IRELAND CONDUCTS LITTLE CIVIL SOCIETY AND

UNCLAS DUBLIN 000029 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KDEM KPAO PREL PGOV IR SUBJECT: IRELAND CONDUCTS LITTLE CIVIL SOCIETY AND DEMOCRACY PROGRAMMING IN IRAN REF: STATE 2659 ¶1. (U) POLOFF spoke with Stephen Dawson, Deputy Regional Director, Middle East and North Africa Division, Department of Foreign Affairs, on January 11. ¶2. (SBU) Ireland maintains a two-officer mission in Iran led by Ambassador John Deady. Dawson indicated that while Ireland supports democratic reform in Iran, Ambassador Deany has very little money for public diplomacy initiatives. Dawson said that no NGOs were receiving Irish Government funding for activities in Iran. He was not aware of any Irish NGOs operating in Iran independently. ¶3. (SBU) Dawson said he would pass our reftel demarche to Ambassador Deady and suggested that the Ambassador would be interested in liaising with bilateral and NGO partners to promote democracy in Iran. BENTON