Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

Yes, I do. They are appalling weapons that visited huge injuries on the civilian population in Gaza.

With regard to the Deputy's comment on the European Union, member states historically, long before the European Union, have been involved in the arms trade and industry. That is a fact we knew before we joined the European Union.

The key issue in terms of our participation in the European Union is that no obligations are placed on us, that we have full freedom to exercise options and choices and that we can move the European common foreign policy towards an active engagement with the world that is positive and focused on conflict resolution, humanitarian assistance, developing democracies and good value systems in areas of conflict. Europe has been spectacularly successful on this front. There is no other entity in the world that has been as effective and successful as the European Union in terms of ending conflict and creating harmony. There is no question about that.

We must be mindful that peacekeeping armies and troops need equipment and facilities to be effective peacekeepers. That said, I am also mindful of what the Deputy has said. Certainly, that image of the European Union has been portrayed but it is not a fair or balanced one. There is another side to the story that does not get articulated to the same degree. Perhaps that is the fault of the European Union and others, but it needs to be said.

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