Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Can I get a little bit more time tomorrow?

In truth, I was surprised that the Taoiseach added a visit to Budapest to meet Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to the schedule. When I specifically asked him on 13 December to list meetings, it was not listed. It is surprising. I have some experience in government, although obviously not at the Taoiseach's level, and I understand that meeting Prime Ministers is not done overnight. There is normally a very long lead-in in arranging diaries of this sort, so I was surprised that we were not advised in advance.

In regard to the discussion with Prime Minister Orbán, the Taoiseach indicated that he raised a number of human rights issues. My concern is this that there is a debate now on the future of Europe and on whether it will continue to be the liberal Europe we joined and had an aspiration for, based on fundamental rights and on the European Convention on Human Rights that is the legal basis for the developments in our Union. Did the Taoiseach put those points to the Prime Minister, and what did he say to in response? Did the Taoiseach receive any specific requests from any Hungarian non-governmental organisations, NGOs, to meet with him? Did he meet with any NGOs, human rights groups or opposition parties when he was in Budapest?

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