Gerard Craughwell (Independent)

Frequently, we talk about, and I know the Deputy Leader does as much as I do, members of the Defence Forces, especially in places of danger, such as the service in Lebanon. Rarely do we ever talk about members of our public service who put their lives at risk for their fellow man, such as what we saw yesterday in the firing of shots over the heads of Irish diplomats. Feilim McLaughlin and his crew were out in Palestine on the West Bank. It is abhorrent that the Israelis would feel that they could intimidate diplomats in carrying out their duties. These are people who visit refugee camps and who make things sure when it comes to humanitarian aid, not that there is any getting through at the moment. I heard Simon Harris this morning talk about six truckloads sitting in Jordan unable to get in while 14,000 children are at risk of losing their lives. I pay particular tribute to those members of our public service who are not military and who put their lives at risk, not just in Palestine and on the West Bank but in other countries where starvation and civil war are a fact of life. Our public servants are out there on the ground doing a great job. When we have the Minister for foreign affairs in the House, we should lay out a short section to deal with that specific issue, which is about those who risk their lives for their fellow man.