Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

I am a little surprised the Taoiseach did not raise Sellafield directly with Prime Minister Brown. There has been a practice going back over a very long period that when the Taoiseach meets the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the issue is raised. I am surprised a Government in which the Green Party is participating would not raise the matter.

I am also surprised at the extent to which the Sellafield issue appears to be disappearing down the order of priorities of this Government in terms of east-west relations. The matter has not gone away and it is very real. Concerns on this side of the Irish Sea are still quite strong about the danger of accidents and so on. I am a little surprised about it.

I appreciate what the Taoiseach has said about waiting to see how the issues pan out in the change of leadership and personnel that will inevitably occur north of the Border. I share with the Taoiseach the hope that the change of leadership in the DUP and at First Minister level will not in any way detract from the progress being made. We all want to see that progress continue, particularly with regard to the economies of both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. There is also the progress made on political institutions, which is facilitating that economic progress.

On the issue of Garda activity relating to arms finds etc., I was struck at the weekend by the find of arms or bomb-making equipment in an apartment in Tralee. I understand three Afghans were arrested in connection with the find. Has the Taoiseach any information to share with the House about that? It seemed a rather strange discovery and as I understand from the news reports, the amount of bomb-making equipment was quite significant.

See this speech in context