Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

First, I note that at the EU summit there is to be a dinner discussion with President Putin about EU relations with Russia. Does the Taoiseach intend to raise freedom of speech and human rights in Russia following the murder of the journalist Anna Politkovskaya? She is the 20th journalist critical of the regime — in her case regarding events in Chechnya — to have been murdered in Russia. Despite those 20 murders, it is not believed that much is being done to bring the perpetrators to justice. Even more seriously, in some quarters it is believed that government elements might be implicated. Does the Taoiseach intend raising that matter?

Second, what is the Government's position on access to the Irish labour market for Romanian and Bulgarian workers? Does he agree, since the larger member states are not making their labour markets accessible to Romanian and Bulgarian workers, and given the scale of immigration that this country has experienced, particularly in the last two years, that it would place an intolerable short-term burden on infrastructure? I refer to places in education, housing, and so on. Does he agree that, as matters stand, we ought not to give Romania and Bulgaria access to our labour market after accession? Has the Government reached a decision in that regard?

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