Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

In the past two days a right-wing member of the Hungarian Parliament issued vile and outrageous statements relating to Jewish people living in his country. He called on the government to draw up a list of Jews, whom he believes constitute a threat to national security. This was part of a criticism of Israel's policy relating to the Gaza Strip. For anybody who has studied the history of the Holocaust, to hear somebody from Hungary, of all places in Europe, and particularly an elected member of the parliament, revisit the past in such a vile and contemptuous manner must be a cause of serious concern, especially to the European Union.

As any commentator could point out, there is real danger with increasing austerity policies being implemented by various governments. I have raised the issue of our democratic traditions in Europe and the increasing popularity of far right parties. The Greek election is a typical example, where a party with strong links to neo-Nazis was elected to parliament for the first time. Will the Leader ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, in his capacity as chair of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, OSCE, of which Hungary is a member, to issue a public statement on behalf of the Irish people condemning without reservation this vile statement by the Hungarian member of parliament? He should go even further and call in the Hungarian ambassador to Ireland to express his disapproval.

The reason I say this is that there is a very small Jewish community in this country, so this does not necessarily resonate with most people in Ireland. Also, Ireland was neutral during the Second World War, so many Irish people have no real comprehension of what happened in Europe with regard to the Holocaust. However, it is clear to anybody who has served in a European body. Senator Colm Burke will share his views with me on this, having served in the European Parliament. I served in the Council of Europe for several years and Senator Norris was to the fore in highlighting the plight of Raoul Wallenberg who, ironically, helped to save Jews in Hungary in the closing days of the war. I was anxious to raise this important matter and I hope the Leader will respond on its seriousness. Countries such as Ireland, with a strong democratic tradition, should publicly criticise the statements made by this man-----