Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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23. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will outline any discussions he has had with his EU counterparts and other Foreign Ministers with regard to military action in Mali; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23184/13]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Mali has been the subject of ongoing discussion by EU Foreign Ministers since March 2012 when there was an army coup and armed groups seized control of the north of the country. The situation was discussed most recently at the Foreign Affairs Council which I attended in Brussels on 11 March. In February the Council adopted comprehensive Conclusions which reaffirmed the EU’s support for international efforts to support stabilisation and counter the threat of terrorism in Mali, including the French-led Operation Serval and the African-led International Support Mission in Mali (AFISMA). The Council also discussed the establishment and launch of an EU Training Mission in Mali, which is now working to support the strengthening and reform of the Malian army, including through important training in the area of human rights. Ireland is contributing six trainers and two HQ personnel for the EU Training Mission. The Council has emphasised the importance of progress on the political track and especially the implementation of the transition roadmap which has been agreed by the Malian Government and Parliament. We have underlined in particular the preparations for free and fair elections scheduled to take place in the coming months, implementation of a meaningful national dialogue and reconciliation process, and the need to ensure full respect for human rights for all of Mali’s citizens.

The Council has emphasised the importance of progress on the political track and especially the implementation of the transition roadmap which has been agreed by the Malian Government and Parliament. We have underlined in particular the preparations for free and fair elections scheduled to take place in the coming months, implementation of a meaningful national dialogue and reconciliation process, and the need to ensure full respect for human rights for all of Mali’s citizens. All of these issues were discussed in detail yesterday, 15 May, at a major international Donor Conference on Mali, jointly hosted by the EU and France in Brussels. Ireland was represented at the conference by the Minister of State for Trade and Development, Mr. Joe Costello T.D., who reiterated the Government’s support for the EU’s comprehensive approach in Mali. He also noted our support for the series of UN Security Council Resolutions on the situation in Mali, including Resolution 2100, adopted on 25 April, which authorises the establishment of the new UN Peacekeeping Operation for Mali, MINUSMA. It will take over from AFISMA on 1 July. The UN Mission has been given a mandate to use all necessary means to carry out its tasks, which include the stabilisation of key population centres and the re-establishment of State authority throughout the country; support for the implementation of the transitional roadmap, and the promotion and protection of human rights. MINUSMA will comprise 11,200 troops and 1,440 police.

At the conference yesterday, Minister of State Costello announced that Ireland will provide a further €2.5 million to respond to continuing humanitarian needs and to support the recovery of Mali. Already in 2013, Ireland has provided humanitarian assistance of over €1.8 million. Last year, the Government provided €1.35 million for relief in Mali and €9.25 million for the humanitarian crisis across the Sahel region.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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24. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the most recent discussions held at EU Foreign Affairs Council in relation to the ongoing conflict in the Congo; if funding has been allocated this year for humanitarian aid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23206/13]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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The continuing crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is discussed regularly at all levels within the EU, including at meetings of the Foreign Affairs Council.

In particular, I have strongly welcomed the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework Agreement for the DRC and the Region, which was concluded in Addis Ababa on 24 February. The adoption of the Agreement was welcomed on behalf of the EU in a joint statement by High Representative Catherine Ashton and Development Commissioner, Andris Piebalgs, which called on all sides to continue negotiating in good faith and to refrain from violence. This important regional Agreement was reached by the Government of the DRC and ten neighbouring and regional countries. The co-guarantors of the Agreement are the African Union, the Southern African Development Community, the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region and the United Nations.

In the UN Secretary General’s own words, a lasting solution in the DRC must have a number of essential elements. It must be anchored in the political will of the leaders of all countries in the region. It must address the structural causes fuelling instability in the DRC itself. It must respect the sovereignty, territorial integrity and legitimate concerns and interests of all concerned countries. It also demands the commitment and long-term support of the international community. Lasting peace can only be secured in the DRC if the Agreement is implemented in full and the opportunity it presents is now grasped by all parties involved.

I have welcomed the appointment of Mary Robinson by the UN Secretary General as his Special Envoy for the region, to support the implementation of the Agreement. I have assured her of the full support of Government, and of the European Union. The Secretary General is also proposing the establishment of an Intervention Brigade to address security aspects of the crisis more comprehensively.

Ireland is also responding to the appalling humanitarian consequences of the crisis in the DRC. Since 2009, the Government has provided €42.8 million for the victims of this humanitarian crisis. Last year, we provided over €10 Million in emergency and longer-term development funding to the DRC. In April, I announced a further €3.8 million in funding for UN agencies and NGOs working in the DRC. Of this €3.8 million, some €2 million has been channelled through the Common Humanitarian Fund for the DRC. This is a multi-donor pooled funding mechanism under the direction of the Humanitarian Coordinator for the DRC. It provides quick and flexible funding to UN humanitarian agencies and international and national NGOs on the basis of the needs on the ground. The UN’s Humanitarian Action Plan for the DRC for 2013 provides overall strategic guidance for the Common Humanitarian Fund in order to enable aid organisations to reach nearly 4 million people with urgently-needed food, water, shelter, healthcare and education.

The remaining €1.8 million is being provided to Irish Aid NGO partners working in the DRC. €450,000 is being provided to Christian Aid, €450.000 to Concern, €300,000 to Trócaire and €580,000 to Oxfam (€580,000). It will be used to provide emergency food, water, health and protection to some of the most vulnerable people in the DRC.