At yesterday's meeting of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Chairman, Deputy Woods, proposed a motion on the political and humanitarian situation in Iraq. He rightly stated that the United Nations should do everything in its power to ensure that the stability of the region is maintained and that there will be no extension of hostilities outside the boundaries of Iraq. He referred also to the fact that there is a road map for peace and security in the Middle East. The representatives of NGOs who attended the meeting said the United Nations should provide assistance and it was not acceptable for this to be done by the military. John O'Shea referred to the militarisation of food provision and I agree that this is a matter of concern.