David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 73: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on the visit of the Australian Prime Minister to Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19533/06]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 157: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the reasons underpinning the visit of the Australian Prime Minister to Ireland; the further reason he has been invited to address Dáil Éireann; if his attention has been drawn to the widespread condemnation among the Irish population and beyond to Mr. Howard's support of, and involvement in, the invasion of Iraq among other issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19727/06]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 73 and No. 157 together.

The Prime Minister of Australia, the Right Honourable Mr. John Howard, began his official programme to Ireland on Monday, 22 May with a wreath laying ceremony at Kilmainham. He later met students from the Australian Studies Centre at University College Dublin and a civic reception was held for him at the Mansion House. A business lunch hosted by Minister Michael Martin, in cooperation with the Dublin Chamber of Commerce, IBEC and Enterprise Ireland, provided the Prime Minister with an opportunity to meet Irish and Australian business interests. The Taoiseach and I held official talks with the Prime Minister and the Taoiseach hosted an official dinner for him at Farmleigh. On Tuesday 23 May, the Prime Minister was received by President McAleese, a lunch for the Prime Minister was hosted by the Ceann Comhairle and he met with the leaders of the Opposition parties.

With its agreement, the Prime Minister was invited to address the Dáil in the afternoon of Tuesday 23 May. The Government proposed that Prime Minister Howard should be invited to address the Dáil as this courtesy is one the Dáil has extended to Heads of Government from countries with which Ireland has particularly close ties. Ireland's links with Australia go back to its very foundation. Since then continuous waves of Irish people have made Australia their home. They have been warmly welcomed there and given the opportunity not only to integrate into Australian society but to help mould, shape and develop it. Prime Minister Howard's predecessors, Mr. Hawke and Mr. Keating, had been invited to address the Dáil during their visits to Ireland. The Government considered it appropriate that the Dáil should continue with this tradition and extend this courtesy to Prime Minister Howard.

The key objectives for the Prime Minister's visit were to build on the close and developing relationship between Australia and Ireland. The official talks held with the Prime Minister enabled a detailed exchange of views on a wide range of bilateral, regional and international issues and provided the opportunity to further pursue our mutual interests in expanding trade and investment, people-to-people links and practical cooperation in areas such as research and development, information technology and education.

I took the opportunity of my official talks with Prime Minister Howard to discuss the situation in Iraq. My focus was on hearing his assessment of the situation and, in particular, the prospects for progress under the new Iraqi Government.