Rónán Mullen (Independent)

I apologise to my colleague, Senator Donohoe. I was checking an important point of fact with Senator Norris and was unaware we were causing a distraction. I apologise to the Senator, the Cathaoirleach and other Members of the House for that.

The matter I was raising with Senator Norris is a grave one. The Prime Minister of Great Britain, Gordon Brown, chose to meet the Dalai Lama in the tradesman's entrance, so to speak, by not bringing him to No. 10, Downing Street, but meeting him in Lambeth Palace, which the Dalai Lama and others understand to be for the economic reasons that the British authorities do not want to offend China.

This brings to our attention again an issue we discussed some weeks back, namely, what is to be our attitude to the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games in Beijing. It would be timely to hear from the Government about what is to be the official policy of this country, or perhaps in the context of a debate, we could canvass the views of the Members of this House. We could set an example. It would be a very good thing if the Dalai Lama were to address us either in a Joint Houses setting or in this House. It would be a good, effective and educative counterpoint to the treatment of the Dalai Lama by the British authorities.