Labhrás Ó Murchú (Fianna Fail)

It is unacceptable that any Irish citizen should suffer the harassment Christy Moore recently suffered in Britain. He was held there under the Prevention of Terrorism Act for several hours. I am worried at the type of questioning engaged in. It seemed that he was being intimidated for his pronouncements and his stance on human rights. He was asked about the lyrics of his songs and personal details of his family.

As we know, over the years, thousands of innocent Irish people have suffered under the same legislation. I had thought that those dark days were gone. I was once on the receiving end because I would not translate my name from Irish to English, with the result that I was also detained for several hours. Arising from my case, three other countries in the European Parliament put pressure on Britain to stop that type of intimidation. Perhaps the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Dermot Ahern, might be invited in. I do not want to see that sort of activity return, particularly when the peace process is proving so successful.