David Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Good. I was contacted by Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan during the week. The motion was read to me over the telephone and I took a note of it. It seems to me to be pretty reasonable. I think we are moving towards something that will accommodate everyone. I have also spoken to Senator Jim Walsh and I believe that with the addition of a couple of words the motion could be agreed unanimously. It is important for the committee to do this. This was a man who apparently was tortured and killed. He was murdered, in other words. The prima facie evidence is very clear about that. I agree this happens all over the world. We know that sometimes even our allies are guilty of human rights abuses. However, I think that, like myself, Deputy Byrne believes, after some agonising, that we should take a stand to the degree that is practical in this instance. I think it is necessary that we do and that we have some degree of courage. However, we have to be realistic. There is no point in our saying we are going to exile Mr. Putin to Siberia, for example, because it is ultra vires, beyond our powers. Blocking people's assets might be appropriate in America but I do not think it would work in this case because I do not think they have any here, for a start. If they do then they are pretty small assets.

It is important that the committee take a stand against this. I know the Chairman did not agree with me when I said that Russia was blackmailing us. However, I draw his attention to the fact that among the material distributed to the committee members by the Chairman's office was a report from The NewYork Times which said that in Moscow the Russian Government had warned in a letter to Ireland's Parliament that it may halt negotiations on an agreement for cross-border adoptions if an Irish parliamentary committee approves a regulation critical of rights abuses in Russia. That is pure blackmail.