Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I support this excellent motion, which serves to bring into the public arena the media, political, national and international attention that it requires. Senator Norris is correct, in that the region has fallen off the screen in terms of public and international attention. It has become acceptable that a certain level of violence is ongoing in such places. I am not just referring to the Democratic Republic of Congo in this regard. It is endemic across the globe.

We cease to be shocked by the level of daily violence against vulnerable people - women and children - in addition to famine, ethic cleansing and so on. The sad part of it is that it no longer shocks anybody. Perhaps the international media might be otherwise engaged as there are many areas of conflict now but that does not excuse us from allowing ourselves to become conditioned to accepting what goes on.

I support the motion. It behoves us all to so do, particularly at the present time and notwithstanding the difficulties we may have of an economic nature and across Europe also. Everything is relative but the appalling levels of violence and the ignoring of human rights in so many locations throughout the world is truly shocking.