Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade debate -
Wednesday, 4 Feb 2015

Business of Joint Committee

Chairman

Members will notice that a different person is sitting beside me at the top table this afternoon. I welcome our new clerk, Mr. Noel Murphy, and look forward to working with him during the next year. Noel has joined us from the Questions Office and has tremendous experience in the Oireachtas. I have no doubt that he will be active in his new role as clerk to the committee. We wish him well in his new role.

I would like to say goodbye to our former clerk, Mr. Brian Hickey, who has served as clerk for the past 18 months. Brian has been a very dedicated, conscientious, hard-working clerk and will be missed. This is our fifth clerk but the good thing is that they have all left to take up higher office. Obviously their experience sets the agenda for higher office. We wish Brian well in his new role as head of the IT section. This is a very important role.

Deputy Bernard J. Durkan

Well said, Chairman

Deputy Olivia Mitchell

We will be in touch with him.

Chairman

I thank Brian for being our clerk for the past 18 months. I am sure I am speaking for the members of the committee when I say it was great to have known him. We will miss him but we wish him well in his new role. I am sure our new clerk, Mr. Noel Murphy, will work just as hard.

Before we start today's business, Deputy Byrne has indicated he wishes to speak.

Deputy Eric Byrne

I welcome Noel to his new role. In saying goodbye to Brian, however, we will be using his expertise in IT.

The slaughter of the poor unfortunate Jordanian pilot by ISIS was horrendous. Would the Chairman agree on behalf of the committee to send condolences to the Jordanian ambassador to Ireland and England? It was one of the most atrocious events to unfold that people claiming to be a state would execute a Jordanian in such a barbaric way. We know that Jordan is playing a blinder in the region by accommodating so many refugees. It is outrageous that this has happened to one of its citizens. Would the Chairman express our solidarity with Jordan to the Jordanian ambassador?

Deputy Bernard J. Durkan

I support that proposal. What we have seen in the past few days is a manifestation of the worst excesses of man's inhumanity to man. This is extremely challenging to those committed to worldwide peace. Obviously this act was carried out to create the maximum impact. The rest of the world recoils in shock. I presume that it will imbue the peace loving community worldwide with the spirit to deal with the issue in every way possible to ensure that innocent people are not treated in that fashion.

Senator David Norris

I support sending a letter of condolence, but I would put a little rider with it.

As I said in the Seanad this morning, the Jordanian response is also questionable because they executed two people who had nothing whatever to do with that attack. They were collateral damage, and that is regrettable. Obviously, people want to have a response and to show they are not powerless, but this battle is actually fought out not where people are burned or hacked to death but in the media. We need to hit it in the media and appeal to the newspapers and so on not to give it this immense coverage, this sensationalising. There should be a co-ordinated response in the West on the Internet, on Twitter and so on, because that is where the battle lies.

Chairman

To be fair to most of the international networks, most of them did not show the photograph.

Senator David Norris

They reported it extensively.

Chairman

I do not want to have a debate on that issue at this stage. It is something we will return to.

Deputy Seán Crowe

It is appalling that the state would respond by executing two prisoners it had in custody. What happened to the individuals involved is barbaric, but for the state to respond in the way it did is also barbaric. I would support that rider on the letter.

Chairman

I agree that perhaps we should not mention anything at the moment because this is a time of mourning for the people concerned.

Senator David Norris

Yes. I am suggesting it as a rider.

Chairman

It is an issue we can visit later.

Members of the committee visited Jordan two years ago and met with the foreign Minister and other Government officials. We saw for ourselves at the first hand the frustration that is there, as Deputy Byrne has said, about the number of refugees and the limited resources the country has. The Jordanian ambassador, who is based in London, has been here on a number of occasions. Perhaps we should send our condolences to his Government through the ambassador. Our honorary consul in Amman, Mr. Ramsey George Khouri, is a Jordanian and has played a very active role for Ireland in Jordan. He was very good to us when we were there. We might send him a note as well on the behalf of the committee, given the fact that he looked after the committee. I am sure it is a very sad time for everybody, the young pilot's family, the Jordanian people, and of course we should never forget the other journalists who have been captured and killed. They are all dead and they all have families. It is important that we renew our energy to try and eliminate ISIS in the region. I believe the Jordanian people and Government will appreciate our concern here today.

Senator David Norris

Could I suggest, in the light of the Chairman's remarks, that if we are sending a letter to the Jordanians, we should surely send one to the Japanese as well.

Chairman

Yes, we can do the same for the Japanese.

It is great to see Senator Norris back after his illness, we are delighted to have him back. We look forward to his interaction in the committee over the coming year and wish him well and good health.

Senator David Norris

Thank you.

Chairman

The draft minutes of the meeting of 14 January 2015 have been circulated. Are those minutes agreed? Agreed. Unless there are other matters arising we will proceed with the main business of the meeting. I have to absent myself at 3 p.m. because I have a delegation from my own County Clare here to meet a Minister. The Vice Chairman also has to leave to speak in the Dáil.

Deputy Olivia Mitchell

Chairman, my apologies too. I have a commission meeting at 3 p.m. but I will return afterwards.

Chairman

I will not be long gone but with the committee's permission, could Deputy Eric Byrne take over as Acting Chair?

Deputy Seán Crowe

I have to leave at 3.30 p.m. as well as I am speaking in the Dáil.