Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Question 76: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he is satisfied that the right of return is being respected in relation to the Serb, Roma, Croat or Gorani communities to return to Kosovo; if such a return is being assisted in practice by the international forces, KFOR and the UN; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30901/07]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Along with our partners in the EU, Ireland's position on the Kosovo final status issue has been that a final settlement must provide for a multi-ethnic, secure and democratic Kosovo, consistent with EU values and standards and contributing to the stability of the region. The EU has consistently highlighted the protection of minorities, and the right to return of refugees and internally displaced persons, as key priorities in this context.

The Contact Group's Guiding Principles for a settlement of Kosovo's status in 2005 also highlighted that any future settlement should provide effective constitutional guarantees and appropriate mechanisms to ensure the implementation of human rights for all citizens in Kosovo and of the rights of members of all Kosovo communities, including the right of refugees and displaced persons to return to their homes in safety.

As part of the gradual transfer of competences from the interim UN Administration in Kosovo (UNMIK) to the Provisional Institutions of Self Government (PISG), provided for under UN Security Council Resolution 1244, most of the functional responsibilities for voluntary returns have now been assumed by the PISG, primarily the Ministry of Community and Return (MCR). However, UNMIK continues to provide assistance and guidance to the MCR as appropriate. In a report dated 28 September last, UNMIK noted that although there have been noticeable improvements in the conditions for returns, such as greater acceptance of the returnees by the receiving communities and an increasing capacity of municipalities to directly implement elements of the returns projects, the main factors affecting returns continue to be lack of economic opportunities and inadequate funding for approved return projects, as well as persisting perceptions of insecurity. It also noted in this context that the number of voluntary minority returns to Kosovo continued to be low.

The Report adds that during the course of 2007, six projects to support organised returns by 140 families, with a total budget of €3.7 million, have been launched. The MCR, in consultation with the international community, has approved 47 Community Development and Stabilization projects worth €2.08 million to facilitate the equitable integration of all communities and their members currently residing in Kosovo.

The return to Roma Mahala is one of the biggest return projects in Kosovo and involves UNMIK, the OSCE, the UNHCR, and the municipality of Mitrovica. The Government, through Irish Aid, has funded this project to the amount of €250,000. The return of 24 families to their original place of residence on 16 October marked the end of the first phase of the project. At a local level, KFOR has also been involved in the development of facilities for Roma, with members of the Irish Defence Forces contingent in Kosovo contributing to the construction of a Roma education centre in the Serb municipality of Gracanica.

The Government believes that a comprehensive policy on the right to return must form an integral part of any final status settlement for Kosovo. In this context, I note that the Ahtisaari final status proposal, which Ireland has supported, includes detailed provisions on the rights of refugees and internally displaced persons, and stresses that they shall have the right to return and reclaim their property and personal possessions in accordance with domestic and international law. Irrespective of the outcome of the final status process, I believe that such provisions should be integrated into Kosovo's future legal framework. I therefore urge the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government to intensify their efforts in cooperation with international organisations in Kosovo to achieve, in parallel with the status process, concrete and rapid progress on these important issues.