Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

Last Friday, it engaged in the meaningful act of picketing the European Union offices about Libya. How did that go? Did the Deputy find after the picket that Colonel Gadaffi had stopped bombing and trying to murder his own population? Did he discover that this was a particularly effective approach to take in addressing the intent of a murderous regime?

Deputy Boyd Barrett has an unfortunate propensity to demonstrate public support for international political leaders who lack any real democratic mandate or inhibition in torturing or murdering their own people. In the circumstances, it is not surprising he should have raised his question in this way. While he is pretending, on the one side, to have some concern for the civilian population of Libya, in reality he is clearly a supporter of the Gadaffi regime. It is extraordinary that he publicly attacks western democracies which are seeking to provide protection for innocent civilians and even more extraordinary that he should be opposed to this State, should it be asked to do so, engaging in a humanitarian mission to save lives with our European partners.

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