Michael McDowell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I ask the Minister of State to stop interrupting. The simple fact is that he came in here with a script which was circulated in advance. The script was prepared by people in Iveagh House. It is a shameful script. To his credit, the Minister of State departed from it because it is so shameful. That is what has happened here.

In the context of China, Iveagh House has been pathetic. I was in Taipei - Senator Horkan was with me - I went to the European Union representative office there. I found out what they thought about Iveagh House in Dublin. We were by far the outlier in the European Union. We were the most nervous and timid people. We would not use their office for any purpose. On the last occasion when this was mentioned in this House, the Minister of State's colleague stated that Ireland has commercial relations with Taiwan. Iveagh House removed its office from Taiwan to Singapore because it was so afraid of the Chinese. Let us get to the truth and stop blathering in order to cover up the weakness of Irish policy in respect of China. Let us tell the truth. Whether it is yesterday's encroachment on Nepal's border or whether it is Taiwan, Hong Kong or Xinjiang, the one thing that stands out all the time is the utter weakness of the Irish Government, which has been reduced to using the formula of uttering deep concern.

Senator Ward stated that he accepted the veracity of the findings in this report. That is all we put down for him to vote for, namely, that he accepted the findings of the report, but he has been whipped by somebody in Cabinet. Senator Mullen is 100% correct. Senator Kyne is also correct. Somebody prepared a memorandum for Government saying it would embarrass the Government if this House accepted the findings of the tribunal. That is what has happened. That is what we are dealing with. It is a day of shame and infamy that this House should surrender to that kind of dictation from the Government of the State. I admire the Government Senators who have spoken. Every one of them has stated that they accept the findings of this report. However, they are being muzzled from saying that and accepting the motion as originally tabled because it could embarrass what we call our diplomats in their dealings with the Chinese people.

The motion that we put down was well measured and intentionally so. What we got today, and there was no consultation whatsoever with us as movers of the motion, is an amendment from the Government simply to water it down and make it less embarrassing to have dealings in future with the Beijing regime. I reject the Government's amendment and I call on the Members of this House to adopt the motion as originally proposed.