Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

Was the Lisbon strategy discussed at the recent meeting of the EU Council? Is the Taoiseach concerned that the European Commission's annual report on the strategy tries to justify decreases in social welfare spending and insists on further so-called flexibility in the labour market, which would unquestionably be to the detriment of pay and conditions of workers throughout the EU? Was the energy crisis in Europe and the rest of the world discussed at the European Council meeting? Has the Taoiseach at any time raised at EU level Ireland's concerns about the drift-back — in the absence of a better description — towards a reliance on nuclear power as a source of energy? Has Ireland promoted renewable energy as a counter to that? There is evidence that Britain is returning to the bad old days when it relied on the nuclear option.

During his visit to Saudi Arabia, did the Taoiseach raise in a serious way the appalling human rights record of the regime in that country? Is he aware that on Monday of this week Amnesty International issued an urgent action note in relation to Saudi Arabia? The note expressed particular concern about the fate of ten detainees, including university professors, doctors and lawyers, who had been involved in peaceful protests aimed at securing the human rights and dignity of citizens in Saudi Arabia. Did the Taoiseach reflect Irish concerns about the human rights record of Saudi Arabia? Will he act on Amnesty International's latest urgent alert, which relates to specific people who clearly face the prospect of torture and even worse?

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