Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)

As the Minister of State may be aware, the director of the International Atomic Energy Agency has been heavily criticised for publishing that report. He is seen to be way too close to the American-Israeli analysis of the situation. That report was not substantiated. It was opinions and it is contradicted by the US intelligence agencies in their report to their Senate. I am very critical of the Iranian Government and Iranian regime on many different levels, not least their human rights record. However, in terms of trying to develop nuclear weapons, the evidence is not there. We know the road this has led to in the past, in terms of Iraq and the disaster that took place there. It is time to produce the evidence on whether there is any ambition to develop nuclear weapons.

We have very significant evidence that Israel possesses hundreds of nuclear warheads. However, there is no determination by the international community to access its sites or to have consistency. Can the Minister of State not see how this does and could undermine faith in that region in the European Union and the United States and their bona fides on peace?

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