As, unfortunately, I will not have the opportunity to have a proper meeting with the Australian Prime Minister, I have been asked by the Green Party in Australia to ask the Taoiseach if he will question the Prime Minister about his record. A letter from Senator Bob Brown, leader of the Green Party in Australia, who speaks for many Australians states:

First of all thank you for speaking up about Australian Prime Minister on his visit to Dublin. Here are some items from his record. John Howard has signed off on the greatest raid of destruction of Tasmania's forests and wildlife; locked innocent refugees — men, women and children — behind razor-wire for years in Australian desert camps; backed Indonesia's military control of West Papua — though 77% of Australians believe West Papuans should be given a vote on self-determination; sent Australian troops to Iraq without the authority of the Australian Parliament and condoned Guantanamo Bay abuse of international law; ramped up uranium exports to boost the global nuclear industry; rejected an apology to Australia's stolen generation of Aborigines; this month's federal budget ignored more than 1 million Australian pensioners while removing all taxes from wealthy retirees' superannuation; and allowed Australia to be labelled the world's worst per capita greenhouse gas emitter among OECD countries pouring huge sums into coal mining while stripping funds from scientists researching solar energy.

We know of the Prime Minister's refusal to ratify the Kyoto Protocol. Has the Taoiseach questioned him about his record? Did the Taoiseach not almost boast yesterday about facilitating the illegal invasion of Iraq by turning Shannon Airport into a foreign military air base or did I hear him incorrectly? Does he need to be reminded that more than 100,000 people marched in this city alone——

That has nothing to do with the question. The Deputy can only raise one issue.

The Prime Minister of Australia is the issue. Will the Taoiseach clarify his position on the invasion of Iraq? Has he noted the Amnesty International report published earlier, which states the Government is burying its head in the sand on the issue?

The Deputy cannot ask two questions on Leaders' Questions. The Chair has ruled on this previously. The Deputy's time has concluded.

Has the Taoiseach questioned Prime Minister Howard about his record, including on the Kyoto Protocol? If Ireland, which has such a bad record, can sign up and ratify the protocol, surely the Australian Government can. Has the Taoiseach made that point?

The Deputy has made a number of points about what the Green Party of Australia would like to say to its own Prime Minister.

I referred to the Australian people.

I stated yesterday that in 2003 we shared the concerns of others about the Iraq regime and its programmes to develop weapons of mass destruction.

What programmes? What weapons of mass destruction?

The Government decided it could not consider participating in military action against Iraq without a further explicit UN resolution to that effect. Other Governments, including Australia, interpreted the legal position differently and Australia decided it would take part.

Does the Taoiseach still believe them?

I also said the presence of Australian troops in Iraq now is on a different basis. Since then, it has been sanctioned by UN resolutions and requested by Iraq's elected Government, which has made it clear that the assistance of international forces remains essential. I wish the new Iraqi Government of national unity well into the future.

The Deputy raised another issue on behalf of the Australian Greens but I will not talk to the Prime Minister again.

Did the Taoiseach raise these issues with him?

I did not but, perhaps, if I get a chance, I will tell the Prime Minster to watch "Oireachtas Report" tonight.

That is the kind of glib response I have to come to expect. I had hoped the Taoiseach would have taken the opportunity to outline what he said directly to the Prime Minister rather than giving the impression that they were as thick as thieves in condoning the illegal international war led by the US with Australia following on meekly behind.

Was the Taoiseach quoted correctly in boasting about the role Shannon Airport played in the initiation of the invasion of Iraq? Did he raise with the Prime Minister of Australia the fact that his country has not ratified the Kyoto Protocol? Did he raise the consequences of this not only in flooding but also the cost of home insurance in Ireland and elsewhere, energy use and the increasing costs of energy? If the Taoiseach had the opportunity, would he have said to the Prime Minister that he is condoning not just an ecocide but a genocide unless he ratifies the protocol and Australia moves to a society that goes beyond fossil fuels? Should the Taoiseach not take such opportunities if he is serious about future generations of this and other countries?

Shannon Airport had nothing to do with the initiation of the war.

It had everything to do with it. Who is the Taoiseach trying to fool?

The Taoiseach was in there at the beginning.

I was quoted correctly yesterday and I have outlined what I said.

Shamefully.

What I stated is not in line with what Deputy Sargent said and he knows that well. The Government's position was that we could not consider participation in military action against Iraq without a further explicit UN resolution to that effect.

Then the Government handed over the airport.

We went to great lengths to achieve that when we were members of the UN Security Council. We were useful in trying to maintain that position but when Ireland left the council, the situation moved in a different way. Other governments took a different position and they are entitled in a democracy to other positions.

They are not entitled to invade another country.

They are not entitled to break the law or to commit murder.

Please allow the Taoiseach to reply, without interruption.

I did not discuss all the issues raised by the Deputy. I do not know what the Green Party does in Iraq but it should raise those issues with its own Prime Minister. I will not act as a messenger boy for the Green Party of Australia.