Brendan Daly (Fianna Fail)

I thank Senator Lydon for affording me the opportunity to make a brief intervention. I welcome the Minister of State and thank him for the work he is doing on this and many other issues in the Department of Foreign Affairs.

I expect the Minister of State will convey to the Minister, Deputy Cowen, my appreciation of his clear analysis of the present situation as demonstrated yesterday in a radio interview with Marian Finucane. The Minister set out clearly the historical development of Irish neutrality and the work Ireland has done in the General Assembly and the Security Council of the United Nations. Through the Minister of State, I express our appreciation of the officials of his Department and our personnel at the United Nations for the outstanding work they have done, especially during our time on the Security Council, in endeavouring to find a way in which conflict can be avoided.

Although there has been some misrepresentation, I am sure everyone is against war and every one of us would endeavour to find a way to avoid it. It looks as though war is now inevitable but perhaps there is still time to find a solution to the problem. The people who can most easily resolve it are the leadership in Iraq. The message has gone loud and clear from the United Nations to it that the main responsibility for bringing an end to the present dilemma rests with the Iraqi authorities. That message will be repeated by the weapons inspectors when they conclude their business. If the leaders of Iraq avail of the opportunity offered to them, there is still time to avoid a war.