Frank Feighan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 800: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the expulsion of UNICEF's communications chief (details supplied) from Sri Lanka recently. [31721/09]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I am dismayed by the decision of the Government of Sri Lanka to order the expulsion of Mr James Elder, the respected UNICEF Communication Chief in Sri Lanka, from the country, by 21 September. The expulsion appears to relate to remarks made to the media by Mr Elder in the course of his official duties as UNICEF spokesperson, in relation to the suffering of children during the military campaign prior to the cessation of hostilities in May and also to conditions in the camps for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) which have been established by the Government since that time.

I have noted that on 8 September the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, has also strongly regretted the Government's decision and has indicated his intention to take up the issue with President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the earliest opportunity. Mr Elder's expulsion follows the sentencing on 31 August of the journalist, J.S. Tissainayagam, to 20 years hard labour by the Colombo High Court on charges of violating anti-terrorism laws. Both the decision to expel Mr Elder and the verdict and disproportionate sentence handed down on Mr Tissainayagam give rise to serious concern in relation to freedom of expression and the freedom of the press in Sri Lanka.

For my part, I have taken a consistently strong line, both bilaterally and within the EU, in pressing the Government of Sri Lanka to respond to international demands to fulfil its responsibilities to the Tamil community in Sri Lanka, including the 280,000 IDPs who are currently held in camps in the north of the country. In a discussion earlier this year at my instigation, I made clear to the Ambassador of Sri Lanka my deep concerns and expectations. My concerns were also conveyed last week by senior officials of my Department to a representative of the Government of Sri Lanka. These concerns relate to conditions within the IDP camps at the moment, to the need for independent monitoring of the situation and to the requirements of the Tamil community in the longer term, if a successful peace process is to be launched and sustained.

At EU level, Ministers will discuss the situation in Sri Lanka at the GAERC meeting in October. We will discuss how best to engage the Government of Sri Lanka in a meaningful dialogue which will enable us to assist IDPs in the camps and which will also facilitate the genuinely inclusive process of political reconciliation with the Tamil minority which is urgently needed. This must be based on the principles of parity of esteem, consent, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights .

In view of the serious humanitarian crisis in the affected areas, Irish Aid has provided funding of €308,000 for emergency response in Sri Lanka through NGO partners, including emergency medical and nutrition support, the provision of shelter, and distribution of food and non-food items. In addition, a member of Irish Aid's Rapid Response Corps was deployed to Sri Lanka to assist in the emergency response effort of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).