John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)

The Minister said he will raise the matter with the Lebanese Government but that is if we have any such government. That is surely the biggest potential flashpoint. The leader of Hizbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, has said there may not be a Lebanese Government because it may collapse. He has accused members of that government of collaborating with the Israelis. Does the Minister agree that this situation is extremely volatile? Under those circumstances, what contingency plans does he have to remove our troops if the situation becomes very serious? The Minister spoke about a time span of two to three years but has he discussed the issue with his colleague, the Minister for Foreign Affairs? If there are no talks a vacuum will arise, which is a serious situation in itself. Does the Minister agree that the sooner we have real talks, as Tony Blair has suggested — at long last common sense is prevailing — and the Iranians and Syrians are at the table, that will be the best way to get stability? It would be the best solution for our troops in the long term.

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