I propose to answer Questions Nos. 16 and 62 together.
The Government shares the wide-held sense of outrage and disgust at the ongoing and appalling revelations of evidence of mass executions in Bosnia and Hercegovina, particularly the information which is continuing to come to light of suspected mass grave sites and eye-witness accounts of atrocities committed by the Bosnian Serbs during the conflict in the region. It is a distressing fact that we face the prospect of further such revelations, as investigations develop, and as more and more areas of the territory of Bosnia and Hercegovina become accessible to international organisations following the Peace Agreement and cessation of hostilities. I understand investigators of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia will soon begin a thorough investigation of the suspected mass grave sites and that the international Implementation Force will provide appropriate assistance.
The international community must intensify its efforts to bring to justice those guilty of war crimes. The Government considers that these efforts must be vigorously pursued by the International Criminal Tribunal. The Government, for its part, will assist the work of the tribunal in every way possible. Ireland has firmly supported the tribunal since it was established in 1993, and was one of a small number of countries which provided voluntary contributions towards the tribunal's funding during its setting-up stage. The financing of the tribunal has now been regularised. Ireland has paid in full its assessed contribution to date and will continue to do so.
Ireland has also assisted the work of the tribunal in other ways. Members of the Permanent Defence Force who have served in former Yugoslavia have, at the request of tribunal investigators, briefed them on their knowledge of events there. The Defence Forces have also provided technical advice and have staged weapons demonstrations for the tribunal's investigation teams. The Government will give positive consideration to further such requests for assistance from the tribunal.
European Union bodies, including most notably the European Community Monitor Mission which has been deployed throughout the region since 1991 and to which Ireland is providing personnel, is also giving invaluable assistance to the tribunal's investigators and will continue to do so.
The European Union has consistently made clear to the former belligerent parties its deep concerns about the atrocities which were carried out during the conflict. The Presidency, the Troika and the Fifteen have, on numerous occasions, demanded that the parties, particularly the Bosnian Serbs and the authorities in Belgrade, honour their commitments under international law, and specifically their obligations under the Dayton Agreement, co-operate fully with the International Criminal Tribunal; to comply with orders to produce information on atrocities; to hand over those indicted or wanted for questioning by the tribunal; and to disclose to the International Committee of the Red Cross all evidence on the thousands of persons who remain unaccounted for. I will continue to support and contribute to these efforts as a member of the EU Council of Foreign Ministers and as a current member of the Troika.
The Dayton Agreement commits all of the parties to full co-operation with the effort to investigate war crimes and to bring those responsible to justice. During the visit to Dublin of Croatia's Deputy Prime Minister Granic on 30 January, I made clear to him this Government's concerns and strongly urged the Croatian Government's co-operation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. I will avail of every possible opportunity to raise on a bilateral basis the question of indicted war crimes suspects with the Governments in the region.
