Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

——that demands careful consideration. Our strategy to date has been to work with our southern African region partners as the people who ultimately have the strongest influence and access. We believe that has yielded some results. We would accept that it has not done enough and that the progress has not been of a degree or nature that we would find acceptable here.

Our judgment call at this stage is to continue — both directly with the South African authorities and in the context of the EU — putting pressure on and liaising with the African Union and SADC to have that necessary influence to move matters in the right direction. It is something that will be kept under constant and active review. We are very conscious of the strong views in this House and in the country on this issue.

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