Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Higgins for his comments. Many Members have referred to the record of the G8 leaders. The country that holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union - in this case, Ireland - does not have a formal role in the G8 summit. I assume the Prime Minister extended an invitation to me because Ireland holds the Presidency and also because the G8 summit takes place on the island of Ireland. If the holder of the Presidency was Italy, France, Britain or Germany, each of which is a member of the G8, it would also have a specific role and function in the summit as holder of the Presidency.

It is only right and proper to state that we have always been greatly concerned about the case of Sergei Magnitsky, the Russian lawyer who died in prison awaiting trial regarding a tax evasion scheme which he had uncovered and reported to the authorities. That is obviously an issue, and I note the reports of various other incidents in Russia in which human rights are of concern. Indeed, it should be noted that the Chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade received a letter from the Russian ambassador indicating that if the committee's resolution calling for sanctions on Russian officials involved in the Magnitsky case was put through, it might undermine the adoption process between Ireland and Russia. It would be regrettable if that were to occur.

In so far as President Putin and the Russian Government are concerned, some countries have very different views about the relationship with Russia. In Finland, the Prime Minister was very clear the other day about the practical and pragmatic approach the Finnish Government and people have to their neighbours in Russia. There is a particular concern in regard to amendments to the Russian law on non-governmental organisations, NGOs, whereby NGOs that received foreign funding would have to declare themselves to be foreign agents, as they are called. Despite what has been said by some Russian commentators, this is not an approximation of registration requirements or laws within the EU. In April last, an EU delegation in Moscow delivered a démarche on behalf of the EU expressing concern about the NGO law and the intrusiveness and frequency of inspections of NGOs. Ireland, as holder of the Presidency, was one of the five member states that took part in this.

However, the EU's relationship with Russia is of critical importance in terms of energy, food, the agriculture sector and several other areas. In particular, we are anxious to see progress in the partnership for modernisation agenda, co-operation on the Common Security and Defence Policy, CSDP, and co-operation with the UN, where we continue to press EU positions, including on Syria, and where I am sure discussions take place on an hourly or daily basis with Russia. It is important that we continue to engage with Russia on areas such as media, Internet freedom and the role of civil society and, indeed, where our perspectives differ.

The Deputy mentioned the US President, Mr. Obama. This country has a particularly strong relationship with the United States. I refer the Deputy to the President's programme for the inclusion of a further 32 million Americans in a medical aid programme which they never had previously, and the difficulties that this has encountered within the American political system.

I had a brief conversation with the Garda Commissioner and the Chief Constable of the PSNI on the occasion of the formal opening of the Mary McAleese Boyne Valley Bridge last weekend. Clearly, as Deputy Martin pointed out, there is a requirement for the provision of proper and appropriate safety measures. Deputy Higgins is aware that there has always been a right to peaceful protest in this country. The Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Phil Hogan, had the windscreen of his car smashed the other day during what was supposed to be a peaceful protest. In my county there has been extensive spending on protest matters for many years, using money which could usefully have been spent on the provision of schools, special needs assistants and so forth.

I have always been a clear supporter of the right of peaceful protest. I am quite sure the security forces and the security authorities have taken into account what happened on other occasions of G8 summits, when there clearly was outrageous abuse of the right to peaceful protest. There is a requirement for both the PSNI and the Garda on this island to ensure that appropriate measures are in place to prevent acts of terrorism or exceptional violence, as have happened in the past.

It is their responsibility and remit to see that these measures are implemented. From that perspective, I hope the G8 summit in County Fermanagh will pass off peacefully and that there will be discussions and decisions by the leaders of the eight most industrialised countries in the world on issues that affect us globally, such as hunger, human rights and economic development. I hope they will lead to growth, stability and job opportunities and that they will have a global impact. This is always a possibility that arises from making good, strong political decisions at the level in question. I hope that, on this occasion, the island of Ireland will be seen globally as a country that will have proven itself to be able to host a summit of this nature, thereby meriting the confidence displayed by the British Prime Minister. I hope the summit is good and that clear, strong, progressive and beneficial decisions will arise from it over the course of the two days.

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