Gay Mitchell (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 1050: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will seek an assurance that a person (details supplied) will not be tortured. [2816/07]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The Embassy in Madrid and the Consular Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs has been monitoring developments in the case of the person mentioned by the Deputy since August, 2004. The Embassy has provided consular assistance and support to him since becoming aware of his case.

Subsequent to the decision of the Tribunal Constitutional court in Spain (equivalent to our Supreme Court) turning down his appeal against extradition to Algeria, the Embassy contacted the person in question and provided him with a translation of the Spanish court judgement.

The Embassy was informed by his lawyer that one of the arguments against extradition which was put forward by them was the possible risk of torture if returned to Algeria. This argument was not accepted by the Spanish Court. Our Embassy in Madrid has also informed by his lawyers that there are no further legal grounds of appeal open to this person in Spain.

Our Embassy in Berne, which is accredited to Algeria, has also been fully briefed on the case. I can assure the Deputy that the Embassy will raise the concerns expressed, including that of possible torture, with the Algerian authorities and will continue to provide all possible consular assistance to the person concerned in the future.

Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 1051: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he raised the human rights situation in the western Sahara during 2006; and if he will raise the situation in the western Sahara at EU and UN level in 2007. [2943/07]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The Government has consistently been a strong supporter of the right to self-determination of the people of the territory of Western Sahara. Ireland played a prominent role in seeking a solution to the Western Sahara dispute during its term on the UN Security Council. The Government has remained closely engaged on the issue, at the United Nations and in discussions at EU level. Ireland played a leading role in working with our EU partners and all interested parties to ensure the adoption of the resolution on Western Sahara at the UN General Assembly in December 2006.

We continue to monitor the human rights situation in the Western Sahara in cooperation with our EU partners, and we maintain contact on the issues involved with representatives of the Sahrawi people and with the Moroccan authorities.

The Government will continue to support actively the efforts of the United Nations to broker a political solution in the Western Sahara, based on the principle of self-determination. We continue to believe that the plan presented in 2003 by the former US Secretary of State, James Baker, acting as the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary General, represents the best framework available for a negotiated settlement. The plan has been endorsed by the UN Security Council, but has not been implemented. It envisages a preparatory phase under UN supervision, leading to a referendum to determine the future of the territory. The Government strongly supports the continuing role of the UN in working to encourage the parties towards an agreement, under the Special Representative of the Secretary General, Peter Van Walsum.