Mr. Kevin Callinan:

I will make a general point and Ms Kohon might deal with some of the specifics. It was only possible to get a certain amount of information during a short visit to Colombia. I was particularly struck by meeting a panel of human rights lawyers and some of the religious involved in peace and justice issues. At the end of that session, I asked what we could do to help. That is at the heart of what the Deputy said. We must remember that meeting was two and a half years ago. We were told that there was a need for international monitoring of human rights abuses as well as a need for international agencies, including the EU to remain in Colombia after the agreement to ensure proper monitoring. There was also a request for action - and I reiterate this was two and a half years ago - to ensure that the agreement was not undermined through persecution. That is what has been happening. It was stated that the international funds provided should be monitored so that they were channelled directly to organisations working in communities to reincorporate former guerrillas into those communities.

We in Ireland and the international community need to try to drive that process forward to ensure that the peace agreement is secured. The visit of various colleagues in the intervening period has confirmed that is the most useful thing we could do. I fully agree with the Deputy's comments concerning the land question. Colombia is a stunningly beautiful country. Many aspects of rural Colombia would remind an Irish person of the Ireland of 50 years ago. At the root cause of the problem in Colombia is the expropriation of 8 million ha of land and the displacement of 7 million people. Land is at the heart of the problem and that is why the agreement itself was quite specific on how to deal with the processes needed to address that land question. Linked to that issue was the topic of illicit drugs and crop substitution. Ms Kohon might be in a better position to answer the specific questions posed by the Deputy.