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

I agree with the previous speaker. This is a very serious issue and it readily lends itself to major input from the committee. In order that the committee might make its best intervention it should have available to it the maximum amount of information possible, corroborative evidence, etc. In any situation of this nature, which involves an alleged human rights abuse, we need to know all the facts from both sides before we reach a conclusion on it. That applies to all such situations because we never know when a situation is likely to present itself that may need similar attention and we may not always like the line we have to take. We need to be moderate and considered in our opinion and we need to have the maximum amount of information available when we have our discussion and then we need to pursue whatever needs to be pursued at whatever level it needs to be pursued to the best of our ability.

Normally I would agree with Senator Norris but I wish to point out in respect of our EU colleagues and Mr. Barroso and others, that if it were not for them we would have been a sad, sad entity over the past four years.