JOINT COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 28 Jan 2009

Business of Joint Committee.

Chairman

Apologies have been received from Deputy Frank Fahey. I remind members and those in the Public Gallery to ensure their mobile phones and BlackBerries are switched off completely because they cause interference with the recording equipment in the committee rooms, even when on silent mode. I ask all to respect this requirement. I remind the witnesses that whereas Members enjoy absolute privilege in respect of utterances made in committee, witnesses do not.

The minutes of the meeting on 13 January were circulated. Are the minutes agreed? Agreed.

Deputy Billy Timmins

Following on from that, there is an issue, which perhaps we should deal with now rather than under correspondence, with respect to the controversy at that meeting and remarks by Deputy Ó Snodaigh. I propose that the committee write to Deputy Ó Snodaigh asking him to apologise for the comments he made to the Israeli ambassador and Deputy Shatter at that meeting.

Chairman

Is it agreed that the committee would ask Deputy Ó Snodaigh to withdraw the remarks?

Deputy Michael D. Higgins

I have no difficulty with that at all. The remark was inappropriate. So be it. I attended that meeting and left to catch the last train available to bring me to Galway where I had a constituency meeting. Some people took it upon themselves to write and say that I had made no comment on the remark even though I was present. This was completely false and I regret that some of our guests took it upon themselves to write this to a number of people.

Senator Harris was one of those to whom people wrote. He is free to attend this committee at any time should he wish, and make his views known. I admit that we are not as exotic a venue as the Sunday Independent, but it would have been far more democratic had he chosen to operate like that. I have no difficulty with what is proposed.

Chairman

Then the proposal is agreed unanimously.

Senator David Norris

I do not think it is a matter of any great moment. I was not here and I did see the reports, and while the reference certainly was sharp, apologies are just words.

I was very close to what happened in Gaza and the situation was barbarous. I will be tabling a motion that this committee should support an international war crimes inquiry. People were kept out. There is a prima facie case of war crimes. There is no question of doubt. Palestine is being used as a laboratory for testing new weaponry and I really——

Deputy Billy Timmins

On a point of order, I made the proposal about a specific incident. We had a debate on that issue. I am quite happy to debate it with Senator Norris again in the future and take on board the proposals of which he spoke, but we should not rehash the debate we had previously. It would be unfair to today's agenda.

Senator David Norris

Except I want to make that point.

Chairman

We had almost a five-hour debate on the matter.

Deputy Alan Shatter

Like other members, Senator Norris had the opportunity to attend that meeting. He chose, however, to remain on holiday in Cyprus, from where he continued to send letters to The Irish Times.

Chairman

Let us not discuss that matter any further.

Senator David Norris

That is the classic kind of schoolboy remark I would expect from the Deputy.

Deputy Alan Shatter

The Senator received the same notice as everyone else.

Chairman

The Senator often brings back information from his holidays that proves of assistance to the committee. Are the minutes agreed? Agreed.

Senator David Norris

I wish to remain neutral on that because it is futile.

Senator Ivor Callely

Perhaps we should move on.

Chairman

Yes. Two items were referred to the committee in respect of decisions taken by the Joint Committee on European Scrutiny. These were circulated and it is proposed that they be noted. Is that agreed? Agreed.