David Norris (Independent)

I move motion No. 29:

That Seanad Éireann calls on the Minister for Foreign Affairs to use his good offices to ensure that the United States and the United Kingdom Governments meet their absolute moral obligation, as well as their legal obligation, under the Fourth Geneva Convention to provide the finest medical care and rehabilitative treatment for all the civilian casualties of their recent war in Iraq as a matter of the greatest urgency.

This has been agreed by this House, despite the interventions of the Department of Foreign Affairs, which came to light this morning in discussions on the Order of Business. I found it interesting that it is still not prepared to face the truth about this war. Apparently, officials in the Department of Foreign Affairs objected to the motion they thought I was putting down – No.28 – on the basis of one word "occupation". I ask the Minister of State to find out from his adviser who wrote this stuff what he has against the use of the word "occupation". What on earth does he think it is, if it is not an occupation? This is a nonsense. Let us tell the truth in this House and let us have truth from the Department of Foreign Affairs on this issue.