Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The ambassador spoke in terms of the targets for the Presidency. Does he agree that across Europe, there is a sense of crisis in many states, for example, with youth unemployment, more and more people in debt and people losing their homes? If there have been criticisms of the Council of Europe and what is happening within Europe, one of them has been that there does not seem to be that understanding within the leadership of that sense of crisis. How important will it be for the Lithuanian Presidency to convey that sense of crisis relating to the major issues mentioned here and that need to be addressed? How important will that be in respect of resolving some of these larger issues affecting Europe?

The EU was expanded during the Irish Presidency with Croatia as a new member state. I thinking of some other states, particularly in the Balkans, and the difficulties affecting Bosnia-Herzegovina. Is this a priority for the Lithuanian Presidency in terms of trying to support such states, which are certainly interested in reaching the criteria for EU membership? It is those states that are being left behind. Does the ambassador feel this could create instability in many regions? Has the Lithuanian Presidency any plans in respect of that?

On the last occasion I was in Lithuania, I attended a conference on people trafficking. This does not just involve sex trafficking. The media focus on it but one can also find economic trafficking of individuals and modern slavery. Does the Ambassador see that as an issue for Lithuania? We have heard reports of sham marriages and the importance of greater co-ordination among European countries on this. This is one of the major issues. We are talking about huge money being made out of the total exploitation of people. Is that on the agenda for Lithuania?

My colleague, Senator Reilly, raised the issue of prisons. The interest for people here is the case of Michael Campbell who is in prison in Lithuania. The information from his family and friends is that conditions are appalling and the courts seem to be backing that up. The Presidency does not involve looking at one's own state but it is important that conditions be improved if international committees consider them inhumane and degrading. I think we would all be concerned about that, particularly because of what Irish prisoners have gone through over the years. Could the ambassador keep an eye on the situation involving that prisoner?