Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)

It is important to distinguish between the different circumstances of Iran and Israel, especially with regard to compliance with the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, NPT. Under the NPT, Iran has committed not to engage in a nuclear weapons programme. However, it has repeatedly failed to live up to its international treaty obligations and it is in breach of a succession of UN security council, SecCo, and IAEA resolutions concerning its nuclear programme. The report issued by the IAEA last November concluded that there are strong grounds for serious concerns regarding possible military dimensions to Iran's nuclear programme while also indicating that Iran had carried out activities relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device.

In response to Iran's failure to address the international community's serious concerns about its nuclear programme, the EU, along with other international actors, has implemented sanctions against Iran with the aim of persuading it to return to meaningful negotiations. These sanctions are immediately reversible should Iran demonstrate its commitment to addressing the concerns raised by the IAEA report. In this regard, I welcome Iran's indication that it is willing to resume dialogue with the EU3+3 and I hope that it enters negotiations this time in a genuine spirit of compromise and co-operation.

Israel is not a party to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and it has never officially declared that it possesses nuclear weapons. Ireland is keen to see full universality of the NPT. We have repeatedly called on the remaining three states which are not party to the NPT to accede to the treaty as non-nuclear weapons states and to conclude a safeguards agreement with the IAEA.

It is the long-standing position of successive Governments not to support a policy of boycotts or sanctions against Israel. To do so would only weaken the weight carried by our views in Israel, where we seek to persuade, and among our European Union partners. We must recognise that there is no prospect at present of securing agreement at EU level to adopt sanctions or to suspend the EU-Israel association agreement.

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