Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 226: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he and the international community can report progress on matters in Sierra Leone; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20021/06]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Since the civil war ended in 2002, significant progress in the restoration of peace and security has been made in Sierra Leone. Overall, the situation is now stable with presidential and parliamentary elections planned for 2007. The Government of Sierra Leone still faces real challenges in addressing the root causes of the conflict, such as poverty, weak governance and corruption. The political situations in Guinea, Liberia and Côte d'Ivoire are also fragile and have the potential to adversely affect the development of Sierra Leone.

In January 2006, the UN Integrated Office in Sierra Leone (UNIOSIL) was established to assist the Government to develop and implement a strategy to address the root causes of conflict and to seek to make progress towards the Millennium Development Goals. UNIOSIL is also working to build capacity within the National Electoral Commission with a view to the elections in 2007, and is supporting work on the security sector. The withdrawal of the UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) in December 2005 was a key test as the army and police force of Sierra Leone assumed responsibility for security in the country. The overall situation has been calm since then.

The Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) was established in 2002 to bring to trial 'those who bear greatest responsibility' for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Sierra Leone after 30 November 1996. Ireland has been a strong supporter of the Court since its establishment in 2002 and has contributed nearly €1.5 million to it. This includes €600,000 for 2006. The SCSL has indicted eleven persons associated with all of the civil war factions and ten of these are in the Court's custody. Former president of Liberia, Charles Taylor, was indicted for his support of rebels in Sierra Leone.

In February 2005 an Irish office, accredited from the Embassy in Abuja, was opened to oversee programmes funded in both Sierra Leone and Liberia. It is staffed by a development specialist.

Minister of State for Development and Human Rights, Conor Lenihan TD, attended the Sierra Leone Investment Forum in Freetown on 28-31 March 2006. Since 2000, Ireland has allocated approximately €18 million to Sierra Leone, including almost €3.7 million to date in 2006. This funding has been allocated to activities with a focus on emergency and recovery and has been channelled through NGO partners, UN agencies and to the Sierra Leone Special Court. The programme is currently moving beyond short term initiatives to responding to medium and longer-term recovery needs, in line with the country's Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) and in the context of transition and peace consolidation.