Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 141: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the situation in Zimbabwe, in which the present impasse has, according to reports, worsened again the lot of many people living in the country; if the EU has offered assistance for the talks being held seeking to alleviate the ongoing crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1949/09]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The situation in Zimbabwe remains dire. The country has effectively not been governed since March 2008, and after years of mismanagement and neglect, its infrastructure seems to be in terminal collapse. Inflation continues unabated, and those in power have found no better response than to print ever larger banknotes — most recently, a one hundred trillion Zimbabwe dollar note — which then quickly lose their value. Millions of Zimbabweans are dependent on food aid and on what friends and relatives can send them from abroad. One of the most tragic symptoms of the failure of governance in Zimbabwe is the ongoing cholera epidemic, which is estimated by the World Health Organisation to have cost over 2,500 lives. Those who protest against this state of affairs and against the abuse of human rights risk arrest, and there are reports that some of those in custody, including Ms. Jestina Mukoko, may have been tortured.

Discussions last week between President Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai resulted in no further progress towards the establishment of a power-sharing government, as agreed in principle last September. The central issue remains the allocation of key Ministries between ZANU-PF and the MDC. At an Extraordinary Summit on Zimbabwe yesterday, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) outlined a formula for the formation of a unity government by mid-February. There is considerable doubt over whether the MDC has agreed to this formula, and there seem to be few grounds for confidence at this stage that the arrangements proposed will provide a basis for progress towards meaningful a resolution of the current crisis.

Zimbabwe's neighbours, who have the greatest influence, must lead international pressure for a solution. For many years, the Zimbabwean Government has sought to deflect attention from its own misdeeds and mismanagement by blaming outsiders, including the EU and many of its Member States, for the country's ills. As a result, the state of EU-Zimbabwe relations is not such that we are able to play a role in bringing the two parties together. The collapse of the Zimbabwean economy and the isolation of the Mugabe regime mean that unfortunately EU leverage is limited, but we are using every avenue open to us.

At the General Affairs and External Relations Council yesterday, my EU colleagues and I formally renewed the EU's targeted restrictive measures against individuals and businesses which have supported or participated in the destruction wrought by the Mugabe regime. We also added new names, and a number of companies, to the list. We are determined to target the regime's finances — the revenues used to support the lifestyle of the elite, to keep the security services on its side, and to cushion Mugabe and his cronies from the economic catastrophe they have created.

The EU continues to provide humanitarian support to Zimbabweans, and to press for greater involvement by SADC or the African Union in the mediation process. Yesterday, we reconfirmed that the EU stands ready to support the economic and social recovery of Zimbabwe, once a government is formed which reflects the will of the Zimbabwean people, and which returns to respect for human rights, the rule of law and responsible macroeconomic management.

Tom Sheahan (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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Question 143: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the amount of emergency relief supplies airlifted into Zimbabwe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1914/09]

Noel Coonan (Tipperary North, Fine Gael)
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Question 153: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the way the work of the Irish non-governmental organisations operating in Zimbabwe is progressing; the immediate requirements of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1915/09]

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 758: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe; the efforts being made at EU level to assist in this crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2322/09]

Peter Power (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 143, 153 and 758 together.

I remain deeply concerned about the situation in Zimbabwe and the appalling suffering of the people there. The humanitarian situation is dire and the World Food Programme is now feeding approximately half the population. This is in a country which was once the bread basket of southern Africa. Irish non-governmental organisations and missionaries are facing very serious challenges in working in Zimbabwe. Irish Aid is fully supporting them in their work in this most difficult environment.

We recently authorised the shipment of essential relief supplies to Zimbabwe from Irish Aid stocks to assist the work of Goal in addressing the cholera outbreak. These supplies consisted of 30,000 jerry cans, 30,000 buckets, 30 tonnes of soap, 1 million water purification tablets, and 60,000 Oral Re-hydration Salts (ORS). The supplies have been arriving in Zimbabwe in a series of shipments and are currently being distributed by Goal staff to benefit 30,000 families affected by the crisis.

In 2008, Irish Aid allocated approximately €10.5 million to meet the emergency and development requirements of the Zimbabwean people across a wide range of basic needs and essential services. The sectors assisted included education, primary health care, water and sanitation, human rights, and community and rural development. We are also deeply involved in special programmes to improve the quality and coverage of home based care for people with HIV / AIDS. Irish Aid is also saving lives through support for feeding programmes. These programmes are delivered through a range of valued partnerships including NGOs, missionaries and UN humanitarian agencies.

The EU level response to humanitarian crises falls within the responsibility of the European Commission Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO). In response to the Zimbabwean cholera crisis they have allocated humanitarian funding of more than €9 million aimed both at treating victims of the disease and at stemming its spread. This funding is being provided to UN and non-governmental partner agencies working in Zimbabwe to support water, sanitation and hygiene actions, epidemic response and the provision of essential drugs.