Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Mr. Gilmore back to the Oireachtas. I congratulate him on his new role. We wish him well in his work. I have a couple of follow-up questions from what Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked. What is the position of the present Government and Mr. Duque regarding Venezuela? Do they support the incumbent President Maduro or the aspirant President, Juan Guaido, and how does that impact the ongoing peace process?

I noted the reference in Mr. Gilmore's statement to the fact that production of the coca crop is now at an all-time high. I think he referred to a ten-year high despite the fact that the peace process is now under way. That is a major impediment. Is the peace process failing? Is it fair to say that the peace process is not dealing with the issue? I accept what Mr. Gilmore has just said about the demand side.

Learning from our own peace process, namely, the Good Friday Agreement, and also the peace process in South Africa, there has been some debate in this country following on from the success of the truth and reconciliation commission in South Africa, is a similar process part of the peace process in Colombia? I would welcome a comment from Mr. Gilmore in that regard.

We are all struck by the scale of the process and the considerable undertaking involved. The population in Colombia has grown by almost 8 million people in a ten-year period. It is a big country and a big economy. I am mindful of the fact that Mr. Gilmore is in and out of the country and he is working with the Government. In his view, how strong, open and transparent is the current democratic system in Colombia in terms of dealing with the scale of the problem?