Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)

I cannot give an opinion on what happened following the statement made by the Minister for Environment, Heritage and Local Government. I will communicate separately with the Deputy on that issue. The issue in Tibet is very complex and sometimes we form stereotypical views on it in the West, which is not helpful. I was in China for St. Patrick's Day and the dearth of information there made it difficult to make any coherent response. I share the Deputy's view that it is imperative that a meaningful dialogue begins and that restraint is shown. There should be a greater realisation that nothing but good can come from recognising human rights as inviolable, as we hold in the rest of the world.

In the cultural nature of things, finger wagging by the West towards China is not as helpful as it otherwise might be. Dialogue is far more likely to produce progress.

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