Mr. Louis Maguire:

In regard to trading with Iraq, I am responsible for that, and may God forgive me if that is the Senator's attitude. When I went to Iraq in 1973 there was no trade with Ireland. I met the various ministers who had power to give orders in those days and started trade in 1973. We traded very well from 1973 until the war broke out in 1988. Our sales to Iraq increased from nil in 1973 to £800 million in 1988. We could have lost that on a point of principle, or whatever else one might call it, because of what certain leaders did, but nations cannot be held responsible for that.