Seanad debates

Wednesday, 17 November 2010

Prohibition of Depleted Uranium Weapons Bill 2009: Committee Stage

 

7:00 pm

Photo of David NorrisDavid Norris (Independent)

I commend Senator Boyle and his Green Party colleagues on this Bill. It is refreshing to hear from a Minister of State who takes such a wide-ranging interest in these matters. A very estimable organisation, Afri, has campaigned for legislation in this area, as well as on the issue of cluster bombs. It was instrumental in bringing over Mr. Doug Weir, who is the head of a lobby group that is based in the United Kingdom but not confined to that jurisdiction. The group in question has campaigned for many years for the banning of these weapons.

I strongly feel it is important that we issue an instruction that our military personnel should not engage with these weapons. I think that would be universally accepted in this House. It may well be a tactical matter. That is why I did not call a vote on it. I suggest that the Labour Party and Green Party should talk to their colleagues in the other House and to the Government to see whether this can be done. The Minister of State made a cogent point when he said this principle was universally accepted in the Seanad this evening. Nobody spoke against it.

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