Topical Issue Debate

Schools Building Projects Status

Deputy Niall Collins

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for selecting this matter which is important to my constituency. I am glad the Minister is here to take the issue. The Minister will no doubt be aware of the shock, disappointment and anger expressed by pupils, staff, parents and the entire community in Croom in Limerick following the news that Sammon contracting group, which it has been reported submitted the lowest tender for the construction of the long-awaited new secondary school building, has been place into examinership. The decision of the High Court to appoint an examiner has thrown the process into a state of flux.

The Minister will be aware that the process of building a new secondary school in Croom has been dogged by many disappointments, much controversy and a huge amount of delay. It has been going on since the early 2000s. We have had issues with site suitability, the size of the school and with planning permission which had to be obtained on at least three occasions having been allowed to lapse. It had to go to An Bord Pleanála. We have also had issues with the access road.

There was finally some light beginning to appear at the end of the tunnel and there was a little bit of hope it might pass through the tender stage and a contractor would be appointed. I inquired about the status from the local education and training board, the Limerick and Clare ETB, which is the patron, and we were promised construction would commence well before now. We are where we are.

It would be worthwhile for the Minister to take the opportunity, if it ever presents itself, to visit the facility which operates as a secondary school. My colleague, Deputy Neville, who is present in the Chamber, knows all too well that it is substandard, which is to put it mildly. The pupils and staff have to operate in prefabricated buildings, many of which are years old and so substandard it beggars belief that they would meet any safety standards or pass any inspection.

My purpose in raising this matter is to keep the pressure on the Minister and the Department to bring a positive note to the mood surrounding it because the community in Croom and the community the school serves are very worried. Some feel it will never go ahead. The Minister needs to knock that on the head and make clear that he is determined to see this project through and ensure that the new school building, which was promised 16 or 17 years ago, will be delivered.

In time the Department of Education and Skills will see this as a case study in how not to build a new school. Can the Minister give us the update on the tender process today? Has the Sammon Group formally withdrawn from the tender process, which is the stated desire of everybody involved, including the education and training board, ETB? Can he update us on any discussions he or the Department has had with the Sammon Group or the building unit? What will be the timeline for delivery of the new school building?

Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Richard Bruton)

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter which I know is of concern to many Deputies. He is right that there has been a difficult development process for this project. The original decision was devolved to the ETB to run the project. A service level agreement was put in place. A planning application was submitted and granted in April 2014 but that was appealed to An Bord Pleanála by a third party and the board overturned the grant of planning permission. I do not know the background to that but planning difficulties are not unknown in project development.

Following further consultation a new application was lodged and planning permission was received in January 2017. Limerick County Council approached the ETB to ask it to consider an alternative access route to the school site. As part of the planning permission granted, access to the school site was to be achieved by upgrading an existing road. The alternative route proposed by the local authority involved the development of a new road off a distributor road, which would open up contiguous lands for development. As the Department had no difficulty in principle with the local authority's proposal it mandated the ETB to make a capped offer of a capital contribution to the cost of the new road, equivalent to what it would cost to upgrade the existing road in accordance with the planning permission granted. Following some period of consideration of the offer by the local authority and correspondence between it and the ETB, the Department's offer was accepted. To facilitate access to the school from the proposed new road the design team had to make some adjustments to the layout of the new school site to place the entrance at a different point in the site.

The ETB and its design team submitted a stage 2B submission for the project incorporating the requisite design changes to the Department towards the end of last year. A stage 2B submission provides a detailed cost plan for the project prior to going to tender. The Department approved this and the project went to tender. When the tender process was completed the ETB filed a tender report with the Department as required and this is being evaluated. Once this evaluation has been completed the project will be allowed to proceed to the award of a contract and construction. I expect that it should happen within the coming weeks. The contract duration will be 17 months.

The tender process is confidential and I am not at liberty, nor is the ETB, to talk about those who have succeeded or not in their tender application. The Department appreciates that the school is anxious to see the project getting to site as soon as possible, particularly after the difficult passage through the planning stages. The construction stage is fast approaching and I look forward to the Department's being able to give the go-ahead for that shortly.

