Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 24 June 2026
127. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the position of her Department in relation to the continued restrictions imposed on women and girls in Afghanistan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47920/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn accordance with the commitment in "Securing Ireland's Future", Ireland continues to play an active role in seeking to maintain EU and international attention on the appalling human rights situation within Afghanistan and, in particular, the reprehensible restrictions imposed by the Taliban on Afghan women and girls.
In line with our active engagement on this issue, senior officials from my Department recently met with the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, while he was visiting Ireland, to discuss Human Rights and humanitarian issues in Afghanistan. Senior officials also met with the EU Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Gilles Bertrand, in Brussels this week.
I believe that the ongoing dire human rights and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan clearly warrants a political level discussion within the Foreign Affairs Council and would support such a discussion taking place, if agreement to do so can be found. Ireland will also continue, including as EU Presidency, actively to support the role of the EU, through its Special Envoy for Afghanistan, in working to address the human rights and humanitarian situation and promote more inclusive and democratic governance within Afghanistan, including through the UN-led Doha process.
Along with other EU Partners, Ireland played a lead role in pressing for the establishment of an Independent Investigative Mechanism on Afghanistan at the 61st session of the UN Human Rights Council. We will continue working with UN Special Rapporteur Bennett to ensure that this new mechanism is established and made operational as quickly as possible in order to try and help deliver much needed accountability to the people of Afghanistan.
Ireland will remain active at EU and international level to ensure all possible pressure is maintained to bring about improvements in the dire political, economic and humanitarian situation confronting the Afghan people, in particular Afghanistan’s women and girls.
