Ireland stopped funding an anti-drug programme in Iran because of concerns that drug traffickers detected under the scheme were being sentenced to death.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said funding to the United Nations-run project ceased because of human rights concerns related to the use of the death penalty.
Between 2005 and 2011 Ireland provided €600,000 to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
By 2011 approximately 80% of the funding was being used to finance a programme in Iran designed to increase drug detections by providing assistance to anti-narcotic police and customs officers.
It has now emerged that Ireland withdrew its funding from the programme at the end of 2011 because of concerns that drug traffickers apprehended under the scheme were being put to death.
