Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

I agree entirely with what the Deputy has said. My EU colleagues and I discussed protecting the principle enshrined within the UN reform package. This is the first instance where the international community has a responsibility to protect vulnerable people. We are not at this stage yet.

We must be careful in how we deal with this. The greatest focus must be on the president, who hopes to become the head of the African Union in January 2007. I have told our EU colleagues that I believe we should use our influence, particularly in Africa, to let the Sudanese president know that if he wishes to accede to the chair of the African Union, he must do so in such a way that concurs with the views of most member nations that a joint African Union-United Nations mandated force should be allowed into Sudan.

As regards the conference, I am not saying that Ireland would not be involved in such a conference. However, I would question whether it would produce any result. Having visited Darfur and spent quite a lot of time with Sudanese Ministers, I believe the power rests with the president. The focus should be put on the president and not taken from him. That is why I welcome the British initiative. I will instruct my officials and, at the next meeting, I will personally raise the issue of the proposed conference, preferably at heads of state level.

See this speech in context