Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 67: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs Ireland's policy regarding the use of cluster munitions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4362/07]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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Question 74: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No 29 of 23 November 2006 the Government's position regarding the banning of cluster bombs, in particular if the Government opposes the use of cluster bombs only within concentrations of civilians as his response indicates or if the Government has called at any international forum for an outright ban on the use of cluster bombs in any situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4274/07]

Joe Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 94: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the position in regard to progress towards an international agreement prohibiting the use of cluster munitions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4313/07]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 67, 74 and 94 together.

I would like to set out the present context for the efforts to develop an international instrument to address the humanitarian concerns related to the use of cluster munitions. But let me make my position clear at the outset. I call for a total ban on cluster munitions. The Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) is the recognised international forum for negotiations on humanitarian problems posed by such weapons. Discussions to date within the CCW have focussed on regulating their use in order to protect civilians, during and after conflict, rather than a total ban. As I made clear in my reply to PQ No 29 of 23 November 2006, Ireland has been calling for action on cluster munitions within this framework since July 2002. We have repeatedly stated our clear concern about the impact of these weapon systems on civilian populations.

At the last CCW Review Conference, Ireland was among a small core-group of States calling for an international, legally-binding instrument to address comprehensively the issue of cluster munitions. This position is inspired by our tradition of involvement in UN peace-keeping operations, including in Lebanon, where our troops are both witnesses of the harm caused by such weapons, and are themselves at risk. Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has called for a freeze on the use of cluster munitions against military assets located in or near populated areas. My own preference, of course, is for a total ban on cluster munitions. I made this position clear during my visit last week to the Middle East, when I discussed the issue with our Defence Forces in Lebanon, including the dreadful impact of cluster bombs during the recent conflict there.

At the Review Conference, our proposal for an international instrument was eventually supported by 25 States. We also joined these States in a Declaration calling for an international agreement that would include a prohibition on the use of cluster munitions within concentrations of civilians and a prohibition on the development, production, stockpiling, transfer and use of cluster munitions that pose serious humanitarian hazards due to their unreliability and inaccuracy. Unfortunately, as I indicated last November, even this more limited proposal did not meet with consensus. We remain committed to working within the CCW process, and elsewhere, to seek agreement on such an instrument. A series of meetings to further this objective will be held in the coming months. The Norwegian Foreign Minister has convened a meeting in Oslo later this month of countries and organisations interested in working towards an international ban on cluster munitions that have an unacceptable humanitarian impact. The International Committee of the Red Cross is also organising an expert meeting in April to examine a range of humanitarian, military, technical and legal issues relating to these weapons and to consider all possible means of reducing their negative impact on civilian populations. The CCW itself will hold a meeting of government experts in June with a particular focus on cluster munitions. We will do everything possible so that these meetings can contribute to building momentum towards an effective international instrument.

While a total ban remains the clear national objective, we believe that it is nonetheless important to continue to work with other governments and civil society to achieve as much progress as is possible in present circumstances. Any international agreement on cluster munitions must be effective in tackling the serious humanitarian concerns that have been raised and we will spare no effort in working to achieve this aim. In the absence of a ban, and pending an effective international instrument to address concerns regarding their use, we support the call for an immediate freeze on the use of cluster munitions.