Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

I will follow the example set by my constituency colleague, Deputy Doyle, and take poetic licence with King Lear: "How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is, To have a patronising Government".

I will not embarrass the Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Michael Kitt, by quoting from his speech during the Private Members' Bill on landmines when he was in opposition. It is not my intention to embarrass the Government.

Two and a half years ago I published the Good Samaritan Bill, debated during Private Members' Business. The then Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform stated that the Bill was flawed. It was not flawed. The Law Reform Commission recommended that such legislation be introduced and proposals from interested parties have been sought. If that legislation had been introduced we would have more defibrillators in Ireland and people's lives could have been saved. The Minister did not agree because he displayed arrogance symptomatic of this Government in the past few years. I do not say that lightly.

I thank those on this side of the House who participated in the debate, particularly my party colleagues. I acknowledge the role of Fine Gael staff, including Jim Duffy and particularly Jennifer Carroll, who do much work behind the scenes. Fine Gael does not have the army of resources that the Government has. I thank Deputy Michael D. Higgins, who made an interesting contribution, suggesting that the matter could be addressed through statutory instrument. That would not have addressed the financial aspect. I thank Deputy Ó Caoláin, who spoke for Sinn Féin.

It took a long time to formulate this Bill. The timing is suitable but the germination of the Bill was set in train long before we realised there would be a conference in May. I thank Deputy Pat Breen, Fine Gael spokesman on human rights and the encouragement of Pax Christi and Mr. D'Costo.

I thank the Government speakers who raised many relevant issues. Deputy Barry Andrews spoke on the broad concept of ethical investment. No one in the House has a monopoly on concern for human rights. Fine Gael will not genuflect or bow to any party with respect to the issue of human rights. By the same token, we will not beat our chests expressing moral indignation.

We had a heated debate on Tibet and China today when every Member wanted the same goal. However, there was disagreement and intolerance on how this would be achieved. I regret that this happened. Fine Gael does not believe that athletes should be used for a meaningless gesture. In 2007 we had exports worth €1.2 billion and imports worth under €5 billion from China. We had several trade missions to China. In all the speeches today there was only one mention of human rights. We must go down this route and should keep athletes out of this matter. Momentum will build in this country to involve the Olympic Games. Let us not grant the Olympic Games to China but we should not involve the athletes in the issue.

I referred to Ms Hilde Johnson in my speech last night. She told a story in the opening address at the Wellington Conference on cluster munitions about children in southern Laos searching for little crabs who were blown up. Let us picture the young children in Curracloe running after a beach ball. In the sand dunes the children spot a little yellow object, an attractive object, as Deputy Bannon mentioned. All of a sudden there is an explosion and all are blown to kingdom come. That happened to several young children in the Glen of Imaal in the late 1970s. Three young children were killed when they came across an unexploded mortar bomb and, not knowing what it was, banged it against a rock.

Some countries have taken unilateral steps to give the process added momentum following the Oslo accord and in advance of the Croke Park conference. Britain has done it and the big, bad USA, which is not a party to the Oslo accord, has taken steps by signing legislation to deal with the issue to some degree. It has signalled its intention to move on this area. It is regrettable that we have not done so in Ireland.

Deputy Deasy referred to the Minister stating he did not want to divide the House. The power to divide the House does not lie with the Opposition but with the Government. The Leas-Cheann Comhairle was involved with the Civil Unions Bill, which was tabled in the last Dáil. The Leas-Cheann Comhairle was patronised by those who told him there would be a Second Reading of the Bill within nine months. Where lies that Bill today? It is not even in the vaults of Leinster House but in some shredder, as our Bill will be.

The Bill adheres to all policy principles advocated on both sides of the House. The Bill is not flawed and if it was the Minister would not have agreed to a Second Reading in nine months' time. I appreciate that the Minister did not play politics in that respect. The Minister for Foreign Affairs referred to the concept of humanitarian assistance and mine clearing. We see these issues as more appropriate to the stewardship of Irish Aid. I await with interest the Minister's proposal to include these matters in his Bill. The Bill deals with the National Pensions Reserve Fund, €27 million, and the investment in such companies across the financial sector. Some €100 million, a conservative estimate, is invested in such companies.

Much legislation has been dramatically changed on Committee Stage. I predict that the Government legislation will go no further than this Bill. There is no difficulty with principle and no flaw in this Bill. Why will the Government vote against this?

While driving home last night, I heard a news broadcast at 10 p.m. It referred to the Government banning pension fund investment in companies that manufacture cluster munitions. In the Government motion, there is no reference to this. It refers to "welcoming the role being played by the Government", and "recalling the intention of the Government" but there is no reference to banning investments. The Bill clearly states it, yet the Government will vote against the Bill on this measure. There will be a conference in nine months' time. Austria and Norway have moved, yet Ireland talks about leading on the issue.

We have a patronising Government that resembles the Administration in Rome in its dying days. It is sad that on the day a new leader designate of Fianna Fáil is appointed, the Government does not have it in its heart to pull back without dividing the House. Despite the message sent out with spin yesterday, Members will vote against this Bill and against the provision withdrawing funding from investment in these companies. The Minister will probably walk to Croke Park with a Bill under his arm, albeit while waiting for the conference to tell him what to include. Surely we can be our own moral guardians, knowing how far we wish to go. If it must be added to, well and good, but I can guarantee that it will not be necessary.

I regret the Government could not support this Bill. It can put whatever spin and technical gloss it wants on it and engage in propaganda, but it is regrettable that it does not support the Bill and is patronising in its speeches. It does not support the Bill because it likes to take the credit, not for just one little thing or most things but for everything. I commend the Bill to the House and call on all sides to vote for it in order to ban cluster munitions and investment in them.

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