Liam Twomey (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 88: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the support allocated by Irish Aid towards elections in the Congo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19551/06]

Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Presidential and parliamentary elections will take place in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on 30 July next. They will be the first multi-party elections in the country since it gained independence in 1960. Successfully conducted elections are critical to the consolidation of peace and security in the DRC and in the Great Lakes region as a whole.

Aware of the strategic significance of these elections, Ireland has allocated €1.3 million to support their organisation and oversight. This funding has been provided in two tranches. Some €500,000 was provided in October 2005 to the special Trust Fund established and administered by the United Nations Development Programme to help meet the costs of the elections. Earlier this month, I announced further funding of €800,000, which will be used to support the South African Independent Electoral Commission which is assisting in the organisation and oversight of the elections.

Ireland is determined to play its part in helping the people of the DRC to move away from the past and onto the path of stability and development. We have provided over €11 million for emergency and recovery activities in the DRC since 2002, almost €5 million of which has been provided to date in 2006. The humanitarian and development needs are enormous. Some 1,200 people die daily from preventable conflict-related causes, as many victims every six months as those of the Asian tsunami. Approximately 70% of the population has no access to even the most basic healthcare system. More than 20% of children die before their fifth birthday. Governance and the provision of basic public services are generally weak and non-existent in parts.

The successful completion of these historic elections is an essential step to creating stability in the DRC and the wider region. Ireland will continue to do its part over the coming years to support the people and leadership of the DRC to deal with the profound post-conflict and development challenges that lie ahead.