Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy again for raising this issue. I would like to make a point about our attitude towards European institutions. We should not criticise European institutions for not deploying powers which member states have chosen not to give them. While the Deputy did not make such a criticism, the point is worth making all the same. Many of the areas which are most sensitive to us are still matters of national competence and decision-making. The Deputy rightly picked up on the role of Commissioner Ashton and her organisation, the European External Action Service. It is worthwhile to make the point that Commissioner Ashton and her colleagues in the service were the first people to have the ability to meet very important individuals in Egypt in the aftermath of the difficulty that happened there. The centrality of the Commissioner and her body in the work that is taking place in the Middle East is also worth pointing out. Indeed, I remind the House that they orchestrated and delivered the recent massive breakthrough in the Balkans. The service is dealing with the aftermath of terrible tragedy there as well. The Deputy referenced very well the outstanding work of many Irish organisations in that area. I suggest this is the clearest example of the huge value of neutrality to a country like Ireland. Neutrality is not just a policy choice of pragmatism, it is a principle of absolute value. One of the reasons our organisations can do this kind of work is that they are associated with the neutrality of this country. This is also the reason we hope to be in a position to be able to deploy troops to an area adjacent to this terrible difficulty and protect vulnerable people who need help to ensure they can live their lives safely. I thank the Deputy again for his remarks. He referred to the fact that the Government has contributed €200,000 to this. Ireland has now contributed a total of €11 million to this tragedy. The Deputy can be assured of our continued focus on doing all we can in this regard.

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