Ireland very much wants to see a peaceful solution to this crisis. The use of military force must only be a last resort when all other means have been exhausted. Recognising this, Ireland, with our fellow members of the Security Council, worked hard to ensure the unanimous adoption of Resolution 1441 on 8 November last. As the Government has repeatedly stated, the purpose of Resolution 1441 was both to place fresh pressure on Iraq to comply with its disarmament obligations and to give a final opportunity for the matter to be resolved within the UN framework and without resort to military force. In the months before Resolution 1441 was adopted there was a widespread expectation that the United States would resort to the unilateral use of force. Today, by contrast, the Security Council is dealing with the issue and efforts are still under way to ensure a peaceful outcome.