Peter Power (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

Agreement on definitions in both cases was very difficult to secure. If individual countries then go back home and legislate for different types of weapon systems, it inevitably raises the question of why we sought international agreement in the first place. Different countries implementing different standards in their domestic laws will frustrate the implementation of the international standard which is the subject of a convention that we all endeavoured to secure. Moreover, if one country bans a weapon system that is permitted under the relevant convention, it will not be able to work with a country that has not taken this course of action.