Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 June 2018
160. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the steps he is taking to ensure that sanctions against Syria are fully enforced and not bypassed by the Assad regime; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24353/18]
View answerThe brutal repression of dissent by the Assad regime has led to a conflict that over the past seven years has cost the lives of over 400,000 people, has left over 13 million people in need of humanitarian assistance and has caused the largest displacement of people since World War Two. The Assad regime and its allies have repeatedly targeted civilians, including through use of “starve or surrender” techniques, forced displacement in the interest of demographic engineering, denial of humanitarian assistance and deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure such as schools, markets and hospitals, including chemical attacks.
Ireland supports EU restrictive measures (sanctions) targeting the Assad regime and its supporters, and will continue to do so as long as repression continues. The sanctions currently in place include notably an oil embargo, restrictions on certain investments, a freeze of the assets of the Syrian central bank within the EU, export restrictions on equipment and technology that might be used for internal repression as well as on equipment and technology for monitoring or interception of internet or telephone communications. In addition, over 250 persons and almost 70 entities are targeted by a travel ban and an asset freeze over the violent repression against the civilian population in Syria. Most recently, in March, the Council added an additional 4 persons to the list of those targeted by EU restrictive measures against the Syrian regime for their role in the development and use of chemical weapons against the civilian population. On 28 May 2018, the Council extended EU restrictive measures against the Syrian regime until 1 June 2019. Given the ongoing repression of the civilian population, the EU decided to maintain its restrictive measures against the Syrian regime and its supporters, in line with the EU strategy on Syria.
EU Regulations have what is termed "direct effect" in Irish law, meaning that they apply and must be complied with in the same way as Irish legislation. In Ireland, penalties for breaches of sanctions are provided for by Statutory Instrument (SIs). A comprehensive list of SIs may be found in the Irish Statute Book. Within the EU each Member State is required to designate Competent Authorities that are engaged with sanctions issues including ensuring that sanctions measures are implemented. In Ireland's case, there are three such Competent Authorities: the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation, and the Central Bank of Ireland.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade represents Ireland internationally on sanctions-related matters, including communicating with the EU, the UN and other states in respect of international restrictive measures. The Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation is the Competent Authority for implementation of trade-related sanctions and the Central Bank of Ireland is the Competent Authority for the implementation of financial sanctions as they relate to financial institutions. Given the multi-sectoral nature of sanctions measures however a wide range of Government stakeholders are engaged on sanctions related issues.
Ireland will continue to support all efforts to ensure a lasting peace and full accountability for war crimes in Syria, in the context of bringing peace and stability to the region.
