David Norris (Independent)

I am glad the Leader of the House is present because I feel very strongly about the disgraceful way the business was re-ordered in the House. It is not true that the Whips of all the parties knew about it or were consulted. Mine was not and the Fine Gael speaker had no knowledge of it. The first speaker from Fianna Fáil was hauled out of the Forum on Europe. That is not the way to do business. I am sorry to have to say it because the Leader and I get on well. I attended the discussion on the Order of Business. I had to leave to make an urgent telephone call to the foreign affairs committee's delegation in Palestine. I then had to attend a briefing on landmines, which was perfectly legitimate business. It had to be aborted and I was obliged to drive back through the traffic to get to the Chamber in time. I wish to register that protest.

I thank all speakers for their contributions. I absolutely accept the Minister's credentials; I know this issue is close to his heart. All speakers spoke eloquently, passionately and well, and showed a commitment that does honour to this country. I also pay tribute to Tony D'Costa from Pax Christi, who appeared before the foreign affairs committee, and Joe Murray from Afri, who also did so and briefed us on this matter. I am pleased the Minister is opening discussions with the Minister for Finance. There is still a long way to go. I recall bringing a young lobbyist to meet the then Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Conor Lenihan, to discuss ethical guidelines for the national pensions fund.

I can give the Minister the further information I have received about this, the so-called "Dossier of Shame". It lists money invested in the arms trade, against which Senator Hanafin spoke so eloquently, by national pension funds on behalf of the pensioners of the State. The amounts are so piddling, they could easily be divested. Boeing, USA, produces aircraft, electronics, missiles and space technology and maintains and upgrades the US Air Force's Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile or the main element of its land based strategic nuclear weapons. The value of Irish pension fund shares in the company is €18,871,586. Northrop Grumman, USA, produces aircraft, electronics, missiles, military ships and space technology and is a contractor for the upkeep and upgrading of the US force's main land based strategic nuclear weapons, including the Minuteman III. The value of Irish shares in the company is €2.5 million. Lockheed Martin, USA, produces aircraft, electronics, missiles, cluster bombs and space technology. The value of Irish shares in the company is €17,124,321.

BAE Systems, UK, produces artillery, aircraft, electronics, military vehicles, small arms, ammunition and so forth and the value of Irish shares in the company is €14,543,571. Raytheon, USA has a plant in Derry that was picketed some time ago, and Irish people were sent to jail for it. This firm is on our land mass. It should be divested of the Irish shares valued at €12,392,445. General Dynamics, USA, also manufactures cluster bombs and the value of Irish shares in the company is €12.75 million. In Finmeccanica, Italy, the value of Irish shares is €9,680,000. EADS of the Netherlands also manufactures cluster bombs and the value of the Irish shareholding is €19,488,139. L-3 Communications, USA, manufactures cluster bombs and the value of the Irish shareholding is €692,916 while the Irish shares in Thales, France, is €6,636,000. All these shareholdings amount to a total of approximately €60 million which could easily be divested. I urge the Minister to try to persuade his colleague to do so.

I, too, have experience with these munitions. A family known to Ezra and me was collecting scrap and picked up some of these weapons. One fellow, who was lucky, was killed instantly, another was blinded, another had his stomach blown up and the fourth, who was 17, had both hands blown off. We tried to raise money to get him prosthetic arms so he could at least make an effort to survive. However, we got a telephone call a month later to tell us he had died of delayed shock. It suddenly hit him that he had no hands simply as a result of collecting scrap.

We need a clear commitment to a timescale for the legislation. The Minister has heard some doubts expressed, although not malicious ones, that this exercise might be put on the long finger. I do not believe it will be and I sincerely hope not. I congratulate my colleagues who spoke so eloquently, despite all of us suffering as a result of the short notice. It is a good day for the Seanad to have this motion passed on an all-party basis. That is the way these humanitarian issues should be handled. I thank the Minister for being present until the end of the debate.