The Green Party expresses its absolute revulsion at the gross breaches of human rights being witnessed in Iraq, especially following the barbaric killing of Mr. Nick Berg and sends heartfelt sympathy to his family. On the topic of human rights it is appropriate and essential that we also question the record of China. What exactly did the Taoiseach say to Mr. Wen Jiabao, the Chinese Prime Minister, during his visit to Ireland? Amnesty International reports that in each year between 1997 and 2001, the Chinese Government executed 15,000 people, judicially or ex-judicially. However, 69% of capital crimes as defined in China's criminal law are non-violent.

Is the Taoiseach mindful of the many followers of Falun Gong in Ireland who are being persecuted for religious reasons? As one practitioner said at a meeting of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs Sub-Committee on Human Rights, China tortures and kills followers of Falun Gong as the ancient Romans tortured and killed Christians. Is the Taoiseach aware of the various methods used to persecute the Falun Gong in China including rape, gang rape, throwing stripped female practitioners into male prison cells, using electric batons on practitioners' sensitive body parts, imprisonment in water cells where the practitioners are immersed in dirty water with no light and stretching and tying practitioners' limbs to the four corners of a metal bed? I could go on had I the time.

Did the Taoiseach condemn human rights abuses in China when he met the Chinese Prime Minister? Did he mention Tibet, which has asked that the Irish Presidency establish an EU ambassador to Tibet given it is illegally occupied? What exactly did he say to the Chinese Prime Minister?

I raised both issues and several other issues last night in a two-hour meeting with the Chinese Premier, Mr. Wen. Deputy Sargent knows the Tánaiste and I have lobbied hard to secure the release of Falun Gong members who had been here for some time as students and suffered severely under the regime, and that our diplomatic efforts were successful. I have met members of Falun Gong several times and am well aware of what they have said.

Last night I endeavoured to follow the recent EU line which has tried to encourage the Chinese to engage in the process rather than be in denial and to reach an understanding on how these activities can be eliminated in some of the 23 regions where the problem is particularly bad. I stressed, as did many of my EU colleagues in this five country visit, how we believe the Chinese authorities can achieve this. I emphasised the importance for China of this issue if it wants to make progress in other areas. I believe China is doing so and wishes to do so.

I pointed out that China has to work with the EU and other countries on this issue. This has been the case, even from the time I met Premier Zhu Rongji. They realise this and are making efforts to move on and co-operate with other bodies. It is the view of Amnesty International and others that we will make no progress if we continue to lecture them without trying to engage with them. Last night I emphasised what I believe the EU strategy on human rights and the dialogue on this between the European Union and China can do to enhance their position. It has already helped them to get membership of the WTO. They are also interested in a number of other issues.

I only raised the issue of Tibet briefly yesterday because it was raised in the Troika meeting last March where some progress was made on it. They have agreed a process on Tibet. The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Cowen, has been particularly active on that during our Presidency, in the Troika in March and since then.

Premier Wen Jiabao informed me last night that they would engage in the EU human rights dialogue in a constructive and meaningful way. We will have to see if that happens, but that was what he stated and I have to accept that they will do that. He also said that to the other five European leaders he met over the past week.

I did not ask the Taoiseach if he had lectured anybody, I asked him if he condemned human rights abuse in China, yes or no? The reason I ask is that it seems it is not just the Chinese who are in denial, because it says in today's edition of The Irish Times that the Taoiseach raised human rights issues and expressed satisfaction that progress had been made. Certainly those who are suffering and the people who are in contact with us and Amnesty International have not been expressing satisfaction. I ask the Taoiseach once again if he condemned human rights abuses in China.

Second, will he tell us what was the reason, as there has been much speculation, that the press conference that was to be held last night was not just called off, but was called off over a tannoy so that nobody could be asked, face to face, why it was called off? Will the Taoiseach outline why there is a reluctance to have questions asked of the Chinese Prime Minister about any number of issues to do with China? Goodness knows there are many in that large country. Essentially, people want to know if the Taoiseach condemned human rights abuses in that country.

We express our concern and revulsion at human rights abuses anywhere.

Did the Taoiseach condemn human rights abuses?

We did that again. To clarify the matter for Deputy Sargent, what I said last night is that I was glad there was positive engagement on the most recent session of the EU human rights dialogue which took place in Dublin at the end of February. Following that, we got the release of three detainees who were on the list of the EU. I communicated to the Prime Minister that we would try to deal with the other people on that list. The human rights groups who are concerned about China also praised that initiative. We must be consistent.

There is no doubt that the protection of human rights is a challenge for every administration. I am not saying that Deputy Sargent said that they should not be lectured to, but for decades China refused to engage with the various human rights bodies. They have now agreed to do so, which is a considerable achievement, and will respond to requests, not my requests but those which human rights bodies asked us to raise. We got that commitment last night, which is important.