Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

What I articulated in my reply was the factual position currently. Through our work on the Middle East, we have demonstrated that we have an independent foreign policy position and that we are working to bring other member states with us.

The Deputy has discussed the Middle East a great deal in the House, but I will bring something to his attention. At the Foreign Affairs Council, FAC, meeting approximately one month ago, 26 member states were anxious to impose sanctions on violent West Bank settlers, but such a decision would have required unanimity. The Deputy has often been critical of the EU’s failure to adopt sanctions like asset freezes and so on against West Bank settlers. He cannot have it both ways. We favour unanimity, but we should always discuss how to make the EU more efficient if there are countries like, for example, Hungary, which recently has been saying “No” for what do not seem to us to be foreign policy reasons, but for reasons of a broader agenda of leveraging its vote on other issues. That is a cause of concern.

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