Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Members will recall that we received correspondence recently from Jack O'Connor, president of Justice for Colombia Ireland about the peace process in Colombia. The committee subsequently received briefing material from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. A very good meeting was held on 16 January 2013 with the Colombian ambassador. When we reviewed the position at our last meeting, members were positively disposed to considering a motion which encourages the peace process in Colombia and gives appropriate recognition to the efforts of all involved. A motion has been tabled by Deputy Seán Crowe and circulated to members. I call on Deputy Crowe to move the motion.

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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I move:

That the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade -
- affirm that it believes that the people of Colombia have the right to a peacefully negotiated and just solution to the conflict in their country,
- recognise the efforts of civil society in Colombia in bringing about a peace process and support its demands to be involved in the current peace process,
- welcome the commitment of the Government of Colombia to the peace process,
- commend all parties involved in the recent steps to commence a new peace process, trusting that it will progress without pre-conditions being set by any party,
- offer to share the experiences we had negotiating a peace process in Northern Ireland and in the creation of the Good Friday Agreement, and the current issues we face in the implementation of this Agreement, and
- state its support for a negotiated solution to the conflict in Colombia.

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Some members may wish to comment. Deputy Durkan has also tabled amendments.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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I have a possible amended wording.

Eric Byrne (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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I do not have any great difficulty with the motion except I have a difficulty with this committee engaging in the tabling of motions. We are going to get distracted. If we start down the motions road, every one of us will want to table our own particular motion and the time of the committee will be taken up. We have had a very successful two years of engagement. On the issue of Colombia this committee has done phenomenal work in its engagement with all the key players. We have invited the Colombian ambassador to come over from England. I was very impressed. We have spoken to quite a number of Colombians. In my view, it will dilute the power of the committee somewhat if we try to summarise the ongoing engagement with all the various players in the Colombian peace process by passing motions. That is my personal view.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Deputy Byrne makes a valid point. We could all come in with our own hobby horse motions.

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Motions are part of the committee process and they are not unusual.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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I do not have an issue with the tabling of motions. We listen to people's views when they come to meetings. We may not agree all motions. Motions may be cross-party motions. If we do not have motions then we are just a talking shop.

David Norris (Independent)
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I think it would be very foolish to take a stand against passing motions. They have to be passed by a majority of the people present, and that is democratic. As long as I have been a member of the committee, and that has been since the beginning, we have always passed motions, some of which were significant motions on East Timor, military conflict, Palestine and a range of issues. If we do not pass motions, we will become in danger of rendering ourselves into a talking shop, a trips committee or whatever. We need to get our teeth into something. I am astonished that despite the good leadership the Chairman gives us and the important contributions of all the members, the proceedings of this committee are almost never covered by the media. We must have a hook. We can blather on as much as we like, make all our platitudes or informed comment, but what we have with a motion is a hook. It is important and supports Government in what it is doing or it raises questions about other governments. It is an intensely practical thing and I will be very sad if we set our face against it.

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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The members will have a copy of Deputy Crowe's motion to which Deputy Durkan has proposed a few amendments. I do not want to have dialogue on this day and I will give the members time to digest the amendments. I will read Deputy Durkan's amendments to the motion. Normally amendments should be submitted to members in advance in time for them to examine them. Deputy Durkan has proposed an amendment to paragraph four of the motion. Paragraph four, as amended, would read "commend all parties involved in the recent steps to commence a new peace process, trusting that it will progress without pre-conditions". Deputy Durkan proposes the deletion of the words "being set by any party". He proposes that paragraph five, as amended, would read "offer to share the experience of the Northern Ireland peace process which culminated in the Good Friday Agreement, and". He proposes that paragraph six, as amended, would read "state its continued support for a negotiated solution to the conflict in Colombia". These are possible changes the Deputy has proposed to the motion.

David Norris (Independent)
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They do not change the substance of it.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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No, they do not.

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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If there is unanimous agreement to proceed with the motion, we will take Deputy Crowe's motion, as amended, today. Otherwise we will postpone it until next week for discussion. Deputy Crowe may wish to comment on it.

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Is Deputy Durkan proposing to delete the wording about the current issues we face in the implementation of the Agreement?

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Yes. He proposes in that paragraph to delete all words after the word "experience" and insert the words he has proposed. I will read that paragraph again. The fifth paragraph, as amended, would read "offer to share the experience of the Northern Ireland peace process which culminated in the Good Friday Agreement, and".

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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It cuts to the chase and suggests support for a similar process and conclusion.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The amendment, as proposed by Deputy Durkan, is more positive in that it does not introduce the conditionality that there are still issues, about which we all know, that need to be resolved. I would agree with Deputy Durkan's proposal.

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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That is a very good point.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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We should not introduce a negative element.

David Norris (Independent)
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We should offer helpful solutions rather than introducing new problems.

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Does Deputy Crowe agree with that?

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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I have no problem with that.

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Are the amendments agreed? Agreed. Is the motion, as amended, agreed? Agreed. I propose that the resolution of the committee be laid in the Library of the Houses of the Oireachtas. Is that agreed? Agreed. I also propose that the resolution be communicated to the Tánaiste and the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, the ambassador of Colombia and the president of Justice for Colombia Ireland. Is that agreed? Agreed. I propose that we will now go into private session. Is that agreed? Agreed.