Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

I was about to ask the Taoiseach on the Order of Business, in a few minutes' time, if time could be made available for statements on the deteriorating situation in Pakistan but if I did that I would be ruled out of order and the Taoiseach would look at me in a sorrowful manner, saying his hands were tied. Following from intergovernmental conferences or Council of Ministers meetings we have a worthwhile precedent where the Taoiseach and the Minister for Foreign Affairs come in and make statements. We do not have any other mechanism in foreign affairs in general other than to get up here and, out of order, plead for time. I ask the Taoiseach to look at the concept in the area of foreign affairs, which is important and is neglected in this House, of making available a few hours per term to make broad statements on general foreign policy.

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