Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Question 314: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the call made by the Irish Commission for Justice and Social Affairs of the Irish Bishops Conference for the Government to pressure the EU and the UN to apply sanctions against the perpetrators of the Darfur conflict; if he will use his offices as a member of the EU and the UN to ensure an increase in the number of peace-keeping troops in that region; if he will ensure that the Sudanese Government rebel groups halt all attacks on civilians and cooperate with UN authorised agencies; the action he intends to take in regard to these matters; the other initiatives the Government proposes, to secure an end to the conflict in Darfur; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25015/06]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I am very conscious of the statement issued by the Bishops' Commission for Justice and Social Affairs issued regarding Darfur on 12 June. The Government has been particularly supportive of efforts to improve the situation in Darfur. Members of the Permanent Defence Forces, for instance, have served with the African Union Monitoring Mission in Sudan (AMIS) and, in 2004-5, the Government committed €10 million to Darfur for relief purposes. I myself will travel to Sudan in the first week of July and will meet with representatives of the Government of Sudan as well as with representatives of the UN and NGOs. I will also travel to Darfur at that time to see for myself the situation on the ground in the displaced persons camps.

Ireland fully supports the Conclusions adopted on Sudan by the General Affairs and External Relations Council on 12 June 2006 and the Declaration adopted by the European Council on 16 June. The General Affairs Council stated that the EU will work for the full and rapid implementation of the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) and called on all parties to implement the Agreement. The Council made plain its willingness to take measures against those impeding the peace process as well as its support for the International Criminal Court investigation into human rights abuses in Darfur. The EU remains committed to support AMIS through provision of planning, technical, financial and equipment support to both military and police components and taking into account the new tasks arising for AMIS from the DPA. At Ireland's initiative, the Council also called on all parties in Darfur to remove any obstacles to the delivery of humanitarian aid. This has been a matter of particular concern to the Government.

The international community remains fully engaged in the effort to bring a lasting peace to Darfur. On 22 June, a Technical Assessment Mission jointly led by the UN and the African Union (AU) concluded a two-week mission in Sudan. At the request of the UN Security Council, they carried out an evaluation of requirements for the transition from the AMIS force to a UN mission. A report will be made to the UN Security Council on the matter this week. Early indications are that the report will recommend that planning for transition proceed though transition on the ground cannot occur without the consent of the Government of Sudan.