Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

I will attempt to answer them all. Both the Polish Government and opposition are very pro-US and supportive of the action taken in Iraq. They have had troops there from the start of the war. They strongly follow the US line at all meetings of the European Council, so any remarks made were in support of the US stance on Iraq. Marek Belka's political position is extremely supportive of the US President and NATO.

All accession countries are extremely grateful to Ireland for opening our markets to their workers on 1 May 2004. They thank and praise us for that and are critical of other countries. Except for a few minor complaints, they are happy with all of the evidence. I do not want to give any other impression. We should look after individual cases, but all of these countries are very grateful for Ireland's position and the lead we have taken. There are issues which cause problems and investigations and some of these people get involved in crime and disorderly behaviour. I have to raise some of these issues. A number of such incidents have occurred in my area which were brought to my attention. It is a matter of keeping a balance on these issues. With the large number of such immigrants here there are very few problems and they are very grateful to us.

On the question of Iran, the United States and everybody else wants Iran to comply with the international order. Nobody wants to become involved in more conflict in that region or in a conflict with the Iranians. They simply want the Iranian authorities to comply with the inspectors and not to be involved in conflict. That is the strong message from everyone concerned. During our Presidency of the EU last year I had an opportunity to meet the Iranian Foreign Minister and we stressed that was the message we wanted to get across. If everyone could work on that we would avoid such conflicts. Hopefully, that will happen.

On the question of arms exports and if there are some components of arms in our exports — I am no expert on this — I will accept the figures Deputy Sargent has given and I do not have information to the contrary. We are not an arms exporter in the sense of being an arms country or having an arms industry, which is the context to which the Deputy referred.

In relation to China, Deputy Sargent is correct in saying that there are still difficulties in China. There are many problems there in respect of which reforms are necessary. My view is that the best way to do that is to use the EU-China human rights body to influence China and to encourage them, as they are now doing, to look to and engage with Europe. I have tried to get people here to do this as well and to examine the rule of law. They are examining the models of law in European countries, including Ireland, and will move over time — it will not happen over five year or perhaps even over a generation — to start to use European models for the rule of law. They are open to doing that. There is no doubt there are many difficulties and much suppression of people's freedoms. We regularly get letters from members of the Chinese community here about such issues and we make representations on their behalf, but at least there is a process in place. Our view is that it is best to use that process to get the new charter agreed — it is to be agreed within Europe in June — and to try to get that to be the model.

To lump China in with Zimbabwe and one other country where there are major difficulties — it escapes me at present——

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