Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

I raised many of the issues to which Deputy Ó Caoláin referred, although not all of them. The Deputy asked a large number of questions.

Regarding the first general group and the review, the Minister for Foreign Affairs has continually pressed and prepared for the review of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, which is due in two years time. Our position has been strongly opposed to these issues and we continue to argue this vehemently within the European Union. I never discuss NATO issues because it is well known that our position is that we are not part of it nor do we wish to be. Our positions on the use of and co-operation with the UN and involving ourselves in humanitarian and crisis management issues and the Petersberg Tasks are well known and our discussions are always held on that basis rather than dealing with NATO or the NATO alliance, of which we are not part and to which we are opposed. All our involvements, and given that we are working in Chad with some of the countries I visited, are based on full and comprehensive co-operation on providing humanitarian assistance to the refugees who are in a serious plight and have moved from Darfur. The Minister has visited that region and has maintained contact with it over the past number of years. I hope our troops will have a positive and active engagement with the region. I met the force commander, Lieutenant General Nash, last week and I met the troops on two recent occasions as they prepare to take up their positions shortly.

On the issue of employment, in all of these countries there is great thanks and praise for Irish people, business and industry for giving so many of their people employment. The jobs are seen as being hugely important to them, and the welcome they get here and the conditions they work under are all matters for which we are thanked everywhere, without exception. This has been the case for the past four years since we opened up our borders to what were then the new member states and are now a large part of the bloc of 27 member states of the European Union.

On the issue of domestic legislation, as part of Towards 2016 we have worked with the trade union movement to bring forward the legislation which is now before the House, which will ensure that this country is not abused in any way and that there are strong labour powers and labour laws to deal with this issue. This has already been developed on a non-statutory basis for the past few years, with an additional office and staff and the additional examination of company records. Wherever reports are made by the trade unions, they are diligently followed up. The trade union movement is happy with these arrangements and, obviously, it wants to see the Bill enacted, which will hopefully happen in the current session.

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