Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 11: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the consideration he has given to housing, land and human rights in Luanda and the representations made to him by non-governmental organisations working in Angola. [5221/09]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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After one of the longest-running civil wars in Africa drew to a close in 2002, Angola has begun a period of major transition — economically, politically and socially — fuelled by a boom in oil production and high oil prices. Hopes that the end of the civil war in 2002 would lead to more political openness have only partially been fulfilled.

Angola's first parliamentary election since 1992, and only the second since 1975, took place in September 2008. The ruling MPLA party won by a landslide. An EU election observation mission said that the elections represented a 'positive step towards strengthening democracy', despite some organisational weaknesses and the state's control of the media. The mission welcomed the peaceful conduct of the elections but did not, however, go as far as describing them as free and fair. Space for NGOs to operate remains limited, and in 2008 the government closed a local office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, following the publication in 2007 of a report criticising Angola's human rights record.

Angola's current production levels make it Africa's largest oil producer, and economic development associated with the energy sector has been very rapid. However, the fruits of this new prosperity have not been equally shared. Real estate in the Angolan capital, Luanda, now ranks among the most expensive in the world, and the land occupied by the informal settlements of the poor, many of whom migrated to Luanda during the civil war, is now very valuable.

The government has carried out a number of forced evictions in Luanda's poorer neighbourhoods to make way for rapid redevelopment. These evictions do not seem to have been politically motivated. Rather, the poorest Angolans were suffering the effects of the economic up-turn in Angola, combined with poor urban planning and a lack of accountable governance.

EU Heads of Mission based in Luanda have followed this issue, and some have raised it with the authorities in recent years. EU Heads of Mission have also pursued concerns over the use of force by Angolan authorities when carrying out evictions.

Ireland-Angola relations are limited, and there have been few opportunities for political dialogue in recent years. However, conscious that the country's rapid economic growth masks huge in equalities and great hardship, Irish Aid does provide some funding to the Angolan people, amounting to almost €6.8 million since 2006. This funding is channelled through Irish and international NGOs including Trócaire and Concern and through Irish missionaries.

This assistance covers a number of areas — basic education and health support, de-mining and rehabilitation of mine victims, HIV/AIDS programmes and food security. One of Irish Aid's partner organisations in Angola, Christian Aid, supports work on community strengthening and land rights under its accountability and governance programme.

Other than contacts which my Department has had with the NGOs funded by Irish Aid, no representations have been made to me by NGOs in relation to Angola since my appointment as Minister for Foreign Affairs.