Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I am not saying that. Let me finish the point. It is so comprehensive that it points out potential lines of attack from people who might want to undermine the Bill. If you furnish more than ten people with that and it gets into the hands of those who might want to take a case against us, that would weaken our position collectively as a nation in defending such a Bill. That is a real consideration. I can say this much and think I have said here that the Attorney General is upfront in saying that what we are doing is not without legal risk. It is not a slam dunk. I understand where people's political heart is. There is consistency about it across Leinster House. I regret that the whole Middle Eastern issue is sometimes used as a political wedge issue in Ireland to attack Government. Ask Palestinians, the Palestinian Authority and others, Egyptians and Jordanians, and they will say that Ireland is number one in its response to the situation in the Middle East. The entire Arab world says that, but if you listen to some of the debate in Ireland, you would imagine that the Irish Government was responsible for everything that is going on. That tends to happen.

The point I am trying to make is that if we are serious about this, we have to strengthen the Bill. There may very well be legal challenges to it. Embassies may communicate to us. The US embassy may be in touch with my officials on other matters and in respect of this issue because of the situation in the US, where 25 US states have anti-boycott, divestment and sanctions laws. That will feature in this conversation and debate. There will be American concerns about multinationals inadvertently getting embroiled in this. These are issues. It is not there is any influence, but these are real issues that will emerge. That is the way it is. One cannot wish them away. It is the role of embassies in Europe and other embassies to make representations to member states about how they see particular legislation. I have not met anyone personally but I have no doubt that the US ambassador could be in touch. In the past, I met officials from the US embassy when I was in opposition. What was striking on that occasion, in a meeting with an official who was not an ambassador, was that he was putting significant pressure on Fianna Fáil. I asked if he was talking to Sinn Féin and he said no. I found it striking.