Paul McGrath (Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 61: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the situation in Zimbabwe; the number of Irish nationals resident in that country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19556/06]

Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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The political, economic and humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe continues to deteriorate and remains an issue of great concern for Ireland and its EU partners. Inflation in Zimbabwe has exceeded 1,000%, while unemployment is estimated to be 80%. Serious food shortages continue in the country, with the World Food Programme estimating that 4.4 million Zimbabweans, representing one third of the population, will require emergency food assistance this year. The dire political and economic conditions have led to large-scale emigration, with at least 2 million Zimbabweans living illegally in South Africa.

There is no indication that the Zimbabwean Government is willing to alter the policies which have brought about this situation or introduce those democratic and economic reforms long called for by the international community. On the contrary, we have seen increased repression, with large-scale arrests of peaceful demonstrators. In light of the current circumstances, the EU had no option but to renew its restrictive measures against Zimbabwe for a further 12 months last February. These are very much targeted at the Mugabe regime and not the people of Zimbabwe. It is clear that international pressure needs to be maintained on the Mugabe Government to alter its current policies. Ireland and its EU partners are determined to continue working with others in the international community, including our partners in Africa who can exert particular influence, to help promote democratic change in Zimbabwe. I particularly welcome the increased engagement by the UN Security Council and the efforts of Secretary General Annan and his humanitarian co-ordinator, Jan Egeland, to highlight the serious humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe.

The position of the approximately 3,000 Irish citizens resident in Zimbabwe is an issue of particular concern for the Government. The Irish Ambassador to South Africa, who is accredited to Zimbabwe, and the staff of the embassy in Pretoria pay regular visits to Zimbabwe to liaise with members of the Irish community and report on the situation in the country. My colleague, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, has also approved the appointment of an honorary consul in an effort to improve the provision of consular services to Irish citizens in Zimbabwe. The agreement of the Zimbabwean authorities to this appointment is still awaited.

The Government continues to make available humanitarian assistance to the people of Zimbabwe. Since 2004 Ireland has committed more than €12 million in aid to Zimbabwe, including €2.7 million this year to address emergency needs. The largest proportion of this funding is for immediate humanitarian needs, particularly the provision of food assistance.

Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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I welcome the continuation of the EU sanctions against Zimbabwe, particularly the travel ban, the arms embargo and the seizure of assets. How much success has the EU had in seizing the assets of Mugabe and his cohorts? Despite the embargo, the situation is worsening in the country with repeated human rights abuses and a continuing food crisis. The Minister of State is known to fall asleep on the job but will he wake up to the fact that the sanctions are not effective? What steps do he and the EU propose to take to ensure Mugabe and his Government comply with normal standards of human behaviour and renew their citizens' rights? How sure is the Minister of State that the humanitarian aid provided to NGOs in Zimbabwe is reaching its intended target?

Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy has asked a number of difficult questions and I cannot answer the question about the effectiveness of the EU sanctions. However, they were reviewed last February and they are continually reviewed. The sanctions involve a travel ban and the seizure of assets of key figures associated with the Mugabe regime but I will forward the Deputy a detailed note about the monitoring and evaluation undertaken by the EU regarding the sanctions.

He raised the larger issue of how effective sanctions are generally. If sanctions regimes are properly operated, they can be successful, depending on the circumstances. The humanitarian aid provided by Ireland and the EU is effective but the situation in Zimbabwe is difficult. Millions of people are facing hunger because of this disastrous and badly led regime and the solution is to maintain pressure. The greatest disappointment among European donor governments is the tardiness of African leaders to condemn Mr. Mugabe. However, the Financial Times reports today that President Mbeki of South Africa has thrown his weight behind the UN Secretary General's proposal to visit Harare to meet Mr. Mugabe and his cohorts. I hope this initiative will succeed because Zimbabweans are facing the appalling vista of further misery, poverty and hunger, which will not let up. There is nothing to be up-beat about and the only scrap of hope is that President Mbeki and other African leaders will bring pressure to bear on the Mugabe regime and that Kofi Annan will prove effective in persuading Mr. Mugabe to alter his course.

There has been speculation, according to the Financial Times report, that a putative deal may be arranged as part of Kofi Annan's visit whereby Mr. Mugabe will give a clear timetable for his own retirement and, in exchange, he may not be the subject of a prosecution for the various misdeeds he has perpetrated in the recent past. Hopefully, that will succeed. I share the Deputy's concern and I will get back to him regarding a detailed evaluation of the sanctions by the EU, if it exists. It is timely to discuss the evaluation of humanitarian assistance because the EU is evaluating its emergency intervention in the Asian tsunami. Each crisis is different and it is difficult to evaluate how effective is humanitarian aid, but we reckon it is fairly effective.

Ireland has provided €12 million in aid to Zimbabwe since 2004 and we have not done so blindly or blithely. The money has been donated to NGOs on the ground, which have formed strong local partnerships. Generally, the money is disbursed through the UN family of aid agencies, including the World Food Programme and UNICEF. The remaining money is expended by Irish NGOs in Zimbabwe. The International Red Cross is always reliable when emergencies and disasters occur and we support that organisation because it has a strong track record.