We have a quorum. There are a lot of meetings taking place around the Houses and there is a conflict of time for some.

We have received apologies from Senator Maurice Cummins, Deputy Darragh O'Brien who is chairing another meeting and Deputy Rory O'Hanlon.

I want to pass on apologies from Deputy Michael D. Higgins who was injured during a recent trip to Colombia.

What happened?

He injured his leg but I believe he had an operation yesterday. It is a minor injury that will not keep him away from us for too long.

No doubt.

Would it be appropriate for the joint committee to send him a message wishing him well?

That is agreed.

The Deputy had minor surgery yesterday and is fine. I spoke to him yesterday and he indicated he will back at work in a couple of weeks.

We look forward to it. It will be very civilised.

We have, in the Visitors' Gallery, Mr. Michael O'Brien, Trócaire, Mr. Hans Zomer, Dóchas, Ms Severine Meyer, Plan International Ireland, the Estonian Ambassador, His Excellency, Mr. Mait Martinson, Mr. Brendan Rogers, director general of Irish Aid, Mr. Simon Murtagh of AWEPA, Mr. Simon Clements, development specialist, Irish Aid, and Ms Barbara Cullinane, counsellor, Department of Foreign Affairs.

I ask members and those in the Visitors' Gallery to please ensure their mobile telephones and BlackBerry devices are switched off completely for the duration of the meeting as they cause interference, even if in silent mode, with the recording equipment in committee rooms.

The minutes of the meeting of 20 October have been circulated. Are they agreed?

I note the Chairman indicated that we would take some notice of the position in Ethiopia at this meeting. In light of the communications we have received from Mr. John O'Shea of GOAL suggesting that Mr. Lawrence, the author of the relevant report, may be in a position to attend, perhaps we should-----

The matter will be discussed under the heading "Any Other Business".

I understand the issue is referred to in the minutes.

I do not envisage a problem in the matter as we will have to find a suitable time to discuss it.

This meeting will not discuss in detail the situation in Ethiopia.

That is correct. The joint committee extends its deepest sympathies to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Micheál Martin, his wife, Mary, and their children, Micheál, Aoibhe and Cillian, on the devastating and heartbreaking loss of their daughter and sister, Leanna. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Martin family. May Leanna rest in peace.

Members will recall our recent meeting of 20 October when we met with representatives of Amnesty International to discuss human rights in Iran.

I am afraid some members must leave for a division in the Seanad.

On 26 October, I wrote to the Iranian Ambassador, His Excellency Hossein Panahiazar. My letter, which has been circulated to members, referred to the deterioration in the human rights situation generally in Iran and the cases of five specific individuals which had been raised by Amnesty International and discussed at our previous meeting. I sent a further letter today by fax to the Ambassador of Iran to make an urgent appeal on behalf of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, an Iranian woman whose sentence of execution by stoning for adultery provoked a worldwide outcry recently. Ms Ashtiani is reportedly to be hanged for murder. Her case, and those of other individuals raised by Amnesty International point to a human rights crisis in Iran. It is vital that we let Iran know that we have noticed, that we care and that the position is totally unacceptable.

I also wrote to the Iranian Embassy today. When does the Chairman expect to receive a response to his correspondence? This is an extremely urgent matter as we could learn today that the lady in question has been executed. If the Chairman does not receive a reply by a certain date, will he pursue the matter further? If so, what date has been set? As I indicated at the previous meeting, I did not receive a response from the Iranian Embassy to a letter I wrote concerning the manner in which Irish people were treated by Iranian guards at a recent protest.

The Deputy may remember that we complained bitterly about the sentence of stoning in the first instance. We do not know what developments there have been in the meantime, possibly even today. We want to make it clear how members feel about the case of Ms Ashtiani. If we do not receive a reply to our letter, we will pursue the matter. The joint committee usually receives a response in such matters reasonably quickly. The Department of Foreign Affairs will also have taken up the case.

What does the term "reasonably quickly" mean? Does the Chairman expect a reply by the end of this week or next week?

I cannot answer that question in the particular circumstance. We can e-mail the Deputy if we receive a reply.

When is the execution to take place?

It could be today.

It could have taken place already.

Yes, that is unfortunately the case.