Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 16: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the efforts he has most recently made at national, EU and international level to make such contacts as would facilitate the immediate release of Ingrid Betancourt. [16825/08]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The Government, together with our EU partners, has consistently condemned the practice of hostage-taking and kidnapping by the FARC guerrillas and other illegal armed groups in Colombia and continues to offer full support to the Colombian Government in its search for a negotiated solution to the internal armed conflict and the release of all hostages.

The Government remains very seriously concerned about the large number of hostages being held by FARC. Recent reports about the poor health of French-Colombian hostage Ingrid Betancourt are particularly worrying.

An all-party Seanad Éireann motion in December 2007 strongly supported the ongoing efforts to seek the release of Ingrid Betancourt. This motion was subsequently debated in the Seanad on 10 April 2008, when Minister of State Michael Ahern T.D. spoke on behalf of the Government. All parties to the debate expressed their extreme concern for the failing health of Ms. Betancourt and condemned the appalling conditions of her continued detention.

Ireland, together with our EU partners, welcomes recent initiatives to pursue negotiations with the FARC in order to secure the release of the hostages and bring an end to the internal armed conflict. Current proposals include the establishment of a demilitarised zone, with international observers, from which hostages could be safely released. The Catholic Church in Colombia has been requested to act as a mediator between the Government and the FARC in pursuing this proposal. Colombia has also endorsed a facilitation role by France, Spain and Switzerland, which has the full support of Ireland. Once again, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner was this week in Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela to discuss the situation after an international medical mission to Colombia to treat Ingrid Betancourt was denied access by the FARC. The Minister very much hopes that these initiatives will be successful.

The Minister would also hope that all those with influence on FARC will encourage it to respond positively. The General Affairs and External Relations Council of the European Union most recently adopted Conclusions on Colombia on 19 November 2007. Ireland was actively involved in the negotiation of these Conclusions, which expressed the EU's total solidarity with the Colombian people, its full support for the Colombian Government in its search for a negotiated solution to the internal armed conflict and underlined the importance the EU attaches to the ongoing implementation of the Justice and Peace Law.

The Council further expressed its hope that progress would be made in taking forward negotiations in order to reach a humanitarian agreement, to secure the release of all hostages, to end the armed conflict and to bring lasting peace to Colombia. In the same spirit, the Council welcomed all initiatives taken with the Colombian Government's support with the objective of promoting a successful peace process.

While, in discussions at EU level, we have not considered that current conditions call for UN involvement, Ireland would be supportive were the Colombian Government to request such intervention. The Department of Foreign Affairs continues to monitor the situation in Colombia through our Embassy in Mexico City, which is accredited to Colombia, as well as in cooperation with our EU partners with resident diplomatic missions in that country. Ireland is fully supportive of efforts to bring a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Colombia and to secure the release of all hostages, including Ms. Betancourt.