Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Tánaiste for his reply and acknowledge the efforts outlined therein. One must be conscious of the fact that 6,000 protesters have died in this awful situation in recent times. In addition, while one must acknowledge the role of the Arab League, one also must express concern that following the withdrawal of its observer force at the end of January, the Arab League may no longer have the capacity to address the problem successfully. I commend the Tánaiste for his engagement with the Chinese delegation over the weekend which was a great success. Did he avail of the opportunity presented to discuss the Chinese veto of the United Nations resolution when he met the Vice President? Does he have plans to engage with his opposite number in the Russian Administration to try to impress on that country the need to adopt a more pragmatic approach to the problem? While I acknowledge the Chinese appear to have moved somewhat by virtue of their willingness to engage with the Arab League to a far greater extent, what can he do in respect of the aforementioned two countries?

See this speech in context