Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 243: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if the Government has nominated or intends to nominate a person for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3480/06]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize can be put forward by those persons eligible to nominate candidates, including members of national assemblies, Governments and international courts of law, university chancellors and former Nobel Peace Prize laureates.

The statutes of the Nobel Foundation restrict disclosure of information about nominations for a period of 50 years, with the restriction applying to nominees and nominators, as well as investigations and internal consultations concerning the awarding of a prize. Moreover, the Nobel Committee strongly requests that nominators not publish details of their proposals.

The Deputy will understand that the Government would wish to respect the Nobel Committee's request and that it would not be appropriate, therefore, to indicate its position on the specific question asked.