Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have three questions. The ambassador mentioned that we share many common international policies, including the importance of the elimination of weapons of mass destruction. When I visited the UN last year, Iran voted against the arms trade treaty. This relates to small arms, which have caused a great deal of devastation, particularly in his region but also in parts of Africa. Ireland supported it. That position does not sit with our sharing common international policies.

The ambassador referred to the protection of Christians in Syria under the Assad regime. This was also true of the Hussein regime in Iraq, under which Christians and other minorities were protected. Once the Shia took control of Iraq, many Christians had to leave and some were murdered. What does that say about Islam and a policy of ethnic cleansing in countries where Christians have lived for more than 2,000 years? What is the psyche of Islamists that causes this to happen? The ambassador will agree that Christians were much safer under the brutal regimes of dictators who were not popular globally or within their countries.

The former Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, spoke about the obliteration of Israel. What is the position of the current administration on that? We, in my party, and people generally in Ireland have taken a position of supporting the Palestinians' calls for a homeland, which is very justifiable. We have also condemned the atrocities committed by organisations, such as Hamas, and also by the Israeli security forces which have been equally savage in the way they have retaliated on innocent civilians. However, we would strongly hold the view that any resolution of that conflict has to accept the existence and protection of Israeli citizens and borders once they are agreed.