Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

I will share time with Deputy Joe Higgins and Deputy Gormley.

Prime Minister Howard will visit Ireland as a representative of all the people of Australia and, therefore, should be accorded a dignified and inclusive welcome in the House. His and his Government's involvement in the war in Iraq is, of course, an issue of great concern to me and other Members of the House. However, it is also a concern for the more than 50% of the Australian people who openly oppose their armed forces' presence in Iraq. I stand shoulder to shoulder with them in their campaign of opposition to the illegal occupation of Iraq, just as I vehemently oppose the disgraceful accommodation of US armed forces at Shannon by the Irish Government. Prime Minister Howard should be advised clearly of our views.

Last week, a committee of the Dáil accommodated the presence and participation of a visiting EU Commissioner, an unelected voice of the European Union. Next Tuesday, we will hear an address by Mr. John Howard, the Prime Minister of Australia. Both of these events have been and will be facilitated and supported by the leaders of the Fine Gael and Labour Parties. When will these two parties recognise the insult they have delivered to over 1.5 million of our fellow Irish citizens in the Six Counties whose chosen Members of Parliament they have blocked from receiving the same accommodation, a committee of the whole Dáil, as was accorded to Commissioner Fischer Boel? There are real issues to be addressed in the context of both of these visits.

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