Michael Noonan (Limerick East, Fine Gael)
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Question 124: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has communicated the concerns of Ireland regarding nuclear proliferation to those countries which have refused to become a signatory to the non-proliferation treaty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19572/06]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland has a long-standing policy of support for the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), going back to Frank Aiken's initiative almost fifty years ago, and attaches the utmost importance to its universalisation. India, Pakistan and Israel are the only three countries that have not acceded to the NPT.

At the NPT Review Conference in New York last May, I stated that it was a matter of serious concern that India, Israel and Pakistan continue to remain outside the NPT regime and I urged them to accede to the Treaty unconditionally and at an early date. Such a call has also been made in recent statements by the European Union.

In addition, Ireland, with our partners in the New Agenda Coalition, introduced a resolution on the NPT to the First Committee of the United Nations General Assembly last October. A paragraph in the resolution that urged India, Israel and Pakistan to accede to the Treaty was supported by 148 countries. Last December, when the issue was taken up in the Plenary of the General Assembly, some 158 UN Member States endorsed this call. Pakistan voted against that paragraph of the resolution at the First Committee but abstained during the Plenary while India and Israel voted against the resolution on both occasions.

Ireland will continue to avail of every opportunity nationally, within the EU, within the New Agenda Coalition (NAC) and at the United Nations to call for the adherence of these countries to the Treaty.