Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Question 52: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on the present position in Lebanon with particular attention to the Government in that country, in view of reports in the last week indicating that a number of Ministers have offered their resignations. [39553/06]

Gay Mitchell (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 74: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has had conversations with the Government of Somalia regarding reports from the United Nations that Somalis contributed to the efforts of Hezbollah during the conflict in Lebanon; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39508/06]

Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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Question 86: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has had discussions with his European counterparts regarding the recent reports from the United Nations that Somalia provided aid to Hezbollah during their conflict with Israel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39507/06]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 52, 74 and 86 together.

I know that the Deputies will join with me in condemning in the strongest possible terms the assassination on 21 November of the Lebanese Minister of Industry, Pierre Gemayel. As I stated at the time, the killing is an appalling tragedy for Mr. Gemayel's family, to whom we convey our deepest sympathy. It also appears to be a further challenge to the legitimate, democratically-elected Government of Lebanon. All parties in Lebanon and in the region now have a clear responsibility to act to stabilise the situation in the country and to focus on the work of reconstruction following the terrible conflict this summer. The Government and our EU partners are determined to maintain our support for the Lebanese people and their Government.

Before the assassination of Pierre Gemayel, the Government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora was already under sustained pressure from Hezbollah, resulting in the resignation of a number of Ministers. Last week's meeting of the General Affairs and External Relations Council in Brussels strongly encouraged all Lebanese parties to resume the process of national dialogue aimed at resolving the political crisis. It emphasised the EU's continuing support for the legitimate and democratically-elected Lebanese Government and its efforts to reconstruct and stabilise the country following the conflict. The Council called on all parties to comply with Security Council Resolution 1701, notably the arms embargo. It called on Israel to stop violations of Lebanese airspace by the Israeli Air Force, and on all countries in the region to refrain from any interference in Lebanon's internal affairs.

Overall, the ceasefire in Lebanon has continued to hold well. The immediate cause of the conflict in July and August was the unprovoked attack by Hezbollah on Israeli territory, and the killing and capture of a number of Israeli soldiers. From the beginning, the Government called unambiguously for an immediate cessation of violence and the protection of civilian lives. We were particularly critical of the harsh and disproportionate military response by Israel, the very high level of civilian casualties and the widespread destruction of vital civilian infrastructure.

At the root of the conflict and the continuing political tensions in Lebanon is the absence of a credible process for a comprehensive settlement in the Middle East. The unanimous adoption of Security Council Resolution 1701 on 11 August provided the basis for the ceasefire, and it continues to offers a path to a stable peace, based on the territorial integrity, sovereignty and political independence of Lebanon. The Government and our partners in the EU will remain actively engaged in support of its full implementation. The EU has taken the lead in ensuring that the deployment of the strengthened UNIFIIL force in Southern Lebanon, alongside units of the Lebanese Army, has proceeded smoothly and on schedule, and that the ceasefire has held. Building on the contribution of the Defence Forces to peacekeeping in Lebanon since 1978, Ireland is playing its part through the deployment since 31 October of a UNIFIL contingent, as part of a joint Finnish-Irish unit.

I am aware of media reports that the Monitoring Group on Somalia which was established by the UN Security Council to monitor violations of the embargo on the provision of arms to Somalia is expected to transmit its latest regular report to the Council shortly. Among the reported findings are that Hezbollah has provided military training to the opposition Islamic Courts Union in Somalia, and that a Somali force of 720 militia members fought with Hezbollah in Lebanon during the recent conflict. The Government will examine the report when it is published. I understand that its findings will be considered by the Security Council in the coming weeks.