asked the Minister for External Affairs if, in view of the growing number of deaths of political prisoners in South African jails in recent months and the increasing concern about the fate of such resistance leaders as Nelson Mandela and Walter Sisulu, the Government will give full support for the resolution on political prisoners at the forthcoming session of the General Assembly of the United Nations and give financial assistance to the Defence and Aid Fund to help the victims of apartheid in South Africa.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Political Prisoners.
52.
The Government at the last session of the United Nations General Assembly supported a resolution which inter alia condemned the Government of South Africa for its cruel inhuman and degrading treatment of political prisoners. The Government will support any similar condemnation which the Assembly may make at its current session.
The Government make cash contributions to both the UN Trust Fund for South Africa and the UN Education and Training Programme for Southern Africans. It is not proposed to give financial assistance to the fund referred to by the Deputy, which is not a United Nations Fund.
While welcoming the Minister's statement of condemnation of the Portuguese Government's actions in relation to its foreign policy and bearing in mind that we have given a Government contribution of a mere $3,000 to this trust fund of the United Nations, may I ask him, in view of the fact that there are 8,000 political prisoners now in South Africa, either detained or under house arrest or deported, if he could agree to give a further substantial contribution to this trust fund or do as a large number of countries have done, earmark portion of the Government's contribution for the International Defence and Aid Fund? Would this be possible in view of the fact that Sweden, for example, has given £70,000 compared with our $3,000?
The intention is to give the same amount this year as last year. I could not depart from that decision at this time.