Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)

I have one or two questions for the Taoiseach in regard to the Latin American meeting and the forthcoming June summit. I met last week with a delegation from the Colombian trade union. The delegation met immediately afterwards with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and was hosted by Mr. David Begg and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. The delegation had a specific request which it wished the Taoiseach to put to the European Union summit meeting in June, namely, that Ireland would not sign up to a proposed trade agreement with Colombia on the basis that 27 Colombian trade union leaders had been in recent times slaughtered by death squads and the Colombian Government's intention to use that trade agreement to ensure its re-election in the upcoming elections towards the end of this year. What position will Ireland be taking in regard to this request?

The 2020 document and the plans therein for the next ten years will be, as I understand it, the main thrust of discussion at the summit in terms of the decisions to be made with regard to the strategies. There has been a strong request from NGOs and organisations dealing with poverty issues that Ireland support a fixed target of 25% reduction in overall poverty levels within the European Union during that ten year period, which would result in almost 20,000 people being removed from poverty or the risk of poverty and in strategies being agreed to ensure this. Given our proud record in terms of combatting poverty, dating back to our joining the European Union and which has informed all European Union decisions to date, will the Taoiseach take the initiative on this issue to ensure that target is agreed?

I agree with Deputies Kenny, Gilmore and Morgan that we should be taking the initiative at the June meeting in regard to the piracy on the high seas by Israel. This is almost the same as what has been happening on the Horn of Africa with Somalia. There should not be less than an international investigation into this matter. The incident happened in international waters. The lives of Irish citizens have been put at risk.

The European Union should have a plan to deal with this matter by the time the summit takes place. If the Israelis continue with the approach as they have stated to date and have merely an internal Israeli investigation, the European Union must take the initiative and conduct an international investigation.

Ireland agreed last week to support Israel's application for membership of the OECD. The Taoiseach should seriously consider rescinding such support. Effectively, our support means that we support Israel as an agreed colleague among the 13 members of the OECD when Israel has put itself outside the bounds of normal human rights and trading arrangements with regard to other counties in the international community.

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