UN chief snubbed for minor Dáil vote

POLITICIANS were left red-faced yesterday when a rare opportunity to meet the United Nations Secretary General was cut short to allow TDs attend a minor Dáil vote on procedures in the House.

Ban Ki-moon is on his first visit to Ireland since taking over one of the most powerful jobs in the world, and took time to meet TDs and Senators from all parties at the Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs.

He had begun addressing the questions and concerns posed to him by committee members when the Dáil bell rang for a vote and chairman Michael Woods called a halt to the meeting.

The vote was to decide the schedule of the House for the remainder of the evening.

The absence of committee members would not have made a difference to the outcome because they had come to a pairing arrangement, meaning there was an equal number from the Government and opposition sides to cancel each other out.

Secretary general Ban, his delegation and a number of ambassadors to Ireland who also attended the meeting, appeared surprised at the decision.

Afterwards, Fine Gael spokesperson on foreign affairs, Billy Timmins, said he regretted that the meeting concluded to allow deputies attend the vote when there were a number of important things to discuss.

Mr Ban was addressing questions on a range of issues, including the participation of Irish troops in UN missions and the response of his organisation to the kidnapping of Irish aid worker, Sharon Commins, in Sudan. He said the UN would “spare no effort” in securing the release of the GOAL worker.

Earlier, following a meeting with Taoiseach Brian Cowen, Mr Ban said: “I’m sorry and I’m concerned that one of your nationals has been kidnapped in Sudan.

“I assure you that we will spare no effort in providing necessary support and cooperation in terms of logistic, in terms of collecting information, in terms of working together with the Sudanese government to first of all identify and locate and to have the safe return of your national.”

He also told the meeting that the participation of Irish troops in EUFOR missions was “fully in keeping with your commitment to the United Nations”.

Mr Ban will meet Minister for Defence Willie O’Dea and the Army Chief of Staff today to discuss Irish participation in UN peace operations.