Deputy Niall Collins

The Minister mentioned the access road, which we are well aware of, but that is no longer an issue. The problem now is that it has been reported quite widely that the company which is lowest in the tender process and was about to be given the contract has been placed in examinership. It is being said that the next step will be to ask that company to remove itself from the process to allow the Department and the ETB to engage with whoever is next in line in the tender process. This is the crux of the matter. We have to get over this hurdle as quickly as possible.

The media reports on the appointment of a contractor to the Sammon Group stated that other parties offered support to the Sammon Group as part of the examinership proposal to the High Court. Suffice to say that is going on at one level while at ground level we have to deal with the reality that pupils have to try to learn, and teachers and managers have to try to operate, in exceptionally sub-standard conditions. Will the Minister state that he realises how long this has dragged on and commit to prioritising it within the Department's building unit in Tullamore? It has dragged on for too long on many levels. On behalf of the community and the parents' association of Coláiste Chiaráin I invite the Minister to visit the school when he is next in the area. It will make a lasting impression on him to see the conditions the pupils and staff have to work in.

Deputy Richard Bruton

I understand what the Deputy is saying and I have indicated in my reply that this is regarded as a priority project. We recognise the difficulties, such as the planning appeal, the lay out of the road and so on. Equally, the Deputy will understand that I cannot compromise a tender process. This is a commercially confidential process and there are very strict procedures for the award of public contracts, how those who are successful and those who are not should be notified as the process goes forward, and bidders can challenge a tender outcome before a contract is signed. I have to be aware of that. In the event that any company in an examinership is a bidder in this project that would be taken into account under the legal procedures that apply. The matter of who is involved, who is successful and what procedures will occur is commercially confidential and I have to respect that confidentiality. The Deputy would appreciate the concern that some disruption to the tender process would be the cause of further delay. He would be the first to point the finger at the failure to respect the terms of a tender. I regret that is all I can say to the Deputy at this point but I understand that it is a priority for the school community, and I understand the frustration it has suffered.

An Ceann Comhairle

In the absence of a Minister to take the second matter, the plan for the future of Abbeyleix hospital, we will suspend for five minutes.

Sitting suspended at 5.40 p.m. and resumed at 5.45 p.m.

Hospital Services

Deputy Brian Stanley

I welcome the opportunity to address this matter directly with the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Finian McGrath.

The paralysis in Abbeyleix hospital is very serious. In 2011 there was a plan to close the hospital. A court case involving two of its elderly residents and a mass campaign locally were instrumental in stopping the closure, or putting the brakes on it. The hospital has changed from being mainly a long-stay hospital to a respite care hospital used as a step-down facility for patients from acute units such as that in Portlaoise. That is no bad thing; it is actually good. However, the hospital badly needs investment. It badly needs to be extended and renovated. Nothing has been done to it in the almost seven years since the closure was stopped. Not a shovel of concrete has been mixed and not a piece of timber has been cut. There is a large site, of which the existing building occupies only a small part. The hospital is centrally located in the town of Abbeyleix which is close to the centre of County Laois and in an ideal position to be utilised. As it is on HSE-owned land, there is no requirement to buy or lease land. There is very little development to be undertaken because the area is very well serviced with infrastructure. The land is ideal for the putting in place of a new or extended facility.

Population growth in Laois is faster than in any other county.

Percentage wise, it is even faster than in County Kildare which is close to the commuter belt. The population of County Laois is mushrooming, according to the latest census, and we must cater for this. In addition, we are all living longer; therefore, the number of elderly people in the county is increasing. There is a huge need for nursing home places. Private nursing homes will take low dependency patients but high dependency patients cannot be catered for in many of them. That is where the Abbeyleix unit comes in. It has always been available with an excellent staff to cater for high dependency patients whose care is costly and who need many supports and services. With the nursing home services, it also provides excellent day care services.

