The Deputy will be aware that in my reply to Priority Question No. 7 on Wednesday, 30 April 1997, I gave a comprehensive account of the most recent political and humanitarian developments in the Great Lakes region and of Ireland's reaction to the grave situation facing the remaining Rwandan refugees in eastern Zaire, as well as a detailed account of Irish Aid's integrated programme of emergency and rehabilitation spending both within Rwanda and in the Great Lakes region as a whole.
The principles which govern the disbursement of Irish Aid moneys remain absolutely clear: aid should be used to reach those who need it most and should, as far as possible, support the capacity of local people to build peaceful and stable societies. The provision of aid to the Government of Rwanda in 1995 and 1996 should be seen firmly in this context.
Irish aid to the Great Lakes has been as part of the concerted international effort to bring about peace, stability and reconciliation in the region. Our effort has been ongoing for three years. Since 1994, Irish Aid has given almost IR£12.5 million in emergency and rehabilitation aid to the region. Deputies will be aware of the Government's balanced approach in providing this aid from reports to Dáil Éireann as well as from the briefings which have been given to the Joint Committee for Foreign Affairs and the Sub-Committee on Development Co-operation.
Just over IR£2 million of our assistance has been channelled through Government of Rwanda programmes. This money had been specifically targeted to support primary health care, the training of magistrates, the resettlement of refugees and the rehabilitation of genocide survivors, together with support for women's groups.
A further IR£4.8 million has been disbursed, again since 1994, through Irish NGOs operating in Rwanda and through international organistions.Apart from providing shelter to genocide survivors and returning refugees from Zaire and Tanzania, a particular area of activity has been the improvement of prison conditions. Ireland has provided support through the UN system for refugee resettlement and for human rights monitoring by the UN Centre for Human Rights. Assistance has been provided also to the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.