Tom Kitt (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)

I am happy the House is having this debate and I am anxious to hear what Members have to say. I will be happy to respond if they have particular queries they want addressed.

Yesterday the US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, presented to the Security Council the evidence which President Bush had promised in his State of the Union Address at the end of January. A considerable volume of material was put before the international community and it would be premature to attempt to put forward an assessment of it this morning. We have been given a lot to consider. Equally, the weapons inspectors have been given information which will assist them in their work and Iraq has been put on notice of the pressing areas in which its co-operation with that work must be improved if it is to meet its obligations under international law.