I have a pain in my head listening to all of the talk about primary care provision in the past 15 years. Abbeyleix hospital provides an opportunity to expand the primary care services in the town by adding chiropody, physiotherapy and GP services and so on, in which there is huge interest in the area. Seven years on, there is no plan. I met HSE officials, accompanied by representatives of the friends of the hospital committee, twice after Christmas, but there was no plan, design or cash because the upgrade had not been included in the capital plan. Promises have been made, but they have been recurring in the past seven years. The Minister of State will understand that even people like me who are optimistic by nature have become sceptical. We need to move the process on because it cannot be allowed to drag on at a snail's pace. The current capacity of the unit is 20 beds, but that needs to be increased. I am anxious to hear the Minister of State's response.

Minister of State at the Department of Health (Deputy Finian McGrath)

I apologise for the delay.

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue which relates to Abbeyleix hospital. The overarching policy of the Government is to support older people to live in dignity and independence in their own homes and communities for as long as possible. That is what older people clearly want and only those in genuine need of residential care should go down that route. The HSE is responsible for the delivery of health and personal social services, including those in facilities such as Abbeyleix hospital.

Abbeyleix community nursing unit is registered with HIQA to provide care for 20 residents. It comprises 17 short-stay and three long-stay beds. All bedrooms are on the ground floor. In addition, a day service is provided for between 20 and 22 people from Monday to Thursday. The HSE is committed to the long-term future of the Abbeyleix facility which will continue to operate as a community hospital for the area. In that context, a meeting took place in January this year between the HSE and the friends of Abbeyleix hospital committee. At the meeting it was agreed that plans for the future development of services at Abbeyleix would be progressed in conjunction with local community interests. The HSE gave a commitment to the establishment of a project group in quarter 1 of 2018, representative of all stakeholders, to plan for future services at Abbeyleix community nursing unit. The project group has been established and its first meeting is scheduled to take place on 4 May. The HSE will also continue to meet the friends of Abbeyleix hospital committee. While the community nursing unit is not accepting long-stay residents, it is providing respite care services in County Laois and the extended area, in addition to day care, rehabilitation and meals on wheels services.

The HSE's plan for the long-term future of Abbeyleix community nursing unit is to develop a sustainable model of service which will see the unit operate as a community hospital, providing short-stay beds for step-up and step-down from Portlaoise acute hospital, as well as respite and transitional care beds for the area. Short-term beds contribute to the provision of an integrated model of care for older people, enabling them to return home following a period of hospital care, thus avoiding admission to acute hospital, or postponing admission to long-stay nursing home care. Both the HSE and I recognise that Abbeyleix community nursing unit is vital for the provision of community-based services that help people to stay in their homes and communities and that assist those who require admission to be discharged as early as possible from acute care back to their home environment.

Deputy Brian Stanley

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. It is welcome that the project group has been established because we were told at the meeting I attended earlier this year that it would happen in quarter 1. This was reiterated in replies to parliamentary questions I had tabled. It is also welcome that the first meeting of the group will be held on 4 May. Which interests are represented on it? Are there people with technical expertise in the Department on it?

The community nursing unit is registered with HIQA and has a capacity of 20 patients. It had higher capacity in years gone by, but standards have changed and a huge upgrade is needed. However, there is also a need for additional places because people from the town and surrounding areas are in nursing homes in County Tipperary. The Minister of State referred to step-up and step-down facilities for those receiving acute treatment and the need for respite care. The respite care service provided by the unit is very much valued by the local community and much sought after. I receive many representations on it. Why can it not have more long-stay beds?

There is also the issue of ensuring the unit has enough staff to keep it operational. When something is being run on a 24/7 basis, a critical mass of patients is needed to maximise use of the staff and facilities. A total of 20 residents will not result in that happening. I, therefore, urge the Minister of State to think big and aim to have a capacity of 45 or 50 beds.

The friends of the hospital committee has raised a lot of money. It should not have had to do this, but it did anyway during the years and it is still active in that regard.

