Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I ask the Leader to arrange for the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to come to the House in the near future to discuss crucial issues, including the suicide bombing that has killed more than 78 people at the All Saints church in Peshawar in Pakistan. Christians are under attack all over the world, and there is an ongoing siege in a shopping centre in Nairobi in Kenya, which is really an attack on the Christian community. In Syria, Christians are also under severe threat from rebels, strangely enough. There is grave concern around the world with regard to these suicide attacks and other acts by fanatical Muslims.

The European Union and its High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton, should be more active, as I have seen no condemnation of these acts. The danger is that there is an Irish community in Pakistan and everybody is under threat when two suicide bombers go into a church to destroy so many people. The toll could rise to 200 people before we are finished, so it is a serious issue. There is an ongoing siege in Nairobi, where there are many Irish people, and there are Irish priests working very hard in that country. The Minister should come to the House to outline the Government's view and the action that could be taken by the European Union to protect citizens and Christians throughout the world.