John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)

The Minister yesterday stated he was not into gestural politics. What concrete action is being proposed by the Government to tackle the Darfur crisis? In particular, does the Minister still believe we should be backing tougher international action against Sudan, including a British proposal for a no-fly zone over Darfur, which he earlier supported? Will the Minister elaborate on the type of sanction he believes would be effective, or how such a no-fly zone would operate?

Has the Minister considered that Ireland has, via the National Pensions Reserve Fund, unethical investments in Sudan? According to the Sudan Divestment Task Force, which had a letter printed in this week's The Irish Times, Ireland has invested €460 million in companies operating in Sudan, including an Indian energy consortium and Chinese oil firm PetroChina. All of these have documented complicity with those directing the terror against Darfur.

Will the Minister speak to the Minister for Finance on the issue, or would this not be a concrete action? Is this not the type of action to be proposed by the Minister instead of the gestures of which he accuses others?

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