In December, it was reported that President Higgins raised the issue of human rights violations with the Chinese President during his visit. Last month, the Taoiseach spoke highly of the legacy of the former Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, Mr. Séamus Mallon, and Mr. John Hume, and stated that both were outstanding examples of persons who were unafraid to stand up for human rights, equality, dignity and political progress. I want to know whether the Taoiseach will use his visit to the White House next week to raise human rights issues with President Obama.

The Americans started a perpetual war in 2001 and today it is the single biggest source of misery and suffering on the planet. The Obama Administration conducts operations all over the world. In 2014, US special operation forces deployed to 133 countries riding roughshod over international treaties, laws and human rights obligations. The war on terror is responsible for the deaths of over 1 million people and has caused the displacement of millions more. The only winner is the arms industry which helped to put President Obama in power.

Each week Obama personally selects from a kill list who shall be executed on any given day with drone strikes. No evidence is presented, there is no judicial oversight-----

Hold on a second, one cannot make allegations of that sort.

-----and, overwhelmingly, they miss the target. In one case in Yemen, it took seven drone strikes before the US killed its target. In those strikes, as many as 164 persons died, including 11 children. In Pakistan, 221 persons, including 103 children, have been killed in attempts to kill four men, three of whom are still alive - the fourth has died from natural causes.

Not only is President Obama's drone programme one of the most glaring acts of terror being perpetrated on Earth today, it is one of the best recruitment instruments for those who may be willing to take up arms against US forces and its allies.

A question please.

Is the Taoiseach going to shake hands with a man who personally orders the pointless execution of scores of innocent children and say nothing, or will he, like Mr. Mallon and Mr. Hume, stand up for human rights, equality and dignity?

Tá trí pointe ardaithe ag an Teachta ansin, cúrsaí cine daonna, cúrsaí míleata agus polasaí idirnáisiúnta na Stáit Aontaithe.

Sorry?

Cuir ort na cluasáin ateangaireachta. Tá siad os comhair an Teachta ansin.

We have not got any.

I have not got one here. I apologise I cannot speak Irish.

Tá ceann ar fáil sa chéad suíochán eile.

I would appreciate it if the Taoiseach could answer me in English.

Nuair a bhí Jim White, go ndéana Dia grásta air, sa Teach seo blianta fada ó shin, bhí sé thall ansin agus bhí mé féin in aice leis. Bhí Aire Stáit ag caint leis as Gaeilge agus dúirt Jim-----

Story time.

-----gur masla é sin dá chreideamh agus cuireadh isteach an córas ateangaireachta ina dhiaidh sin.

Fadó, fadó.

Let Deputy Wallace put on his translation system. This is our national language and this is Lá na Gaeilge, nó sin a deirtear liom.

Is that a deflection? The Taoiseach might answer the question. He would be better off.

Maybe we should be speaking German given that they are running the place now.

Put it on there.

Is this an election attempt or something?

Sorry, please, hold on now.

Cas an cnaipe ansin. A Mhichíl, a chara, an féidir leat mé a chloisteáil? An bhfuil an t-aistriúchán ar siúl?

Tá.

Luaigh an Teachta trí phointe, cúrsaí cine daonna, cúrsaí míleata agus cúrsaí polaitíochta Mheiriceá go hidirnáisiúnta. Can the Deputy hear me? Tá duine éigin ag aistriú ó Ghaeilge go Béarla aon uair a mbíonn Teachta ag labhairt as Gaeilge. Is it switched on?

It will not work.

Say, "One, two, one, two."

Maybe the Taoiseach can speak Irish to President Obama.

Deputy Mathews will not have to worry about it anyway.

It is Wallace strikes again. In any event, the Deputy raised three issues - human rights, the American military machine and American politics internationally.

Tá sé ag obair.

More blather. The Taoiseach should answer the question.

An bhfuil sé ag obair anois?

Tá.

Tá sé mar a lán daoine.

Cur ort na cluasáin arís.

It is not working.

Cas an cnaipe ansin.

The Taoiseach is wasting our time as well.

Níl mé ag cur isteach ar am an Teachta ar chor ar bith. Nach bhfuil an córas ag obair? Cuir ort na cluasáin. An bhfuil na cluasáin ag obair anois a Theachta? Tá.

