Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 87: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the situation as it pertains in Kenya. [10276/08]

Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 277: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he is maintaining contact with the serious situation in Kenya; if his attention has been drawn to the worldwide concern on the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10543/08]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 87 and 277 together.

I warmly welcome the conclusion of a peace deal between the Kenyan Government and Opposition on 28 February 2008, following over a month of mediation talks led by the former UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan. This is an important and potentially historic agreement which I hope will bring to an end the ethnic conflict and strife which Kenya experienced in the two months following its disputed presidential elections. The peace deal has been welcomed on all sides, including by UN Secretary General Ban and the Slovenian Presidency on behalf of the EU.

Under the deal, a coalition government is to be established and a new post of prime minister created, to which Mr. Raila Odinga, the leader of the Orange Democratic Movement, is most likely to be appointed. The Kenyan Parliament has begun considering legislation to give effect to the necessary constitutional changes.

I want to commend both President Kibaki and Mr. Odinga for their willingness to compromise and agree to a coalition government which can govern in the interests of all Kenyans. Particular tribute also needs to be paid to the Panel of Eminent African Personalities led by Kofi Annan whose commitment to achieving a political resolution of the current crisis has been exemplary. In response to a request from the UN, Ireland was pleased to be able to provide €100,000 in financial support to bolster the talks.

The full implementation of all aspects of this deal will now be critical to addressing the more long-term problems which contributed to the recent crisis. While the immediate issue of power-sharing may have been resolved, issues such as constitutional and electoral reform and greater progress in tackling corruption remain to be decisively addressed within the framework of ongoing political discussions between the government and opposition, which will now continue with the mediation of a Panel of African Experts.

Since the post-election violence, which resulted in an estimated 1,500 deaths and upwards of 600,000 people being displaced, the humanitarian situation in Kenya has improved, with some of those displaced beginning to return to their homes. Ireland is a significant humanitarian donor to Kenya, and has committed a total of over €25 million to Kenya since 2006. None of this aid is channelled through the Kenyan Government. This Irish Aid funding includes just over €7 million in humanitarian relief for Kenya in response to emergency appeals, and over €18 million for Irish, international and local NGOs, as well as missionaries, working in Kenya. Nationally, and through the EU, we will continue to do all we can to assist Kenya in its recovery efforts.

Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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I will try to represent the Acting Chairman's views in Question No. 277 as well.

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

Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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I join with the Minister in welcoming the agreement which, hopefully, will put an end to the killing. In regard to the Minister's extended reply, in a country that reports 6% growth and at the same time leaves 60% of the population on less than $2 per day, is there not something wrong with the development model? In regard to the post agreement arrangements, if 500 young men all from areas such as Kibera and Mathare slums, have been killed by the police extrajudicially, what does the Union favour by way of addressing the issue of reviewing these cases? Is it in a position to state that the independent human rights chairman's position has been restored? Have the European Union and the donor countries involved in development considered specific measures in regard to the 300,000 displaced persons? There is an argument about the number of displaced persons and I accept one cannot be accurate about the number.

Putting it bluntly, the agreement is welcome but it is an agreement between the outgoing president and very rich elite within Kenya that leaves the majority of the population in the direst poverty and some of the poorest people with no justice or redress for extrajudicial killing in the slums.

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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On the issue of the displaced people, the international community is keeping a close eye from the point of view of humanitarian relief. That is one of the major concerns. The fact is that large numbers are going home. In regard to dealing with some of the atrocities that took place, part of the agreement includes the establishment of a truth and reconciliation commission and also a commission of inquiry into the outcome of the elections. There is no doubt that the Deputy's point in regard to the underlying injustices in a country such as Kenya, which is significantly well-developed in certain areas, was one of the reasons this uprising took everyone by surprise in that it seemed to be a relatively stable society, an area where thousands of people from the west went on their holidays. The international community, working with the AU in particular, would have the greatest influence with the new Kenyan Government to try to redress some of the issues. The Deputy's point about the gross inequalities in a country such as Kenya could apply to virtually every other country in Africa. Despite the substantial international financial assistance through overseas development aid, much of that is delivery of emergency aid in regard to HIV, food security and the issues flowing from the effects of climate change. Much of the concentration, particularly with the Irish Aid programme, has been to try to build the capacity of governments to enable the delivery aspects of their own wealth. I saw this in Timor-Leste, which I visited recently, where money was not an issue in that it had significant money from oil reserves but it did not have the capability to deliver.

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister anticipated the question I was about to ask, which is on climate change and its effect on the political situation in Kenya. The Acting Chairman and I attended a meeting with the Minister of State, Deputy Micheál Kitt, on Wednesday, on the issue and how it impacted on the political situation in Kenya. None of us in this Chamber has ever felt the consequences of climate change on our lives whereas in areas such as Kenya it is felt in a very profound way and yet carbon emissions are created mostly in the northern hemisphere. I know Irish Aid is fully conscious of the impact of climate change on the political situation in places such as Kenya but how is it incorporated into the policies of Irish Aid and the Department of Foreign Affairs?

Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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May I ask a related question?

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

Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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A specific request has been made for the replacement of animals in the herding communities that have been most affected by climate change. When the Minister replies to Deputy Andrews perhaps he will reply to my question.

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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On the issue of climate change, I had a very good discussion recently with a leading expert in foreign policy from the UK who specialises on the effect of climate change on the developing world. At the European Council meeting this week, Javier Solana will table a fairly major document, if my memory serves me correctly, entitled Climate Change and International Security. It deals with how the effect of climate change is impacting on the whole issue of security, migration and tribes moving from one location to another. It is having an even greater impact than was originally thought. The Americans have done much research in this respect already. Part of the remit of Irish Aid, which we purposely included in the White Paper, which was the review of Irish Aid, was to look at how Irish Aid could, as well as the historic three main issues, assist in countries in the development of their health system, their education system and their capacity to govern and have a proper organised democratic state. I have asked — the Minister of State, Deputy Micheál Kitt, is insistent — that the whole effect of climate change and how we can assist countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa to deal with climate change and what new technologies could be put in place be reviewed. This was prompted by a conversation I had a couple of years ago with former president Clinton who, in the context of the very significant link he has with the Clinton Foundation and Irish Aid, suggested that one of the key priorities of our aid programme should be about how to deal with climate change in the context of how to use new technologies from renewable energy and to assist in these developing countries.

Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Will the Minister agree that the election was merely the spark for underlying unrest in Kenya, brought out by the disproportionate share of land that the Kikuyu tribe owns in the country? This is an underlying issue that will create difficulties later. While we have peace and agreement at present, the difficulty will always exist. How many Irish people are living in Kenya? I know we have many religious people there. Do we use them as a source of information on conditions in the country?

P J Sheehan (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Listening to the Minister referring to climate change affecting Kenya and Kenyan people, does he agree the situation there was brought about not by climate change but by corruption and vote rigging? That is the cause of unrest in Kenya. We must be wary that overseas aid does not fall into the hands of corrupt factions, which would mean that it does not get to the needy people for whom it is intended.

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The recent uprising was caused by long-standing issues, particularly land distribution and old scores. Kenya is a large, diverse country with 35 million people and 45 ethnic groups. Difficult ethnic issues exist and it has been reasonably well governed in recent years. Unfortunately, its difficulties came to a head because of the suspicion about the election. This is one of the priorities of the peace agreement, which has received widespread public support in Kenya.

I am not aware of the number of Irish citizens in Kenya but there is no doubt that during recent events the ability of the Department to access information about individuals in trouble was greatly assisted by the substantial number of missionaries and Irish religious people resident in Kenya.