Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 154: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the political situation in Zimbabwe; the steps being taken at national and European level to protest the suppression of the opposition in that country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18701/07]

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 172: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the position in Zimbabwe; if officials of his Department or of the Government met Mr. Morgan Tsvangarai, leader of the main opposition party in that country during his recent visit to the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18671/07]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 154 and 172 together.

The political, economic and human rights situation in Zimbabwe is a matter of very serious concern. Inflation is currently estimated at over 3700%, the highest in the world. Unemployment has risen to 80%. Life expectancy has virtually been halved in the past two decades, from 60 years to 33 years. Opposition activists, including Morgan Tsvangarai, the leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), were seriously ill-treated in police detention in March 2007, and it is thought that many lower-profile activists are suffering similar treatment on an ongoing basis. Presidential and parliamentary elections are due to take place in March 2008, and the focus of international efforts must now be to ensure that there is a level playing field for these elections. This would allow the people of Zimbabwe to make the decision on who they think can best lead their country out of its current economic and political crisis.

Events in Zimbabwe were discussed at a Summit meeting of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in Tanzania on 28-29 March. The SADC Summit gave President Mbeki of South Africa and President Kikwete of Tanzania a mandate to facilitate dialogue between the government and opposition in Zimbabwe. I welcome the fact that a number of meetings between the two sides have taken place during May and June, chaired by South Africa.

Ireland and the European Union support this initiative. We strongly believe that African leadership is the key to improving the situation in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe's neighbours, who are themselves most affected by the overspill of the country's problems, are best placed to encourage progress towards stable economic and political development, and adherence to those human rights standards on which Africa seeks to base its future development. Ireland and the European Union will expect to see concrete progress from this initiative before too long, and I look forward to the outcome of the SADC Summit on 12 August in this regard.

In April 2007, EU Foreign Ministers condemned the violent repression of the opposition the previous month; welcomed the SADC initiative; and urged a broad inclusive national dialogue, which is essential to lay the basis for genuine reform and national reconciliation. As a mark of the EU's concern, representative of the EU Presidency in each of the SADC countries expressed to their host governments the concern of the EU and its Member States about the developments in Zimbabwe in March. The EU has a targeted visa ban against Zimbabwean leaders, but does not have economic sanctions against the country. The EU is still a major provider of aid to the Zimbabwean people, and this commitment to their welfare will remain in spite of government actions.

Ireland is among those EU Member States which have most strongly condemned human rights abuses and urged political and economic reform in Zimbabwe. I made a public statement condemning the March 2007 violence, and I subsequently asked the Irish Ambassador in Pretoria to travel to Harare to convey our concerns directly to the Zimbabwean authorities. The Embassy of Ireland in Pretoria monitors allegations of human rights abuses in Zimbabwe on an ongoing basis, and raises issues of concern with the Zimbabwean government at every available opportunity. The Secretary General of the Department of Foreign Affairs also raised Ireland's concerns with Zimbabwean officials during a visit to Harare in June and also encouraged full and active participation in the South African initiative. He also availed of the opportunity to discuss the situation in Zimbabwe with senior representatives of the MDC.

I am acutely conscious of the suffering caused by the dire economic situation in Zimbabwe, and of the need to provide support directly to the ordinary people there. In 2007, Irish Aid will allocate €3 million to local NGOs to address the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Zimbabwe, and a further €2 million to NGOs and civil society organisations involved in long-term development work in the country. Economic decline over the past decade and drought in 2006-7 have taken their toll, and a recent UN/WFP assessment has warned that two million Zimbabweans may face serious food shortages later this year, possibly rising to over 4 million people by early 2008. In response, Irish Aid has provided €2.4 million in emergency funding through UN organisations in Zimbabwe so far this year. Since 2005, Irish Aid has provided over €9 million in Emergency & Recovery funding for Zimbabwe.

I am aware that a delegation of the Save Zimbabwe Coalition, including opposition leader Morgan Tsvangarai, visited Europe earlier this month. They had meetings in Brussels and London, and with the EU Presidency in Berlin. The delegation did not visit Dublin on this occasion.