Tá trí rud luaite ag an Teachta, cúrsaí cine daonna, cúrsaí míleata agus cúrsaí polasaí Mheiriceá go hidirnáisiúnta. Craithfidh mé lámh le hUachtarán Mheiriceá agus táim an-toilteanach é sin a dhéanamh. Tuige nach mbeadh agus na ceangail chríonna idir an tír seo agus Meiriceá le blianta fada anuas ó thaobh comhlachtaí, cúrsaí cultúrtha, cúrsaí stairiúla agus cúrsaí polaitíochta? Tá a fhios ag an Teachta go bhfuil suas le 150,000 Éireannach ag obair i gcomhlachtaí Meiriceánacha anseo agus suas le 80,000 Meiriceánach ag obair le comhlachtaí Éireannach i Meiriceá féin. Níl an Teachta ag rá liom, an bhfuil, gur trí Mheiriceá atá Boko Haram ag obair, nó an bhfuil sé ag rá gur trí Mheiriceá atá ISIS ag obair agus go bhfuil an locht ar Mheiriceá go bhfuil na mílte duine ag fáil bháis gach seachtain? Nó an bhfuil sé ag rá sin faoi pholaitíocht na Rúise, atá ag cur isteach ar an Chrimé agus ar an Úcráin?

Bíonn gach uile duine ag cur isteach ar Mheiriceá, ach nuair a bhíonn trioblóid ann, bíonn siad ag brath ar Mheiriceá, mar a dheineadar le blianta fada anuas, mar shampla leis an dá chogadh domhanda. Cinnte, labharfaidh mé faoi chúrsaí cine daonna le hUachtarán Mheiriceá. Tuige nach ndéanfainn sin? Bím ag labhairt faoi na cúrsaí sin gach uile uair a bhíonn seans agam casadh leis. Sin atá i gceist.

The Taoiseach cannot hide behind Irish. The issues I have raised are important for everyone who lives on this planet. Matters have got out of control. There is no logic to how the US military machine is operating. They may be giving us jobs here through American business but it does not change the fact that we should have a problem with children being murdered and slaughtered in the interests of promoting the arms industry and controlling resources. We should have an issue with it. We should have some streak of independence and neutrality.

Obama has used the Espionage Act twice as many times as all other US Presidents put together. Whistleblowers and courageous journalists are being hunted down like never before. The US increasingly monitors the lives and communications of private citizens violating their freedom of speech with little or no consequences, yet it blocks transparency in how it operates-----

Can we have a question please?

-----and criminalises those who are brave enough to serve the public interest and expose the abuses of power.

The Taoiseach has said in this House that whistleblowers should be respected and protected. Will he raise this point with President Obama and ask him to show Julian Assange, Chelsea Manning, Edward Snowden and others the respect they deserve rather than treating them as criminals for telling the truth?

I also ask the Taoiseach to raise the drone programme with President Obama. It is terror of the worst kind. People are asleep in their homes and do not know the minute or the hour when a missile launched by a drone could strike their house and kill them. It is madness. Will the Taoiseach raise that issue with President Obama?

Ní dóigh liom go mbeidh am agam chuile rud atá luaite ag an Teachta a phlé leis an Uachtarán ach beidh mé toilteanach cúrsaí cearta daonna a luaigh leis an Uachtarán nuair a chasfaidh mé air Dé Mairt seo chugainn. Ní dúirt an Teachta tada faoi ISIS, nó faoi na Críostaithe a mharaigh ISIS.

It was created by the US.

Ní dúirt sé tada faoi Boko Haram, nó faoi chúrsaí polataíochta na Rúise. Ní hé Meiriceá amháin atá ag éisteacht le cúrsaí cumarsáide.

Is the Taoiseach going to visit Russia?

Maidir le cúrsaí sábháilteachta-----

We would not have an ISIS if the US was not behaving-----

Deputy, please settle down.

Ní hé Meiriceá amháin atá ciontach ansin. Tá a fhios ag an Teachta de Bhailís faoi sin ó thaobh chúrsaí staire de. Níor labhair sé ach faoi Mheiriceá amháin. Ní ghlacfainn lena chomhairle faoi chúrsaí Mheiriceá. Ba cheart dó freisin labhairt amach fúthu siúd atá ag cruthú fíorthubaiste atá uafásach ar fad, ní hamháin le daoine fásta ach le gasúir na dtíortha eile atá ag fáil bháis chuile lá agus cur isteach uafásach go deo á dhéanamh orthu. Labhróidh mé leis an Uachtarán faoi chúrsaí cearta daonna go coitianta. Labhraím leis chuile uair a bhíonn seans agam bualadh leis. Cuirfidh mé an scéal chuige ó Éirinn cé chomh láidir is atáimid ag éirí go heacnamaíoch agus na poist atá á gcruthú ní hamháin anseo ach i Meiriceá freisin. Má tá seans agam, luafaidh mé na daoine atá i Meiriceá go mídhleatheach. Tá rud déanta ag an Uachtarán fúthu sin ach níor ghlacadh leis an gcinneadh sin sa pharlaimint fós.