Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 174: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs his dealings with the situation in Zimbabwe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13936/09]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The situation in Zimbabwe remains fragile following the formation of a power-sharing government involving Zanu-PF and the MDC in February. There have been some small signs of progress, and I hope that the new Government will be able to address the significant problems now facing Zimbabwe. The release of Roy Bennett, the designated MDC deputy agriculture minister, sent a positive signal, although he has not yet been sworn in to his Ministerial post.

However, the continued detention of other political and human rights activists remains a cause of concern, and many of those who have been released still have charges pending against them. It is also difficult to see how the Zimbabwean economy can be stabilised and reformed as long as Gideon Gono remains in place as Reserve Bank Governor. The power-sharing government needs to deliver real progress, including in securing political freedoms, a return to the rule of law and economic development for the people of Zimbabwe. Millions still depend on food aid, and will continue to do so until there is a successful harvest. The continuation of land seizures is not helpful in this context. Ireland will carefully monitor developments in this area.

Despite doubts about the efficacy of a power-sharing administration which continues to include Mr. Mugabe, my EU colleagues and I have repeatedly stated our willingness to re-engage with a Zimbabwean government which restores political freedom and returns to responsible macroeconomic management. Ireland was among the donors which met to discuss Zimbabwe in Washington on 20 March, where we agreed to work with the transitional government to achieve specific goals identified in the power-sharing agreement, notably the restoration of the rule of law, economic stabilization, commitment to democracy, respect for human rights, and full access to humanitarian assistance.

The international community will calibrate our re-engagement with Zimbabwe on the basis of concrete achievements in all of these areas. We believe that if the political will exists, the transitional government will be able to demonstrate its commitment to reform very quickly. I have noted that at its Summit on 30 March, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) called on the EU to lift its restrictive measures against those linked to the Mugabe regime. However, we have not yet seen sufficient tangible signs of change to warrant reversing this policy.

Ireland has made its views on the situation abundantly clear to the Zimbabwean authorities, and to our partners in the region. We will continue to raise our concerns as appropriate in bilateral contacts with southern African partners. In 2008, Irish Aid provided over €10.5 million in funding for Zimbabwe, channelled through non-governmental organisations and UN agencies. I sincerely hope that the new power-sharing government will bring economic stability and political freedom to Zimbabwe. Ireland will continue to make every effort to ensure that the issue of Zimbabwe remains a priority for the EU.