Ivana Bacik (Independent)

Like Senator Mooney, I wish the US ambassador well and note that yesterday was US Independence Day. We have had a positive interaction with the US ambassador this week. We appreciated his presence in the Chamber on Tuesday during the discussions with the representative of the Orange Order. The British ambassador was also present. It was good to see representatives from various embassies in the Chamber, along with a number of representatives from the press.

Senator Mooney is being somewhat unfair to the IDA and Enterprise Ireland, particularly in light of the thousands of new jobs that have been created in recent months through the foreign direct investment they have supported. The success of the IDA and Enterprise Ireland in attracting investment has been noted in the House on numerous occasions, most recently by the Minister for Finance in Tuesday's debate on finance. It is important to receive positive indications of continued support from the US ambassador and other countries where investments are being made. One positive development in recent months was the trade mission to France by Irish food producers. It is not often appreciated that Irish food producers have a huge market in France and other European countries.

I ask the Leader to arrange a debate on the Middle East when we return in October. The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade has been in the House on several occasions to discuss foreign policy generally and we have often focused on the Middle East but in light of this morning's report from Amnesty International indicating worrying abuses of human rights in Libya under the new regime, we should be concerned to keep the situation under review by holding a debate on Libya and the changes that have occurred across the Middle East following the Arab Spring. I would welcome a debate of that nature and I am sure other Senators would agree.