Gerard Murphy (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 59: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the political and security situation in Iraq; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39180/05]

Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 71: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the conduct of the trial of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein currently taking place in Baghdad in view of the killing of lawyers assisting Mr. Hussein; the statement by the United States Government that it cannot be responsible for the safety of the defence team; the fact that the highest UN human rights official in Iraq has said that this tribunal will never be able to produce the kind of process that would be able to satisfy international standards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39284/05]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 59 and 71 together.

The elections in Iraq tomorrow will be the start of the final phase in the political process for the reconstruction of Iraq which was set out by the UN Security Council in Resolution 1546 of June 2004. The period of interim and transitional governments is almost over. The elections are being held under the new constitution of Iraq, which was approved by the people in a referendum on 15 October. The new national assembly and government which will be formed following the elections will be fully sovereign and mandated for a four year term.

The Government and our partners in the EU have strongly supported the Iraqi people as they work to build a democratic society following years of dictatorship. I hope that they will exercise their democratic rights in large numbers tomorrow and that they will not be deterred from voting by those working to destroy the political process through the use of brutal violence against innocent civilians and government officials.

The political process in Iraq has resulted in very substantial progress, especially in recent months. However, nobody would underestimate the political challenges ahead. A key political priority will be to encourage the reconciliation to the new political structures of the minority Sunni community, which voted strongly against the new constitution in October. It is a positive development that tomorrow's elections, unlike those in January, are being contested by the Sunni parties. It will be important that the Sunni community are democratically represented in the new assembly, in proportion to their numbers in the Iraqi population. There will be a short period of review of the new constitution, during which it is hoped that some of the outstanding concerns of the Sunni community can be met.

Against the background of this political progress, the security situation in Iraq remains a cause of grave concern. It continues to hamper the work of rebuilding Iraq's economy, infrastructure and public services. Large scale bomb attacks against both Iraqi Government employees and Shia and Kurdish civilians continue on an almost daily basis. In recent weeks there has been an alarming new wave of kidnappings and abductions, affecting large numbers of Iraqi families but also a number of foreign nationals.

I welcome the determination of the Iraqi authorities to ensure that former president Saddam Hussein faces trial for the terrible crimes of which he has been accused. His trial is now in recess for two weeks while the elections are held. I am aware that some observers, including a UN human rights officer in Iraq, have expressed concerns about the difficulty of holding a trial in Iraq which fully meets international standards. The murder of two members of the defence legal team has added to those concerns.

It is important that every effort be made to ensure that the trial of Saddam Hussein and his co-defendants meets international standards to the extent possible. Clearly this poses challenges for the Iraqi authorities and for the legal system. There can be no doubt that the defendants have a case to answer for very serious crimes and that the people of Iraq deserve to see these crimes accounted for. The trial is taking place in an open Iraqi court under Iraqi law and it is fully televised. The defendants have full legal representation and the judges give every appearance of taking their responsibilities very seriously.