland. I do not think we would accept that if these issues are not addressed and the current policies that exclude and discriminate against LGBTI people in the EU are not stopped. Will the Minister commit to supporting changes to the rule of law to remove the veto and ensure this sort of action is taken by the EU with respect to democracy and human rights?
I will commit to writing to my counterpart. There is a new Polish foreign minister whom I have not got to know yet, but I have spoken to him briefly. It is worth noting that the Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, quite pointedly referred to this issue when she gave her state of the Union address a number of weeks ago. That was an indication that the European Commission takes it seriously.
The Commission has responsibility to uphold the treaties and, by doing that, the value system of the European Union. I expect that this will continue to be an ongoing discussion and a focus will continue to be on Poland's response to its responsibilities as an EU member state in a way that is consistent with the values that, it is to be hoped, continue to underpin policy across the Union.
I thank the Minister for his commitment to write to his counterpart in Poland about this issue. That is welcome. I want to strongly acknowledge the work being done by our embassy in Warsaw and its continued support for the LGBTI+ community in Poland. That is very valuable.
I also want to mention a letter raising these issues written to the Minister by members of the LGBTI+ community who are Polish and live in Ireland. We must have action at a European Union level on this. The Minister is correct that the EU Commission is being very strong in this. It is essential that the Government does everything it can do at a European Council level to support the initiatives the European Commission is taking on this to try to ensure the veto is removed and there can be effective action on this, especially before the funds are disbursed.
I thank the Deputy. I wish to acknowledge the work done by the Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration, Deputy O'Gorman, who continues to work in this area. He has spoken to me about it and has expressed real concern.
It is important that we try to advocate for and deliver change. We have to figure out the best way of doing that. Sometimes within the European Union that is not necessarily done by penalties and punishment. Sometimes it is more effective to try to do it through political persuasion and dialogue. Ultimately, this is about protecting a community which is being discriminated against in a way that is not acceptable and consistent with the values of the EU. We need to find ways to change that approach by the Polish Government. We need to begin to speak with the Commission about how best to do that effectively.
