Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 57: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will work towards securing an international ban on the sale of arms to zones of conflict; the work that has been done to date in this light; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15370/09]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Programme for Government includes a commitment to support "a binding and comprehensive global treaty on the trade of arms, covering all weapons and ammunition...". In line with this undertaking, I am working hard to bring this about.

At the United Nations, Ireland has been actively promoting the proposal for an Arms Trade Treaty to secure agreement on common international standards for the import, export and transfer of conventional arms. In October we co-sponsored a resolution at the General Assembly which led to the establishment of a Working Group to consider the elements that might be included in a legally binding Treaty. The first meeting of the Group took place in New York last month. Officials from my Department played an active role in proceedings, and took the opportunity to explain to other UN Member States both the high priority which Ireland attaches to achieving an Arms Trade Treaty, and the specific elements which we believe it should take account of, including the impact of arms transfers on conflict.

The Group is scheduled to meet again in July and we will maintain our engagement. The Group will submit a report to the next session of the General Assembly in the autumn.

Ireland is not alone in pushing for a comprehensive global treaty on the arms trade. The EU is preparing to hold a number of regional seminars, in different parts of the world, to highlight the necessity of securing an effective Arms Trade Treaty. As I explained to the House in questions to me on this issue in February, negotiation of this Treaty is likely to be complex and protracted. I would like to assure the House that we will continue our efforts on this front, in close cooperation with our partners in the EU and in the NGO community, until a Treaty has been agreed.