David Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Over the past few years we have been witness to an extraordinary transfer of wealth from the poor to the rich. This is a moral issue, but it also has practical consequences for even the most market-oriented economy. It was astonishing that, as Oxfam has pointed out in the run-up to the Davos conference, the richest 1% of the planet's population controls more than the remaining 99%. That is an extraordinary distortion. The 85 richest people in the world have more wealth than the poorest 50%. That is 3.5 billion people on the one hand and 85 on the other. I do not think that kind of distortion is sustainable in the long term. I hope that the Irish representatives at Davos will bring this to the attention of that international audience.
Some of my colleagues have mentioned the situation in Paris, including the attack on the offices of Charlie Hebdo, which I unreservedly condemn. However, I have to say there is a great discrepancy between the way in which we treat these appalling murders and the situation, for example, in Nigeria, where a Roman Catholic cardinal asked for the world's attention to be focused there as much as on Charlie Hebdo. In addition, devastation has been wrought on Iraq, where many people have been murdered or wounded by the Americans and their allies.
When I look at the demonstration in Paris - "Je suis Charlie" and all that kind of stuff - the representatives there would turn your stomach. Saudi Arabia was represented there. That country sentenced a blogger who sought greater freedom of expression to 1,000 lashes. After the first 50 lashes he was so ill that the government had to grant an extension so his wounds could heal in order that the remaining 950 lashes could be administered. These are the people who are protesting against the events at Charlie Hebdo. I would say, therefore, that we need to keep a balance.

We need to keep matters in proportion. Human life is human life and one human life is just as valuable as any other human life, whether in Iraq, Nigeria, the United States or Europe.