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THE GOVERNMENT HAS declined to say whether Taoiseach Enda Kenny has or will raise specific concerns about human rights issues with leaders in the Gulf states of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and UAE where he and other Irish officials are on a trade mission this week.
Kenny met with senior Saudi politicians in Riyadh yesterday, including deputy prime minister Crown Prince Salman. Kenny is reported to have congratulated him on the country’s election to the UN human rights council and also praised “their leadership in terms of moderation”.
TheJournal.ie submitted detailed questions to the government asking if any specific concerns in relation to human rights issues in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and UAE have been or will be raised with leaders.
In response, a statement from the Government Press Office said: “Ireland has a very strong track record on human rights issues.
“The Taoiseach noted Saudi Arabia’s recent election to the Human Rights Council of the United Nations for the period of 2014 to 2016, of which Ireland are also members.”
Kenny is in Qatar today on what is principally a trade mission to the region with Jobs Minister Richard Bruton and companies affiliated to Enterprise Ireland accompanying him. He has met with Qatari Prime Minister of Qatar Abdullah Bin Nasser bin Khalifa al Thani and the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad.
The country will host the 2022 World Cup an event which has been the subject of controversy after an investigation by The Guardian and major report by Amnesty International found that migrant workers involved in building soccer stadiums for the tournament are being exploited.
Amnesty International’s executive director in Ireland, Colm O’Gorman, said there are “very, very grave issues in relation to the treatment of migrant workers” in Qatar with wages being withheld and workers being prevented from leaving the country.
He said the government has a responsibility to raise concerns about human rights in these countries with officials and leaders that they meet.
He said: “We always call on the Irish government to raise human rights issues in dialogue with other states. Indeed Ireland has a clear responsibility to do so and often that’s the case. So we would be urging the Taoiseach and indeed all Irish government ministers who are on missions to Gulf states to raise issues.”
O’Gorman admitted that Amnesty did not have a chance to speak to the government ahead of its mission to the Gulf as it did not know it was happening, but did note that “Ireland has a long and frankly a good tradition of championing human rights issues”.
He said that the organisation has concerns in relation to Saudi Arabia’s treatment of women and the death penalty. Women in the largest Arab state in western Asia are not allowed to drive or travel abroad without a male companion.
Kenny and the Irish delegation are due in Abu Dhabi and Dubai tomorrow and Thursday where meetings are planned with the United Arab Emirates’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohamed al Maktoum, and the country’s foreign affairs minister.
O’Gorman added that his organisation has concerns about the dentention and conviction of political activists in the UAE as well as its use of the death penalty.
“Ireland has a responsibility to raise human rights concerns and issues as part of normal bilateral relations with those countries,” he said, adding that it plans to correspond with the government when the trade mission conclues.
Meanwhile, the fatcat bond holders were compensated fully. Didn’t happen though when ordinary working men and women were persuaded by Mary O Rourke to beg borrow or steal to buy shares in Eircom…..
You may be sure that the majority of the managers and higher level workers lost out on nothing . As usual Mulvey, an ex trade union leader, is a disgrace !
Bloody whingers they were happy when the bank was doing well.
They were happy when the bonuses were coming in.
Lucky to be getting anything should only be statutory and be glad of it.
Frankly, they suffer because they are playing golf with the wrong crowd
My heart bleeds
No bank in receipt of state funds should have been allowed to offer anything beyond statutory redundancy. Maybe not a reflection on the person but the company was dead. I await with interest to see where John Moran pops up now he has allowed recapitalisation of banks.
Staff who resigned not entitled to redundancy… Shock Horror
my dad got his mortgage from anglo when it was a fella in an office.he got €4000 to build the house in dublin, and in the height the house was worth €650,000. in walkinstown. mental stuff
But he built it in the rare old times yeah ?
Anglo Irish Bank never offered residential mortgages
rare old times is right mate. even in walkintown… the house is big and had an extension with utility room and jax. it really makes ye remember how crazy it all was
Maybe I’m Missing something, but if you leave a job for a better offer, even if the company you work for is in trouble, you are not entitled to any redundancy. How is this even an issue for reporting in the media????
I have no sympathy for Anglo staff they did a crap job building a busted bank, paid themselves well and the country was left holding a bill for their collective stupidity. Just suck it up the same as contractors who never got paid or small business that went bust. I shared a lift with a stupid girl who had worked for Anglo and she could see no connection with the loss of services in society and her former company’s bad business decisions
Comments closed for Seanie et pals court case-but open for actual current staff working 9-5 same as u-shame on you Journal
Good. Finally a little bit of justice. It appears the country is slowly releasing its head from its anoos
Maybe I’m Missing something, but if you leave a job for a better offer, especially if the company you work for is in trouble, you’re not entitled to reduntancy!!!!!!
“The reason for this, according to the IBOA, is because creditors of the IBRC could legally pursue payments made to those who left early.”
Excellent. They can go after Fitzpatrick then, biggest payout in one person right there.
The lapdogs for the leprechauns who ruined the country,let them starve,call it the Anglo famine.
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