When is it anticipated that the project group will produce a plan? When will the plan be put out to tender? When will it get into the all-important capital programme to make sure there will be euro and cent in place? We need a plan, a timeline and funding. That is what the people of County Laois want to hear about because this has been an issue for a long time. It is welcome that we prevented the closure of the unit. I also welcome the Government's commitment to it, but we want the project group to bring forward its plan with a timeline and funding in place.

Deputy Finian McGrath

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. I accept that public residential care units such as that in Abbeyleix hospital are an essential part of healthcare infrastructure. Demand for services is increasing as the population ages. The Deputy raised questions about technical expertise in the Department, the capacity of the unit and a target of 45 residents and more localised care services in the context of people receiving care in County Tipperary. He also mentioned the plan and a tender and timelines for them. I give a commitment that I will go back to the Minister and revert to the Deputy with the answers to these questions.

There is a need to develop hospital avoidance and early discharge facilities, particularly for the increasing elderly population. That is why the HSE is focused on developing a range of community services to best serve the people of Abbeyleix and surrounding areas. Such services can play a significant role in supporting older adults who are discharged from hospital with ongoing, non-acute care needs and preventing admission to hospital. I will get back to the Deputy when I contact the Minister about the issues he raised.

Deputy Brian Stanley

I thank the Minister of State.

Syrian Conflict

Deputy Clare Daly

I hope the Tánaiste will join me in condemning outright the illegal and immoral air strikes conducted by the United States, the United Kingdom and France against Syria last weekend. I do not know who these people think they are that they can appoint themselves as judge, jury and executioner.

They demand that international law is upheld by others but seem to have no problem with ignoring it themselves. The auspices given that this was to enforce the prohibition of the use of chemical weapons is a joke when we know that the system to deal with this was outlined in the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention. International investigators were en route to Syria, due to land there within hours when these so-called world powers decided to strike without any lawful basis. Can the Minister imagine what would have happened in a similar situation? We all know that the US, UK and Israel have used, for example, depleted uranium and white phosphorous. What would have happened if the Russians or Chinese decided to bomb Maryland or Porton Down in the UK without a proper, independent investigation? It is ludicrous. These are the same powers that lied about Iraq and Libya. These are very dangerous times.

We, as an independent country, should firmly stand up and argue for diplomatic solutions and an end to war, not its continuation. We do not know whether chemical weapons were used at all. If they were, it is abhorrent. Unlike others, we condemn the use of all weaponry, not just chemical weaponry. We do not know if they were used and if they were used, we do not know by whom. The people who were charged with carrying out the investigation have not got there yet. The Minister may have read today's article in the British Independent by Robert Fisk, hardly a radical, who was in Douma yesterday. He spoke to some of the doctors who were present who put forward the idea that what happened there was not a gas attack at all but hypoxia caused by bombing that was taking place, dust clouds, wind, and people being withheld from oxygen underground, causing the symptoms that were displayed. The Minister can read the article. It is incredibly illustrative. Robert Fisk is hardly a radical and is on the ground in Douma, talking to people today and yesterday, including survivors of that incident. We have to be very careful in this situation and we should be taking a lead on it. It is somewhat ironic when one considers that ISIS has used chemical weapons provided by Saudi Arabia on multiple locations in Iraq and Syria and that no action was taken. These powers could not care less that the Saudi dictator who supplied the weaponry in Yemen is slaughtering innocent women and children. No action has been taken there relating to gas or the killing of civilians. We cannot choose our battles. We have to stand up for the upholding of international law for everybody and we should make a stand on this.

