Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I join the Leader of the Opposition in conveying the sympathy of the House to the families of Brian Murray and Mark O'Shaughnessy who lost their lives while doing their job as fire fighters in Bray yesterday. In regard to the fire service generally, we have completed the first phase of a fire service change and modernisation programme which focused initially on the enhancement of fire fighter health, safety and welfare. There has been an updated auxiliary safety statement template for the service to comply with the 2005 legislation, with a new national incident command system, revised breathing apparatus guidelines and associated training and training materials, and a critical incident stress management system to assist fire fighters in dealing with the aftermath of traumatic and stressful incidents. This matter is ongoing between the fire service and various local authorities. There will be an investigation, carried out by the statutory authorities and agencies, the HSE, the Garda Síochána and Wicklow County Council, into this latest incident involving the tragic loss of the lives of two fire fighters. We have asked the local authority to make its findings available to the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.

On the question of the committee structure, the Chief Whip has initiated discussions with the Opposition Whips with a view to arriving at a consensus in the coming week on how and which committees will operate. That requires further discussion between the Whips. I hope they can come to a conclusion as soon as possible, as it is in the interests of everyone in the House that we find an agreed way forward.

In regard to the matter raised by Deputy Higgins, we work through the European Union mechanism, in the main, through ASEAN and ASEM, in dealing with the regime in question. That regime is, rightly, a pariah in the international community. I agree with Deputy Higgins that we should express our support for and solidarity with those who are trying to maintain basic civil and human rights for the Burmese people. The reaction of the military regime in recent days is a cause for serious concern, particularly in view of what happened the last time there was a public protest on a large scale, which resulted in the loss of 3,000 lives when people were murdered in the streets. This is a regime which has practically cut itself off from all international engagements. In the fora in which we dealt with that part of the world during our Presidency the attendance of the Burmese, let alone engagement with them, was a matter of serious dispute. It behoves the international community to require the powers that operate in that region to use what limited powers they have in making sure the regime in Burma understands the international community will not tolerate a repetition of what happened in 1988 when there was a major conflagration in the streets. This is a country which for more than 40 years now has been in the grip of a military junta and whose people have suffered greatly. I hope their courageous efforts on this occasion will meet with greater success.

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