Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Haughey, to the House. I congratulate him belatedly on his recent promotion and the good job he is doing in his brief.

Questions on foreign policy agendas and how Governments should react in international relations have become increasingly significant in recent decades, particularly the last decade, as international relations have become more complex and in the wake of the creation of new states, particularly following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the development of the African nations. These questions concern the promotion of human rights, the punishment of crimes against humanity, the prohibition of arms sales to unstable regions or states that abuse human rights, and the use of force, particularly for the purpose of humanitarian intervention. These are all important issues.

As a small country with a history of colonial domination, Ireland has carved out an important niche for itself as a country which not only subscribes to the values outlined by the Minister in his speech, but has achieved an enviable international reputation especially among former colonial countries and throughout the Third World. Our election to the United Nations Security Council in this millennium is but one example of this phenomenon. It is a testament to our image as a country which is a champion of human rights and one that is automatically called upon to provide peacekeeping forces in some of the most complex conflicts in the world going back as far as the Congo.

Ireland was particularly keen to become a member of the United Nations from its inception but, historically, due to the somewhat elitist nature of the founding countries and those that joined in San Francisco in 1945. Ireland, along with many other small countries, had to wait ten years before it was given an opportunity to sit as a sovereign, independent State in the United Nations. When we did, we hit the ground running. We lost no time in making it clear we were bringing to the United Nations an approach to world issues that was determined, not by alliances, but by our own values and historical experiences.

Prior to our membership of the United Nations, we had also become a founding member of the Council of Europe. To this day, we remain active participants in that internationally recognised and esteemed human rights parliamentary assembly. I pay tribute to my colleague, Senator Ormonde who, like myself, has the honour of representing, not only this House — with Senator Bradford who has long been a member of the Council of Europe — and other distinguished Members of this House and the other House, but this country in this important human rights body. Sadly, sometimes it is confused with the European Parliament, primarily because we both sit in Strasbourg. I am not sure about my colleagues but I constantly have to clarify to people that the Council of Europe is not the European Parliament.

Once we became a member of the United Nations, we became dedicated to the reduction of international tensions and, in particular, to arms control; our efforts bore fruit eventually in the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. This achievement is often touted around. It reminds me a little of our lack of footballing success in County Leitrim. When I was a child, whenever we talked about the major footballing achievement of County Leitrim, we always referred to the 1927 Connacht final, which was our first ever Connacht title. It took us until 1994 before we added another provincial title. This generation and the next one will probably be talking about 1994 in the same way as we referred to 1927. Bearing in mind that we were a new member of the United Nations, one has to accept that Frank Aiken's initiative at that time was an enormous contribution towards world peace. As the Minister pointed out, Article 6 of the UN Charter contains the only multilateral legally binding commitment from the nuclear weapons states to nuclear disarmament.

Ireland was not long a member of the UN when we answered the call to send military observers into the Middle East and a Defence Forces contingent into the Congo. The sad legacy of that conflict resonates even to this day. Investigations are ongoing into the return of one of the tragic fatalities of the Defence Forces in that country. Since then, members of the Defence Forces and the Garda Síochána have served under the UN flag across the globe. Nothing embodies Ireland's commitment to the United Nations more tangibly, and nothing has brought greater honour to this State than the service and sacrifice of the Irish men and women who have worn the light blue beret with such distinction.

A modern historian has concluded that Ireland's independent role at the United Nations in that era from the 1950s on was, "planned far in advance, thoroughly reviewed by Irish diplomats, professionally implemented and ardently defended". That still remains the case today. I pay compliment to the skills of our diplomats in all the international fora in which Ireland is represented.

The Minister has highlighted Ireland's contribution to overseas aid. It is making a real difference to the lives of many thousands of people every day. Meeting the needs of the world's poorest and most vulnerable people is one of the great challenges of our time. There is a moral imperative to act and Ireland has a proud record in that regard. I am convinced that, notwithstanding the criticisms that legitimately or otherwise can be levelled at Irish foreign policy, if one were to ask the vast majority of people how they feel about our foreign policy, they would point immediately to overseas aid and UN peacekeeping as two positive and tangible examples of, not only Ireland's sovereignty but also of the esteem in which we are held internationally.

I referred earlier to Members of this House and others who are members of international bodies. I am sure colleagues would identify with my experience on the Council of Europe. As an Irish parliamentarian I regularly feel proud of the image and perception of Ireland that is held by international parliamentarians from countries in Europe and beyond. They have a positive image of our foreign policy and the way in which we go about our business. It is a noble cause on which we are embarked. There are many instances of Ireland's intervention to help those less well off, the vulnerable, the needy and those suffering human rights abuses. These have all been catalogued by the Minister, even down to the present day where he is again taking a strong, independent position in criticising the Mugabe regime. I compliment Senator Ross for raising the matter on the Adjournment of the House last night. It is vital we continue to do that.

Reference was made to Burma. The Minister of State, Deputy Treacy, represented this country at the recent ASEAN conference in south east Asia. Not only did he put forward the Irish position on the untenable nature of the Burma regime and the continuing captivity of Aung San Suu Kyi, but I know from speaking to him that he was involved in a one-to-one dialogue with the Myanmar Foreign Minister. In diplomatic terms, it could be said that an interesting exchange of views was made. I can assure the House the Minister of State was robust in putting forward the Irish position on the unacceptable nature of that regime. From my personal experience of talking to Ministers for Foreign Affairs and to Ministers of State in the Department of Foreign Affairs, whenever it has been necessary to assert the Irish position on human rights violations that have taken place, or where there are rogue regimes, Ireland has been to the fore in that regard.

I realise I have very little time left. There are many other areas to which I would wish to refer. I put on record the Government's continuing support for the UN, through the establishment of the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission and the fact Ireland has now set up a conflict resolution initiative in this country, which is a legacy of our peace process, an issue we have already debated in this House following the historic events in Belfast earlier this week.

Ireland's commitment to Africa is internationally recognised and appreciated, not only within Africa itself but by the international community. The Minister for Foreign Affairs has taken a robust position on Darfur. He has criticised the Sudanese Government for its lack of humanity and for refusing to allow a UN multilateral force into that sad country. I have already made brief reference to Myanmar.

Ireland, through the then Minister for Foreign Affairs, the late Brian Lenihan, was the first European country to commit to the establishment of a Palestinian state when it was not the most popular thing to do. Where I diverge from my colleagues on the other side of the House is that if this debate were to do nothing else, it would at least put forward the positive aspects of Irish foreign policy. This country traditionally does not do war, due to its small size, the fact we are not a military power, and that we were a former colonial dominated country, but we do peace and we do it very well. We do human rights, and we do it very well. I applaud those at all levels within the Irish diplomatic service and at a political level in the Department of Foreign Affairs for the continuing success of that twin policy that has established Ireland's role. To quote that often used cliché, we continue to punch above our weight. For a country of 4 million people on the periphery of Europe, the international prestige we have achieved through hard work is extraordinary. The countries we are now helping recognise that Ireland's colonial legacy has put us in a central position to understand and empathise with the problems that are occurring internationally.