Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)

I welcome the Minister's answer. In January of this year the Spanish Prime Minister spoke optimistically of the progress he expected to make in the peace process. Batasuna, a political party, has restated that dialogue is the way forward and there is widespread speculation within the region that some degree of conflict is still ongoing between the Spanish authorities and the Basque nationalists. However, only last month a Batasuna congress to discuss the peace process was banned and a mass rally, which included representatives of most of the Basque independent political parties was held against that ban.

Given our mutual recognition that dialogue is central to building a just and lasting peace, a common understanding gained from our experience in Ireland, does the Minister agree that the ongoing banning and criminalisation of one partner to the peace process in the Basque Country is not conducive to the progression of the peace process? Can we have a viable peace process when one of the main political parties involved has been declared illegal? Does the Minister believe the inclusion of Batasuna on the EU list of terrorist organisations is conducive to assisting development of the Basque peace process? Does he agree it is unacceptable to deny a community its fundamental rights to assembly, free speech, political association and political representation? If he agrees, will he state his objects to the Macrosummario summary to the Spanish authorities? The Macrosummario is the ongoing trial of 90 political and social activists which is denying these people their fundamental civil and political rights.

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