With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose taking Questions Nos. 5, 6 and 7 together.
As I have said on numerous occasions I am only too well aware that from 1966 with the assassination of the Prime Minister and members of the Federal Government there have been deplorable breaches of the Charter of Human Rights and the Geneva Convention in many parts of Nigeria. In answer to Dáil Questions on various aspects of the present conflict I have indicated the steps taken by us to help ward off the civil war and since the conflict began to contact our citizens in danger areas, to evacuate those of them who wished to leave and to give aid to afflicted Nigerian citizens through the International Red Cross.
Croise Deirge na hÉireann with funds provided by the Government and the Irish people has contributed cash, food and medicines for the relief of distress. Much more would have been made available were it not for the difficulties in delivering supplies direct to the territory controlled by authorities of the Eastern Region and of their refusal to accept food or medicine consigned through territory under Federal control.
Even if it were proposed in the General Assembly of the United Nations that all States be called upon not to supply arms to either side in the Nigerian conflict there would be little or no prospect of such a resolution being adopted unless it were acceptable to the Federation. In any event, the mere stoppage of further arms shipments could not have a determining effect on the outcome of the conflict or help the delivery of food and medicine to those in desperate need of such supplies.
The best hope I see of getting the required quantity of supplies to the people who are threatened with hunger and disease is that a cease-fire should be arranged with all possible speed to be followed by negotiations for a stable and lasting peace.
We have been doing, and shall continue to do, all in our power to promote a cease-fire and peace negotiations and the granting meanwhile of the necessary facilities for the delivery of food relief and medical supplies. I hope that the appeal by Croise Deirge na hÉireann for funds to send greatly increased supplies of food and medicine will be generously supported by all sections of the community so that these supplies can be delivered as quickly as possible as soon as the necessary lines of communication are opened.