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett

We have been the first to say, and have said most loudly, and there is no doubt that the Assad regime is a brutal, callous, murderous, authoritarian regime supported by a very cynical Russia. I have no doubt about the brutalities it has committed and is capable of committing. The idea that US, UK and French missiles and a massive dose of hypocrisy and double standards from those powers will assist in the humanitarian disaster in Syria is stomach-churning. For Government representatives to talk about the attacks being understandable is shocking. Let me refer to the double standards we are talking about. In 2009, Israel rained down chemical weapons, white phosphorous, in the full view of day, on the UN school in Gaza and on densely populated areas. A report was done by Human Rights Watch afterwards called Rain of Fire: Israel's Unlawful Use of White Phosphorus in Gaza. This was well-documented and proven. The shells were found all around the place. They were chemical weapons. Guess where they were produced? Louisiana in the United States. Were there sanctions? No. Were there expulsions of diplomats? No. Were there threats of military action by these politicians who told us, in the context of bombing Syria, that they could not sleep with the thought of the use of chemical weapons? They were able to sleep very soundly when Israel rained down chemical weapons on the people of Gaza. Incredibly, the Israelis said at the weekend that it was absolutely right to take military action to uphold international law but in the last few weeks, 36 unarmed Palestinians were killed who were marching to assert their rights under international laws to return to their homes as confirmed by UN resolutions. Sanctions? No. Military action? No. Expulsions? No.

This sort of rank hypocrisy is corrosive of politics and is responsible for the mess in the Middle East. There is cynical interference of big powers, whether Russia, Donald Trump, Theresa May or Emmanuel Macron, trying to shore up their collapsing popularity by diverting people's attention with a war abroad and furthering the interests of imperial powers in that region, to gain influence on the back of the suffering of the Syrian people. We have to speak out against this sickening hypocrisy and have nothing to do with this murderous assault by Trump and his gang of allies.

Deputy Paul Murphy

Over 100 missiles rained down on Syria from the US, France and Britain. Our Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade says he can understand why the airstrikes were launched. Instead of understanding the actions of Donald Trump, Theresa May and Emmanuel Macron, does the Minister not think we should have had condemnation of this military action which ratchets up tension across the world and brings us closer to a new world war? We know that neutrality has never been a reality in this State but it has rarely been so blatantly flouted repeatedly by our Government. It is only weeks since we had the expulsion of diplomats on the say-so of unpublished British intelligence. It is only months since the Government signed Ireland up for the European military alliance, permanent structured co-operation, PESCO, and now it is giving implicit support to western imperialist intervention in the Middle East. Does the Government not agree that the use of Shannon Airport and the support that represents for US military action abroad has to be ended by the US military? Can the Minister even give a commitment that Shannon will not be used for the US military either going to or coming from Syria? We know what the pretext of the attack was: an abhorrent chemical attack in eastern Ghouta which has been blamed on Assad. Is Assad capable of such an act? Absolutely. That corrupt regime has defended itself through rivers of innocent people's blood repeatedly.

No evidence has been presented. We are expected just to accept what has been put forward. The question that has to be asked is why it would launch a chemical attack now, giving a reason for western imperialism to intervene. Everybody should remember that it is just over 15 years since the dodgy dossier about weapons of mass destruction was used to justify going to war in Iraq. The disaster is there, right across the region, for everybody to see and yet we are expected to believe them again. The use of it as a pretext for another imperialist intervention, regardless of who is responsible, should be rejected. I echo the points about the utter hypocrisy of these people, including Trump, May and Macron, all of whom recently rolled out the red carpet for the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, the architect in chief of the carnage and deliberate starvation in Yemen, where a child dies every ten minutes. They all celebrated the re-election of el-Sisi in Egypt and they gave a free pass to Israeli snipers gunning down unarmed Palestinians in Gaza. Imperialist intervention is a disaster. It has been a disaster, including both Russian and western imperialism. Instead, we need to build an international anti-war movement like we did 15 years ago to say hands off Syria, to stop the escalation of tension worldwide, to have no more airstrikes and to demand the withdrawal of all foreign forces.

Deputy Mick Wallace

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for picking the subject. International law, under the UN Charter, makes clear two exceptions to the general prohibition of war. The first is the use of force by a state against another, the self-defence clause as defined by Article 51. The second permits certain military interventions when authorised by the UN Security Council under chapter 7 of the Charter. Until the US, France or the UK have been attacked or the UN Security Council acts, Article 51 in chapter 7 of the UN Charter makes the US, UK or French airstrikes in Syria illegal under international law. Will the Minister consider condemning the breach of international law in this situation?

