asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he considers that a Dáil committee on foreign affairs would be beneficial to Ireland in keeping the public and public representatives aware of international trends which threaten our peace and which institutionalise injustice; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Proposed Committee on Foreign Affairs.
2.
As the Deputy will be aware, the question of establishing a Dáil Committee on Foreign Affairs is under consideration between the Leader of the House and myself.
For the information of the House, I was not so aware. Given the state of world hunger and the world's stock of weaponry, I ask the Minister if he would urgently report progress to the House on the creation of a foreign affairs committee within the National Parliament because of the urgent need for this Parliament to have a role in that regard?
That is not primarily a question for me but for the House. I have no doubt that the Leader of the House will be making proposals. I think that the appropriate committee in this regard would be that on Procedure and Privileges. As regards the first point raised by-the Deputy, there is a Subcommittee of the House on Foreign Aid, which is sitting at the moment.
Is the Minister aware that that committee do not concern themselves with stocks of nuclear weaponry, for instance? They can only concern themselves with overseas development.
That is correct.
I thank the Minister. A committee on foreign affairs is necessary. Is the Minister aware that there is a strong view in the House that the House should have a foreign affairs committee to consider such things as world hunger and international weaponry? Although Ireland does not have a very large role, ripples can cause waves and we should have some platform within the National Parliament where people can express their views on these very important matters.
I would have no objection at all to the establishment of such a committee, if it were so decided by the House. I did not know that there was a strong feeling in the House in that regard. The Deputy and one other Deputy have spoken to me in that connection. The House itself is possibly a better platform for a discussion of this nature. I have said on a number of occasions since I took up my present responsibility that I would like to see more debates on foreign policy taking place in the House. I would be willing to talk to the Government about allocating set times, perhaps twice or three times a year, for such a debate.
This is a final supplementary question. We cannot have an argument or a debate on this matter.
Is it likely that the Minister will be able to report progress in this regard in this session?
That is not really a question for me to answer. Primarily the responsibility for this issue, as I have said, rests with the Leader of the House and with the Committee on Procedure and Privileges, probably the committee of the House which would make a decision in this regard.