Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 96: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will propose an inclusive resolution of the Basque conflict at both EU and UN level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17675/05]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The Basque Country has extensive autonomous rights in areas including taxation, education, health and policing, in accordance with Spain's 1978 constitution which provides for the devolution of power to 17 autonomous communities or regions.

In December 2004, the Basque regional parliament approved a plan proposed by the Basque Prime Minister, Juan Jose Ibarretxe, to replace the existing autonomy agreement for the region, the 1979 Statute of Guernica, with a new agreement to give the Basque Country the status of free association with Spain. In effect, the Basque Country would have had almost total internal financial and judicial control and the right to foreign representation. Mr. Ibarretxe's plan would also have allowed the people of the Basque Country to decide in a referendum whether they wished to remain within Spain. While the plan was rejected by the Spanish Parliament in February 2005, Prime Minister Zapatero has indicated his Government's willingness to consider devolving further powers to the Basque Country.

Mr. Ibarretxe's party lost its overall majority in the regional elections last month and a new Basque Government has yet to be formed. On 17 May 2005, the Spanish Parliament approved a resolution proposed by the Government to authorise dialogue with the Basque separatist group ETA, which has been included on the EU's list of terrorist organisations since 27 December 2001. The Spanish Government's resolution makes it clear that the focus of dialogue will be on bringing an end to violence. It states that terrorism is completely incompatible with democracy and that violence cannot yield a political reward. The resolution requires ETA to renounce violence before the process of dialogue can begin and states that ETA has no option but to dissolve itself and lay down its arms.

On wider political issues, the resolution stresses the principle of engaging solely with the legitimately elected representatives of the Basque people. Everyone who has the interests of the Basque people at heart hopes the process outlined above will lead to early progress in the resolution of the issues in question.