Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the delegation. Mr. Marques Balói began by referring to the 1 million people killed during the conflict. There have been disturbing reports that the security situation in Mozambique has deteriorated, particularly over the past few months, and it is possible that conflict could break out again. Nobody wants that to happen. Which international organisations or countries are involved in the peace talks? There was mention of some opposition groups returning to the jungle and so on, but we are relying on Western media. I am interested in Mr. Marques Balói's views on that and on how to rejuvenate the peace talks. There is resentment among the rebel groups, which clearly do not feel they are part of society. However, reports suggested that only a partial group was talking about returning to the jungle.

Mr. Marques Balói is wearing glasses. At the end of last year, Mozambique's first ophthalmologists and optometrists graduated with the help of Irish students from the Dublin Institute of Technology. The Mozambique Eye Care Project is a Dublin-based and funded initiative to train optometrists through a degree programme at the University of Lúrio. A total of 170 Mozambicans have qualified as optometrists and they have been trained to deliver eye care and glasses to millions of visually impaired people in the region. Is Mr. Marques Balói aware of the programme? If so, is it working? Can anything else be done via Irish educational institutions to assist in the training of Mozambican professionals in other aspects of health service delivery?

Another issue raised with the committee regarding many African countries, and Mozambique in particular, is the lack of proper land titles for farmers, which has led to land grabbing and so on. Many farmers and NGOs have been critical of the approach of giving over large swathes of land to multinational companies for intensive farming. There is a great deal of criticism regarding environmental impacts, the displacement of farmers and their families and the fact that most of the food produced is for export markets. What impact is that having on the price of food and on smaller farmers? Many farmers who sold their land have complained that promises made regarding new land, money and investment in agricultural infrastructure and social services have not been delivered. How does the Mozambican Government respond to these claims? Are there programmes to address land grabbing and so on? The Chinese Government is significantly involved. How is that working out? Mozambicans are working on these projects but the committee has heard reports about the poor quality of building work in some African countries. Chinese companies are involved in building in Maputo and many people have been killed on those sites because of a lack of health and safety regulation. What is the Mozambican Government doing to prevent deaths?