Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Deputy for her remarks about the employment laws and the issues with which I have been involved over the years. I appreciate her remarks. She asked me about four issues. Tibet was not discussed at the meeting of the Heads of State, it was discussed by the Foreign Ministers at the European Council. It was discussed also last weekend at a very lengthy and important informal Council meeting. The Minister for Foreign Affairs has been forthright in his views, not just in this period but also over a number of years when this issue did not receive as much prominence, that we should try to work towards an EU position; that we should engage in dialogue with the Dalai Lama and that we should fight and articulate the cause of proper human rights standards. In the European Council meeting which I attended the Minister was probably in a group of three or four Ministers who pressed this issue perhaps more than others and he continued that policy very strongly last weekend. He also spoke in public many times but perhaps this issue does not get all the publicity it deserves. I have seen him speak on the issue several times in recent weeks.

I share the Deputy's views. I do not think there is any dispute on this matter. China is a very important nation, it is a very important location and it is a very important place for business and investment, but that does not stop any of us from articulating our views about human rights, dealing with the Dalai Lama, having proper dialogue and negotiations and trying to make real progress on what is a real issue. There is continuous engagement between the Minister for Foreign Affairs and his officials and the embassy, and that will continue.

I understand and have no difficulty with people making their points of view, protesting and using this opportunity to make this case a world issue at this time for the obvious reasons. Equally, I have always been opposed to sports people being used as a pawn in political arguments. I took that view 30 years ago when an Irish person was president of the worldwide Olympic movement. All that does is provide the next excuse for the next difficulty for the Olympic movement and the sporting movement. It does not solve anything in the end but obviously people want to highlight the issues.

I think Deputy Burton will support, as I do, everything the Minister for Foreign Affairs has said in Darfur. He was the first Minister from Europe to travel to Darfur following the peace agreement to articulate what we were required to do and one of the first Ministers to visit Chad. As the Deputy correctly said, the unfortunate people of these regions include women who have been raped and tortured by the regimes. It is a difficult and costly mission to which we are committing substantial resources — €60 million is a lot of money to spend on a mission. Irish troops will play an active role in trying to protect people. The unfortunate people are spread out in villages, which makes it very difficult. Sometimes it appears from the press that the refugees, of whom there are 400,000 or 500,000, are all in one camp in one location. They are spread out over an area larger than Ireland. A mission of 3,750 troops will, therefore, be stretched but there is huge support for assisting their work and we will continue to be at the forefront of that argument.

On the carbon issue, there was a long debate at the European Council on the issue of climate change and the progress that has been made in this area. I indicated our support for the Commission's proposals but in fairness to the industries involved I also put forward the concerns they are raising. In this country, these industries centre around the cement sector, including CRH and others, heavy industries in Limerick and a few other companies around the country. Aughinish Alumina and the cement industry have particular difficulties and I put forward their concerns. Both industries are investing heavily in capital requirements to try to improve their position. Their concern is that they will lose competitive advantage if plants move out of Europe and export their products into Europe, which would not be fair.

In the years up to 2011, when the negotiations have to conclude, the Commission must take account of the concerns of these industries and work with them to ensure fairness. They are following investment plans which is where the carbon leakage issues arise. I do not envisage any change in the broad thrust of the Commission proposals. The Commission has fixed its mind on where it is going on this issue and we must all subscribe to that and make the necessary plans and arrangements. However, we must also give these industries time to invest the huge resources required. Between them, those two companies will invest in the region of €500 million in the next few years. They are not in any way against the proposals but need time to be able to compete, reinvest and prepare themselves for the time ahead.

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