John Gerard Hanafin (Fianna Fail)

I support the call for a debate on the Middle East. In the North of Ireland, it took the two extremes to sit down and talk before we saw any real progress. The reality is that the Israeli Prime Minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, has indicated for the first time the possibility of a two-state solution. This is very positive and is to be well promoted. In this regard, Israel has received from the European Union favoured-nation trading status. In the debate, I would like to determine whether we could support the extension of this status to Gaza and the West Bank, thereby providing the whole region with access to a larger market such that the West Bank and Gaza economies might improve. This would serve as a carrot and stick to ensure they comply with international best practice and UN standards.

I call for a debate on the economy. There were calls this morning for the report of an bord snip nua to be published in the belief that people are somehow being kept in the dark. It is as nothing compared with the reality that the Opposition has never produced a breakdown of how it would deal with the deficit of €20 billion.