Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach did not answer the two questions I put to him. One was whether, in light of the threat to the local development sector and the concerns raised by many in local rural communities, and particularly the questions from the European Commission, the Government was willing to review its programme for rural development from 2014 to 2020. Perhaps he will take the opportunity to answer it. Instead, he waltzed off on a little adventure of his own. It is entirely appropriate for an Minister for agriculture to welcome the appointment of a European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development. It is also entirely appropriate to be critical of the method of selection, as I was today, and to be critical of the actions of the person who was appointed Commissioner.

The other question I asked was, given the position of the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, whether the Government was for the objective which she outlined, a Palestinian state. This is the position of the European Union. What I have been seeking from the Government for a long time is that it uphold international law and employ our reputation in terms of our peace process and our history to set an example and to defend the two-state proposition regarding the right of the people of Israel and, particularly and especially, the right of the people of Palestine. That can take many forms. One example is the attitude towards the Palestinian mission. I have asked numerous times for it to be upgraded to a full embassy, but that has not happened.

The Taoiseach said that the answer to my question is inherent in the Government's support for a two-state solution. The Taoiseach uses the words "clarity" and "certainty" a great deal, so why can he not just state the position as it is, that we support the right of the people of Palestine to have their own state and that we will accord them the necessary entitlements in that regard? When I raise this issue, the Taoiseach refers to international law. If we do not uphold it, who will? The separation wall and the blockade of Gaza are breaches of international law. There are numerous other breaches of international law, so perhaps the Taoiseach will give a clear answer.

On a more positive note, I understand the Government decided today to request the European Court of Human Rights to revise the judgment on the hooded men. Will the Taoiseach comment on that? If this is the case, I welcome it very much. Not only is it the right of the men and their families, but also in terms of international practice we have seen torture used in other conflict situations and this has been facilitated by that flawed judgment.

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