The Taoiseach now claims that there is clarity with the British Government. He might alert us as to when he received that clarification from the British Prime Minister. Has the British Government clarified that it does in fact have a legal obligation to accept returns? It has acknowledged operational arrangements but it has not gone so far as to acknowledge a legal obligation. Can the Taoiseach confirm for me that this is in fact the case? Will he add some more detail, while he is at it? I am fully aware of the com…

But not legal obligations.

That is not an answer.

The programme for Government committed the Government to upholding Ireland's triple lock neutrality protection. However, as was confirmed this morning, the Tánaiste sought and received the approval of the Cabinet to bring forward legislation to scrap the triple lock by removing the requirement for the UN mandate. In giving the Tánaiste this green light, the Government has started the process of trying to dismantle Ireland's neutrality block by block. The Government has moved to change a very proud tradition of Iris…

Not to wreck Ireland's neutrality.

He has no mandate for it.

None of us has a mandate to dismantle Irish neutrality.

It is precisely what the Taoiseach is seeking to do.

That is a complete red herring.

That is factually inaccurate-----

It is factually inaccurate and shocking that the Taoiseach could be so inaccurate or ill-informed.

It is shocking, utterly shocking.

Hear, hear.

You took our troops from the Golan Heights. This is fiction.

I will be brief. No reform programme on earth will be of any value when there is such low morale in the ranks of An Garda Síochána and such a crisis in public confidence. That is the legacy of Fine Gael. Thirteen years on, people the length and breadth of this State do not feel safe. With the inner city, I do not have time. I could write books on it. There has been an abject failure of policing with no feeling of safety or visibility in the communities. It is a disgrace what has happened in Dublin city. But it is n…

I had intended to raise with the Taoiseach the issue of extending the franchise for the presidential elections because the Government has dragged its heels on that matter which is most unfortunate. I want to return to the issue of neutrality because we need to nail this nonsense the Government is trying to peddle that somehow removing the need for a UN mandate is a minor modification of the triple lock neutrality protection and the policy of the State; it is nothing of the sort. That proposal is to fundamentally un…

Outside of the UN Charter?

Well then test it so.

No-----

It should be tested by means of a referendum.