Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)

That is the kind of glib response I have to come to expect. I had hoped the Taoiseach would have taken the opportunity to outline what he said directly to the Prime Minister rather than giving the impression that they were as thick as thieves in condoning the illegal international war led by the US with Australia following on meekly behind.

Was the Taoiseach quoted correctly in boasting about the role Shannon Airport played in the initiation of the invasion of Iraq? Did he raise with the Prime Minister of Australia the fact that his country has not ratified the Kyoto Protocol? Did he raise the consequences of this not only in flooding but also the cost of home insurance in Ireland and elsewhere, energy use and the increasing costs of energy? If the Taoiseach had the opportunity, would he have said to the Prime Minister that he is condoning not just an ecocide but a genocide unless he ratifies the protocol and Australia moves to a society that goes beyond fossil fuels? Should the Taoiseach not take such opportunities if he is serious about future generations of this and other countries?

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