Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

Our position is that the draft resolution is the basis for negotiation and discussion, not the final resolution. We believe it is necessary to get a consensus on the issue. The position we have been advocating is that a consensus must be achieved and the unity of the Security Council must be preserved. I have made this point during several meetings. We would like to see a resolution which endorses the restoration of sovereignty to a democratically elected Iraqi Government which would gain the requisite support and satisfy the concerns of the UN on its mission in Iraq. This is our stated position. Everyone is putting enormous effort into the negotiations. Everyone one meets is very taxed on the issue. However, if it does not get support, there will be a continuation of the present position. The United States and everyone else must realise that there needs to be support for the draft resolution. If the new interim Government is to work, sovereignty must be restored to it. As it moves towards the elections, which people are determined to have in the spring, it has to act as a sovereign administration. I spoke to Premier Wen when he was here a few weeks ago, I spoke to President Putin, to Chileans and to members of the permanent representatives and they all say the same thing. I will speak to President Chirac tomorrow.

I answered questions on the second issue before. I am aware of the controversies and difficulties involved. This is an EU summit and the EU is on the agenda. It has always been the case that the summit is held in the country which holds the Presidency and nowhere else. That is the position regardless of difficulty that might arise. People have a right to peaceful demonstration and to express their views, and I have said that for months. It would be wrong of us not to have that summit in this country and I would not contemplate not holding it here.

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