Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Question 23: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on his response to the recent massacre of 16 civilians in Afghanistan in view of the fact that Irish troops are serving in that country. [17182/12]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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The killing of 16 Afghan civilians on 11 March this year was a shocking and tragic incident. On behalf of the Government, I extend my deepest condolences to the families of those killed and to the Afghan people. I welcome the commitment made by the US Secretary of Defence to quickly establish the facts surrounding this incident and to hold the person responsible to account. I understand that the US army and the Afghan authorities are cooperating in relation to the investigation of this incident and that charges have been formally brought against one member of the US Armed Forces.

This incident should not be allowed to jeopardise progress towards building a stable and democratic Afghanistan. Ireland will continue to support international efforts to develop Afghanistan as a peaceful, democratic nation, based on respect for fundamental human rights and for the rule of law.

Our support is demonstrated through our contribution to humanitarian programmes, participation in the EU Police Training mission and the deployment of members of the Defence Forces to the UN-mandated International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). Ireland has participated in ISAF since 2002 following a Government decision to authorise the provision of seven members of the Permanent Defence Forces for service with ISAF; these serve in non-combat roles at ISAF HQ in Kabul.

Ireland has also, since 2005, provided €35 million funding for humanitarian assistance, including mine clearance, civil society development programmes, and support to the Government of Afghanistan through the World Bank-managed Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF) in Afghanistan.