I propose to take Questions Nos. 68, 96 and 99 together.
On his recent trip to Saudi Arabia, the President of the United States signed a significant arms deal with the Kingdom. Saudi Arabia, like a number of other states in the region, is a party to the conflict in Yemen. The war has now entered its third year, at a considerable cost to the civilian population.
I have consistently, and repeatedly, made known to this House my view that there can be no military solution to the conflict in Yemen. I am aware of comments made during the US visit to Saudi Arabia, that more military pressure is needed to get the Houthis to enter into peace negotiations. My clear view, however, is that what is most needed in Yemen is for those with influence in the region to put pressure on the parties to the conflict to make the concessions required for a peace agreement.
A solution to the conflict in Yemen would not only bring relief to the Yemeni population, but would also have positive, stabilising effects in the wider Gulf region. It would also mean that the Yemeni Government and its neighbours could focus on fighting the terrorist groups that have strengthened their presence in Yemen since the war began.
The longer the war continues, the longer the suffering of the civilian population. The conflict has had a terrible impact on what was already the poorest country in the Gulf. The current cholera outbreak is one example of the knock-on consequences that the fighting is having on civilians. This epidemic is impacting children in particular, reflecting the fact that conflict often has the most devastating effect on the most vulnerable groups in society.
My officials engage regularly with their US counterparts on a variety of Arms Control, Disarmament and non-Proliferation matters. With regard to arms transfers to Saudi Arabia, and to the problems posed by arms transfers to conflict regions generally, our efforts are concentrated on universalisation and implementation of the Arms Trade Treaty, which we strongly support. The US has signed the Treaty, but not yet ratified it. Ireland regularly encourages all States who have not yet acceded to the Treaty as full members to do so. We also participate actively in EU demarches to non-members to this effect, and will continue to do so.
Finally, regarding Syria and Iraq, the US has undertaken a number of operations in Syria and Iraq since the establishment of the Global Coalition to counter ISIS in 2014. Ireland does not oppose the legally sanctioned participation of countries in operations mandated under UN Security Resolution 2249. These operations are aimed at the liberation of Syrian and Iraqi populations under the control of Daesh, or ISIS, a terrorist group which a UN body has charged with the crime of genocide against the Yazidi population.