Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 359: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the fact that of the 135 Members of the Columbian Congress under investigation for corruption, 50 of these are in prison and have close links to right-wing paramilitaries and his policy on Columbia needs to be updated. [25241/10]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Colombia has witnessed the longest period of upheaval of any country in Latin America - over 50 years in all. The Colombian people have endured relentless suffering, reflected in the more than two million persons who have been internally displaced over the past number of years, a number second only to that of Sudan. The degree of lawlessness that arises from the absence of peace presents a major challenge to any government. The effects of terrorism and narco-trafficking have blighted the lives of many innocent people. The indictment of a large number of senators for association with the FARC, ELN and AUC illustrates the extent of the problems facing the Government.

Compared with the situation ten years ago, Colombia today has become a safer place to live. Colombians' belief in the prospects for a peaceful future and the impressive recent social and economic development reflected in the strong inward investment flows reinforce the impression that the country is slowly emerging from a grim past. There is no single solution for promoting peace in Colombia. The various social and economic elements underlying the conflict have to be tackled simultaneously. Our approach, and that of the European Union, is to assist and influence the Colombian Government in a manner that results in economic and social development while progressively improving human rights standards.

The Government of Colombia has repeatedly stated its determination to bring an end to violence within the framework of the Justice and Peace Law, passed in 2005, which provides an overall legal framework for the demobilisation, disarmament and reintegration of illegal armed groups into Colombian society. The Irish Government has given both moral and financial support to the implementation of the Justice and Peace Law. In addition, in May of this year, funding of €100,000 was approved for a victim support project being organised by the Organisation of American States in three regions of Colombia. This project will train victims to allow them to participate effectively in the judicial process and to access reparation; create awareness among local authorities so as to assist in the reintegration of victims in their communities and establish confidence-building measures between communities and local authorities.

The Government will continue to monitor the situation in Colombia through our Embassy in Mexico City, which is accredited to Colombia, as well as in cooperation with our EU partners with resident diplomatic missions in that country. We are fully supportive of efforts to bring a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Colombia, and will continue to support the Government of Colombia in its search for a negotiated solution to the internal armed conflict. In conjunction with our EU partners, the Irish government will continue to examine how we may, as appropriate, contribute to the peace process in Colombia.