David Norris (Independent)

Senator Higgins, MEP, is a fine representative, a man of ability and integrity who performs very well in this House. He has not been here, however. The people he is supposed to represent are left unrepresented. There should be an election.

I ask for a debate on Iraq, which is heading inexorably and tragically towards a sectarian civil war. It is important to debate the matter even if we are stifled about the Shannon Airport issue. I note the Government has responded to the inquiry in Europe, which I have seen. It is full of obfuscation, bluster, irrelevancies and half-truths. As we are not having an investigation here, I will write a gloss on it and send it to the inquiry.

I wish to raise a matter that I hope many Members of the House will be interested in, genetically modified food and experiments that are proposed for County Meath involving a German potato crop. It is of no relevance to Irish agriculture. I ask for a debate on the issue, and I would like the Minister for Agriculture and Food, Deputy Coughlan, to be present. I stated at a press conference yesterday that a senior representative of Monsanto was included in the Irish delegation to talks in both Hong Kong and Cancun. This representative was given full accreditation. A representative of The Irish Times telephoned the Department about the matter and was told this was not true. The Cathaoirleach would not allow me to name the person and I will not do so. I have a photograph of her as part of the delegation. She had access as a delegate to areas to which she should not have had access. Her title is the director of government affairs, Europe-Africa, Monsanto Services International. She is based in Belgium and I have a hard copy of the list of delegates.