Seanad report: The apparent involvement of an Irish company in the building by the Israeli government of the "infamous" security wall should cease, Mr David Norris (Ind) said.
Very few people who had had the experience of driving along the course of the wall could accept that its primary function was security, added Mr Norris who recently visited the Middle East trouble spot.
"If it were indeed security it would surely follow the 1967 border or green line. This in fact would now be acceptable as a defensive measure by many of the Palestinians with whom we spoke. But the wall reaches insidiously into the West Bank, squeezing and grabbing Palestinian territory which already on the map looks as if it is suffering from an outbreak of measles from the myriad settlements dotting what is supposed to be the remnant of the Arab lands.
Presently under construction and apparently with the collaboration of firms with connections to Irish companies such as Cement Roadstone Holdings, the wall when finished will have a devastating impact on about 60 towns, villages and refugee camps, said Mr Norris.
"I regard any such collaboration by Irish companies as infamous, shameful and indefensible and I call upon Cement Roadstone to investigate the situation and take immediate steps to disinfect themselves from such a reprehensible undertaking."
Mr Norris said he had recently written to the president of the Palestine National Authority, Mr Arafat, pointing out that while he appreciated that the suffering and distress to which the Palestinian people had been subjected, he felt that suicide bombings presented a very serious barrier to progress and merely provided an alibi for further Israeli mistreatment.
A response, delivered yesterday on behalf of President Arafat had stated that he strongly condemned all attacks against civilian targets and assured the Irish people of his commitment to do everything possible to put a halt to such activities.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, said that a major obstacle to progress in the peace process was the construction by Israel of a separation barrier which extended deep into the Palestinian territories. This had been the subject of statements by the European Union and others who had urged Israel to consider the long-term consequences of this construction.
The barrier had figured prominently in his discussions in Israel two weeks ago and he had found Israeli attitudes regrettably uncompromising.
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The leader of the House, Mrs O'Rourke, said she accepted that there were still difficulties about electronic voting and a loss of confidence about it. She agreed that it would be a good idea to have the Minister for the Environment address the House on the issue. Many people had spoken to her recently about electronic voting.
Earlier, Mr Brian Hayes, Fine Gael leader in the House, said that while many senators were in favour of the principle of electronic voting, he believed it was vital that its introduction should have cross-party support.
It was unacceptable that a Minister who was sponsoring the measure was himself the director of elections for the main Government party.