Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I thank the Taoiseach for his reply and I support his comments. Last April I led a delegation of party members to the West Bank and Gaza where we saw for ourselves the destruction of buildings, streets and towns some five months after the invasion by Israel. We saw the symbol of international investment in Gaza, the American International School, blown to pieces. The school caretaker approached me to say he had found body parts of his son who was looking after the building on the night in question. This is a matter of serious international politics and we do not have time to deal with all the detail here. Suffice to say, I listened to the response from the Israeli Prime Minister, Mr. Netanyahu, but I have not yet heard any comment from the United States Secretary of State, Ms Clinton, the EU's special envoy to the Middle East, Mr. Tony Blair, or the United States special envoy, Mr. George Mitchell. The fact that nine were killed and 30 injured and that Irish citizens could have been involved in a tragic incident places us in a central position in this matter.

It is important to understand that, as this happened in international waters, as the incident occurred after the commandos attacked and boarded the ship in question. This has been deemed to be an act of outrageous aggression on the high seas and was completely unwarranted and uncalled for. In many ways, it represents the first real test of the Lisbon treaty which the Irish people endorsed so strongly last year. It means, for instance, that Europe is now challenged to offer a comprehensive, co-ordinated and definite response to an international incident within its remit. The European Union recently agreed, without objection, to Israel's admission to the OECD; we now need a European response to the international illegal blockade of Gaza.

I hope the Taoiseach, as the political leader of our country, will see to it that at the meeting of the Heads of Government in June there is a specific time set aside for a discussion on this matter and that there is a specific requirement for a decision by Europe in respect of its obligations and responsibilities under the Lisbon treaty to give a co-ordinated and comprehensive foreign policy response to an international incident that has occurred on our doorsteps. I support that strongly. For my part, I have written to all the Heads of Government of the European People's Party stressing the importance of this matter internationally as well as the sensitivity for us of a situation where Irish citizens have been kidnapped and abducted and whose whereabouts are uncertain.

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