Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 250: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the steps he will take in the crisis regarding Iran and nuclear powers in the west; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4754/06]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The question of Iran's nuclear programme is kept under constant review and is also the subject of regular discussions with my ministerial colleagues within the European Union. At the last meeting of the General Affairs and External Relations Council in Brussels on 30 January, we expressed grave concern at Iran's decision to resume enrichment related activities. Such unilateral steps are not only contrary to Iran's commitments as set out in several International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, resolutions, but can only serve to further erode international confidence.

Iran's actions also effectively ended talks with the EU3 to explore a possible resumption of negotiations, since maintaining the suspension of all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities was the necessary basis for such negotiations. Consequently, the EU3, France, Germany and the United Kingdom, called for the matter to be discussed at an extraordinary meeting of the IAEA board of governors in Vienna last week.

The IAEA board of governors meeting on 2 to 4 February adopted by a large majority a resolution reporting Iran to the Security Council. The resolution requests Iran to undertake a number of confidence building measures, notably the re-establishment of full and sustained suspension of all enrichment-related activities and the implementation of transparency measures, as requested by the IAEA director general. The resolution also requests the director general to report on Iran's implementation of the resolution and previous resolutions to the March board of governors meeting and, immediately thereafter, to convey, together with any resolution from the March board, that report to the Security Council. The broad support for the resolution underscores the fact that this is not a dispute between Iran and nuclear powers in the west but between Iran and the great bulk of the international community.

There is an important window of opportunity between now and March. It is my hope that Iran will not make matters more difficult by taking further unilateral decisions that would impede the work of the IAEA in its ongoing investigations into the Iranian nuclear programme. Iran's full co-operation with the IAEA is not only necessary but clearly long overdue. It is a matter of great concern that after nearly three years of intensive verification activity, the IAEA is not yet in a position to clarify some important issues relating to Iran's nuclear programme or to conclude that there are no undeclared nuclear materials or activities in Iran. Together with our partners in the EU, we will remain fully engaged at this time.