Liam Twomey (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 68: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the situation in Sudan; the humanitarian assistance that is being made available to the affected regions in that country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26895/05]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Question 84: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the efforts he has made to assist humanitarian efforts in Darfur; if money pledged is being used exclusively for famine relief or for human rights assistance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26830/05]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 170: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the position regarding the situation in Darfur; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27272/05]

Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 68, 84 and 170 together.

I remain deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation in Sudan, particularly in the Darfur region of western Sudan. As the Deputy will be aware, there has been a recent escalation in violence in west Darfur with attacks on internally displaced persons, IDPs, humanitarian workers and members of the African Union Mission in Sudan. These attacks have been widely condemned and underline the continuing vulnerability and humanitarian needs of the affected population in this region. On 3 October 2005 EU foreign ministers condemned these attacks, reiterated their deep concern at violations of human rights and international humanitarian law committed against the civilian population in Darfur, and called on all sides to rein in their fighters, respect international law and find a peaceful solution to the conflict. More than two million people have been displaced from their homes, including some 200,000 across the border into Chad, as a result of the conflict in Darfur. These highly vulnerable populations are located in IDP and refugee camps run by international non-governmental organisations, the Red Cross movement and assisted by the UN.

The political and humanitarian situation in the Darfur region of Sudan remains a matter of the deepest concern for Ireland. Sustained international pressure needs to be exerted on all the parties to honour their commitments, improve the security situation and achieve a speedy political settlement. Ireland fully supports the African Union-mediated peace talks under way in Abuja, Nigeria. Ireland welcomes the decision of 31 March 2005 by the UN Security Council to refer the situation in Darfur since mid-2002 to the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. This will mean that those accused by the International Commission of Inquiry on Darfur of extremely serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law can now be brought to justice by this court, of which Ireland is a strong supporter.

I visited Darfur in April of this year and witnessed at first hand the effects of the conflict on the displaced population. I also met representatives of NGOs and UN agencies working in Darfur and was deeply impressed with the quality of the assistance which they are providing to the sizeable displaced population. I was also struck by the importance of providing a secure environment so that these displaced populations will be able to return safely to their homes.

My colleague, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Dermot Ahern, met the acting Foreign Minister of Sudan, Dr. Mustafa Osman Ismail, in New York on 19 September 2005. The Minister, Deputy Ahern, stressed the importance which Ireland attaches to resolving the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, the need for improvement of the security situation there and speedy conclusion of the political negotiations under way in Abuja between the government and the rebels.

Since 2004, Ireland has provided more than €8.8 million in emergency support to Darfur. This has been allocated to NGOs, including Concern, GOAL and Trócaire, and UN agencies. This funding is being channelled primarily to address humanitarian needs, particularly food security, nutrition and medical interventions. Ireland has committed €1.5 million since 2004 in support to the human rights, humanitarian and peace-building components of the African Union Mission in Sudan, AMIS.

With regard to the humanitarian situation in the rest of Sudan, more than 20 years of civil conflict has decimated the infrastructure and services of this vast country. The comprehensive peace agreement signed in Nairobi on 9 January 2005 provides new hope for the future of Sudan. The new Sudanese Government of National Unity, GNU, was established in July, when the new constitution came into effect, with Dr. John Garang as first Vice President. In addition to the major challenges of implementing the comprehensive peace agreement and reconstructing south Sudan, the new government will also have to resolve the conflict in Darfur and a recent outbreak of violence in eastern Sudan. Equitable sharing of power and wealth among Sudan's various tribal and regional groupings is the fundamental issue underlying these various conflicts.

The first major test of the GNU came when Dr. Garang was killed in a helicopter accident in southern Sudan on 30 July. However, the parties' reaction to the death of Dr. Garang revealed a remarkable capacity to recover from this major setback and a determination to maintain the peace process. Commander Salva Kiir Mayardit, the new leader of the SPLM, has been appointed as first Vice President. Both he and President Bashir have reiterated their commitment to ensure the successful implementation of the comprehensive peace agreement. Formation of the GNU was completed on 21 September 2005. The interim constitution for south Sudan has also been finalised and formation of the south Sudan Government is under way.

At the international donor conference on Sudan, which was held in Oslo on 11 and 12 April 2005, I made a pledge of €15 million in support from Ireland to Sudan over the period 2005 to 2007. Already in 2005, Ireland has committed some €8 million of its pledge in support to Sudan. Programming of the remainder of Ireland's support will be consistent with the UN's recovery and reconstruction plans for Sudan. Emergency and recovery funding support of €1.7 million for the south of Sudan has been provided in 2005, inter alia, to Concern, Trócaire, Médecins Sans Frontières, the UN world food programme and UNICEF. Ireland continues to attach considerable importance to supporting emergency humanitarian and recovery needs in Sudan.