Ms Caoimhe de Barra:

I do not have a direct answer regarding the Arab League. I simply am not informed as to the position it has taken. The question the Cathaoirleach began with is the really salient one. Where do our relationships lie with those who we know to be involved? There are six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council coming to Brussels next week to meet with the leaders of the European nations. These include Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar. The conversation needs to at least start there, where we have those open relationships. There are politics within any bloc or group of countries. There are long-standing issues in respect of control and influence. Even in the context of the six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, there are very strong tensions between some of those countries, which then play out in places like Sudan. It is about extending regional influence and providing support to a side that might result in access to ports, trade routes, minerals and so on. Starting with the relationships that Ireland and the EU have is what is most important.