Billy Lawless (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am delighted to meet Mr. Donoghue and to hear of his fantastic work over many years. Most of the questions have been asked already by my colleagues. History keeps repeating itself, and something that disturbs me at present is the terrible Rohingya refugee problem. It is ethnic cleansing and nothing less. What is the United Nations doing? What is happening there? Why are we not able to act more quickly when these terrible tragedies happen? I am based in the United States and I see the treatment meted out now to Hispanics, Muslims and people from other countries. The Irish were treated exactly the same during our terrible famine from 1845 to 1852. We were treated just as badly, if not worse, in the United States when we had to emigrate. History seems to be repeating itself all the time.

Why do the wealthy Arab nations not contribute in the same proportion as the rest of us? They have a huge responsibility. They are trying to democratise themselves but they do not seem to be giving great example by way of foreign aid.