Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

The first obligation of the Government is to ensure Irish citizens engaged in participating in the flotilla are released from detention and are not being subjected to deportation but are allowed unconditionally to return to this country. We believe the presence of our diplomatic personnel in Israel provides us with better prospects of this happening sooner rather than later. I make the point that any harm caused to any of our citizens will have the most serious consequences.

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