Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail)

I ask the Leader if he will consider taking non-Government motion No. 17 (4) on the Order Paper which states:

That Seanad Éireann calls on the Irish Government to formally recognise a Palestinian State at the UN General Assembly meeting in September 2011 and that such a state would be based upon Israel's pre-1967 borders with mutually agreed land swaps.

I raise this matter because of the unfortunate decision by the US Government to veto the proposal in the United Nations which is supported by quite a number of countries. We are in a very strong position in this House because the late Deputy Brian Lenihan was the first European foreign minister to formally recognise the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and recognition and to live in harmony and peace with its neighbour, Israel. We have a very proud tradition in this regard. It has been the policy of the Labour Party and I remind the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Gilmore, that he is either a mouse or a lion in the Cabinet. In my view there is an undue influence exercised by the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Shatter, to ensure that this Government vetoes the policy of the Irish State regarding the recognition of Palestine and the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination. There is undue influence being brought to bear in the Cabinet in this regard.