Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail)

Overnight developments regarding the capture of British sailors allegedly found in Iranian waters are a cause of great concern. Will the Deputy Leader convey the concern of the House to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, who has made a public statement on the matter? International opinion is becoming increasingly critical of the unilateral action of the Iranian Government. Evidence conveyed by the British Government in the past 24 hours suggests the sailors were not operating in Iranian waters but in Iraqi waters.

I am concerned not only about the specific incident but also the fundamental human rights dimension. According to available evidence, the sailors were operating under a United Nations mandate and were not in Iranian waters. It is particularly disturbing that the Iranian authorities have produced images of a female English sailor wearing a Muslim veil in what appears to have been a choreographed television performance. This resonates with similar images we saw when Saddam Hussein shook hands with a young boy when a group of people were taken hostage during his regime and the horrific images portrayed throughout the world of unfortunate hostages who have been——