Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)

I am very pleased to have the opportunity to make a brief contribution to what I consider to be a very important debate. The Minister and his Minister for State, Deputy Michael Kitt, should understand the depth of feeling that exists across the floor as far as this issue is concerned. I am sorry if we are going to divide on the matter and I hope we do not do so.

In fairness to Deputy Jim O'Keeffe, he makes a reasonable point. However, there is another reasonable point to be made, which I have heard made in other debates and in coverage in the UK last week. It is a question of confrontation or no confrontation. I am sure when President Mugabe goes to the conference, he will understand the depth of feeling of different leaders. One must make up one's mind as far as that is concerned.

My colleague, Deputy Howlin, who is one of the vice-presidents of the Association of European Parliamentarians for Africa, AWEPA, of whose council I am delighted to be a member, has already made reference to Deputy Barry Andrews's initiative in this regard. It was a very important meeting. I made the point at different AWEPA meetings that we are all busy people who are concentrating on our own constituencies. It is right that we find the time to concentrate our energies on what is going on in the African Continent. Over the years, AWEPA, even before I became involved, has done that very skilfully. The particular meeting we attended under the chairmanship of Deputy Barry Andrews, whose efforts in that regard I applaud, is a good example of what we can all do. I hope we can also use this debate to promote the work of AWEPA in the House. The Irish section of it would certainly welcome even more participation. The meeting held a couple of weeks ago was very impressive and we will have more of those meetings. It was good to hear the Ambassador of South Africa being confronted, if one likes, by a number of colleagues, including myself, regarding issues of concern to colleagues here tonight. I hope progress would be made in that regard.

I have had an interest in this particular subject for a long time. Today, I tried to find correspondence I exchanged with the then Prime Minister of Rhodesia, Ian Smith, in 1966. The reason I remembered it is because I received the response from what I considered at the time to be the propaganda department. I think it sent me about 20 pages justifying what was going on. I am not going to write to Robert Mugabe but I am sure that if I did, I would receive the same drivel.

It is very important that we stand up and speak out on these particular issues. I have visited Zimbabwe twice. I feel the people there, particularly parliamentarians, would want us to support them and I hope this particular motion goes some way towards that this evening. I will now hand over to my colleague, Deputy Michael Kennedy.

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