Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank our guests for addressing this and I congratulate them on their frankness. It is important such matters are spoken about bluntly in order to get to the nub of the problem. We all have constituents from the Congolese community and they tell us about these matters. Sometimes we do not believe them and we think they are exaggerating but they are not. The film "Black Hawk Down" gives an indication of what happens when law and order break down completely, as has happened. Deputy Sean Crowe referred to the mining companies and the American and Chinese interests in the country. They have been there for many years and the existence of resources is a problem. The international community must find means to put responsibility on outside interests, which are profiting by their presence there, to ensure some semblance of law and order is restored for the benefit of people living there.

I am loth to criticise the UN but it has failed to deal with this kind of situation. Some years ago in Srebrenica, when safe havens were being defended, the UN stood down. It was suggested the UN did not have the heavy armaments required so NATO came in to do the job. This situation is slightly different. The international community is loth to get involved militarily in the same way because of the experience in Rwanda. The UN has the same problem. Some means must be found to put as much pressure as possible on international companies working and making profits there. They are from all over the world, not just China, the United States and Belgium. That should be a priority.

There is no doubt the existing governmental structures have broken down and people are not carrying out their responsibilities. How can anyone expect the police force to carry out its functions if it is not being paid? Members of the police force have no loyalty to anyone, nor can they if they cannot afford to live. We should use whatever influence we can. The Tánaiste will speak to the commitee later. The mining companies are very wealthy. In an adjoining country, we saw resources are readily available to the international community in the mining business but resources are not available to the same extent to facilitate people in towns where there are no roads, no footpaths, no public lighting and no sanitation services. In that climate, it is not possible to have a semblance of order. It does not work. The point raised by Deputy Crowe is valid.