Geraldine Feeney (Fianna Fail)

Will the Leader ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Dermot Ahern, to keep the strongest pressure on the relevant authorities in Iraq to come forward and officially declare or deny that the murdered person is the Irish-born Margaret Hassan? The current situation is most unacceptable for her poor family. Those of us who have been following her plight over the past month know there are no words for it. We were sickened when word came through yesterday that there was a 90% probability that she was the victim of the horrific murder. To quote a much used phrase, she was more of an Iraqi than any Iraqi person. She has been living there for 30 years, looking after the underprivileged and the down and out. As Irish people we owe it to one of our own to get clarification so that her family can grieve in the way they deserve.