David Norris (Independent)

When will we take No. 23, motion No. 18, on Tibet? It should be dealt with now because of an answer given to Senator Terry here within the last two weeks. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, speaking on behalf of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, read into the record a statement that Ireland recognises Tibet as an integral part of China. It is vital that we now have such a debate because this is being contradicted by past and current behaviour, going back to Frank Aiken at the United Nations. Within the last year, a former Fianna Fáil Minister for Foreign Affairs, Michael O'Kennedy, stated categorically this was not the case. He said it had never been done and would be vigorously opposed within Fianna Fáil. I do not believe the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Cowen, was responsible for that. The statement was drafted by civil servants in the Department of Foreign Affairs. It is a very serious matter if, without recourse to the Cabinet, the Committee on Foreign Affairs or either House of the Oireachtas, a violent and unexplained change is made to our foreign policy. This would be an absolute disaster for democracy in this country. For those reasons, it is very important that we take item 23, No. 18 so the Minister, Deputy Cowen, may have a reasonable opportunity to rectify the matter and put on the record of the House the real situation regarding Ireland's policy in this matter.