Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Are questions on the same subject not being grouped together any more? Questions Nos. 38 and 49 are on the same subject. I do not know who made that decision. There are a number of other questions on the same subject. I know it is not the Minister's responsibility but I noticed recently that questions on the same subject tend not be grouped any more and I wonder is that a new policy.

Britain has talked about further isolating North Korea but I wonder how it could be isolated further. The regime is living in a bubble; it is living in fantasy land. We all accept that. The only way to break down some of the rhetoric is for people to talk to them or visit them and hopefully that could be achieved through such outreach.

We have heard what North Korea said in regard to South Korea and it has said that if the Americans take action, it will step up things. The concern is the proliferation of nuclear weapons in the region. Are the Japanese and the South Koreans going to do the same? We do not expect them to but that is the concern in this respect as would be their alignment with other countries around the world in relation to it. I know discussions were taking place but perhaps we need to look outside the loop and consider if there is anything different we as an independent nation can do in regard to North Korea or other conflicts around the world.

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