Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 19: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the discussions he has held with the Spanish Government on the potential of the ongoing peace process in the Basque country and, in particular, the facilitation of all political parties to contest elections in the interests of true democracy. [13729/11]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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While I have not had discussions regarding the Basque Country , I would of course be supportive of any development that could contribute to the permanent ending of violence by ETA and lead to peace in the Basque Country. I would be guided in the first instance in this by the assessment of the Spanish authorities. The Spanish Government continues to underline the necessity for ETA to abandon its arms and declare its own dissolution as a terrorist organisation. In relation to the second part of the Deputy's question, I note that it is ultimately a matter for the Spanish courts to determine the eligibility of any given political party or organisation to contest elections. As the Deputy may be aware, the Spanish Constitutional court made a ruling prior to the recent local and regional elections in Spain permitting the participation in the elections of Bildu , a new political formation in the Basque Country.