Tony Gregory (Dublin Central, Independent)
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Question 162: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will make representations to the US authorities to express serious concern at the additional measures announced on 6 May 2004 by the US to further tighten its blockade and make even worse the already very difficult conditions caused by the blockade against Cuba; if he will also raise this matter at EU level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14482/04]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The Irish Government's position on the US embargo has been made very clear over the years by our consistent vote against it, together with our EU partners, in the UN General Assembly, most recently on 4 November 2003. In bilateral contacts with the US administration, we have never left them in any doubt regarding our strong opposition to the embargo. It is our belief that the effect of the embargo is to work contrary to stated EU and US aspirations for a democratic and prosperous Cuba. We welcomed the partial easing of the embargo in the year 2000, whereby the ban on the sale of food and medicines was lifted, and since then we have continued to urge that the embargo be removed completely.

A Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba was established by President Bush on 10 October 2003. Its mandate was to identify "additional measures by which the US could help the Cuban people bring about an expeditious end of the Castro dictatorship", as well as "US Government programmes that could assist the Cuban people during a transition". The Commission, chaired by Secretary of State Powell, reported to President Bush on 6 May 2004. Upon publication of the report, President Bush directed that certain immediate actions should be taken, including a decision to limit recipients of remittances and gift parcels; to limit family visits to Cuba; to reduce the authorised daily expenditure during a trip to Cuba; and to step up law enforcement measures against those carrying funds to Cuba in contravention of US policy.

President Bush also directed that up to US$59 million should be committed over the next two years to implementing other commission recommendations, including democracy-building activities and support for family members of the political opposition, as well as support for young people, women and Afro-Cubans and public diplomacy efforts. The concern of the Cuban authorities at the new US measures has been conveyed to the Government by the Cuban chargé d'affaires in Dublin.

While the new US measures are essentially a bilateral matter between the US and Cuba, the US authorities are in no doubt as to the Irish and EU view as to how best to promote a democratic transition in Cuba. The aim of the EU common position remains to "encourage a process of transition to pluralist democracy and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, as well as a sustainable recovery and improvement in the living standards of the Cuban people". We believe that the way to achieve this is by engagement rather than by isolation.

Admittedly, it must be realistically acknowledged that the Cuban authorities do not always seem to wish to respond positively to our constructive approach. Events in recent weeks in Cuba represent a further serious setback for the cause of human rights, as manifested in particular by the trial and sentencing of 13 dissidents for peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of speech, opinion, assembly and association. This follows the harshly repressive measures taken in March and April last year, which resulted in lengthy prison sentences for 75 dissidents, as well as the summary trial and rapid execution of three ferry-boat hijackers in breach of international minimum standards for the implementation of the death penalty.

Notwithstanding these disappointing setbacks, Ireland and our EU partners will continue to persevere with our policy of constructive engagement with Cuba with a view ultimately to seeing the aims of the common position achieved, namely, the initiation of a transition to a system of pluralist democracy embracing human rights and fundamental freedoms.