Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny has defended his party's European Parliament vote against the Spanish government peace plan for the Basque region.
Addressing the Forum on Europe at Dublin Castle, he said the situation was different from Ireland's in that the Eta separatist group was seeking concessions which could lead to changes in the boundaries of the Basque country.
Fine Gael is a member of the European People's Party (EPP) in the European Parliament, along with Spain's opposition Popular Party. In a vote at Strasbourg on Wednesday, the five Fine Gael MEPs opposed a motion endorsing Socialist prime minister José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's plan for peace talks with Eta.
Fianna Fáil Senator Martin Mansergh said at the forum yesterday: "I'm a bit disappointed that Fine Gael in the European Parliament adopted a hardline position against the Basque peace process."
National Platform delegate and former Green Party MEP Patricia McKenna said the vote was an "appalling indictment" of the EPP. She added: "As Irish MEPs I find it quite astounding that - coming from a country where we have suffered conflict for so long - [ they] could actually reject an initiative which actually is supposed to bring about peace."
Mr Kenny said Fine Gael had always been "passionately European". "We have always believed that Ireland's national interests were best served by its being an active member of a deepening and evolving European process."