The current situation in Syria is mad and very hard to fix. However, the line that has been spun by much of the media as to what has happened there is very disturbing. More than anyone else, the Saudis, with the help of the Israelis, have escalated the war out of all proportion. Two and a half years ago, it looked like a group of fundamentalist jihadists was going to take over Syria with the backing of the Saudis and US support. We must not forget that the United States has put over $1 billion into training the opposition to the Assad regime in Syria. The so-called acceptable opposition is made up of groups such as al-Nusra, al-Qaeda and Ahrar al-Sham. They are mad people. No one likes Russia or Iran bombing anyone but if a country were to invade Mexico, would the United States stand by and allow the forces of a hostile country to operate along its border? It is rational that Russia did not want a crowd of mad fundamentalist jihadists on its border, controlling Syria. It would be mad to have allowed that. It is unfortunate that that means war.

What is the United Nations doing about it? If the United States got Saudi Arabia to call off its dogs of war - the so-called rebels or opposition, who the Syrians call terrorists, being made up primarily of Saudi Arabian and Chechnyan nationals - the Russians and the Iranians would pull out. The primary aim of the EU should be to stop the bombing and the supply and infiltration of weapons into the region - the place is awash with weapons on both sides - and avoid any escalation of the conflict. The EU could play a positive role. It should change position and advocate for an end to all military activity in Syria.

The situation in Syria is appalling and the suffering of the Syrian people must be addressed in a far more comprehensive manner than has been done to date. As I stated, the EU will host a donor conference for Syria next week, as it did last year. The EU, including its member states, is the largest single donor to the effort to support the Syrian people. Since 2012, Ireland has contributed over €95 million, including €25 million in 2017 alone, to the humanitarian effort in response to the conflict in Syria and will again make a significant contribution next week. Our approach is UN-led but, as I stated yesterday, I understand why some countries decided to move ahead while the UN Security Council is paralysed to respond to human rights abuses such as this because of the inappropriate use of a veto. Those countries have published the legal justification for their actions and that justification will be tested, as it ought to be. Ireland has not supported military action in this case. We continue to focus on civilians and their protection and the use of multinational mechanisms, in particular through the UN and, to a certain extent, the EU, to try to find lasting solutions that focus on an absence of future military intervention.

Deputy Clare Daly

I appreciate that the Minister urged caution and made the point that further military action was unlikely to do any good and I welcome his comments in advance of the bombing in that regard. However, his points about the UN being paralysed do not add up. The rules are there for a reason. An inverted scenario would be the US and the UK using depleted uranium, for example, in the Middle East, the UN proposing action against them and Britain vetoing said action, followed by Russia bombing Portadown in the UK. Does the Tánaiste think that a bombing such as that would happen without him batting an eyelid and saying we cannot support it because the UN is paralysed?

It is utter nonsense. There is a legal process by which these attacks could be investigated but it was precisely in advance of that independent investigation laid out by law that those three countries struck. They are the ones, if one likes, who are belligerent in this matter and we should be doing a lot more to argue a neutral line.

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett

Saying the attacks were understandable in any shape or form is tacit support. Quite frankly, the Tánaiste is not applying uniform or consistent standards when it comes to the behaviour of the big powers who dominate and who are currently paralysing the UN Security Council. What is good for the goose is good for the gander. People like Macron, May or Trump, with Israel cheering them on, said we must uphold international law and the prohibition on chemical weapons. Despite this, although the Tánaiste and I know that those same powers have used chemical weapons, nobody said a bloody word when they did it in Gaza. There were no sanctions or expulsions and nobody said it would be understandable if Hamas lobbed a few rockets back in retaliation. I bet the Tánaiste would not say that. There are double standards and that is what is fuelling the conflict that is tearing the Middle East apart.

Deputy Paul Murphy

The Tánaiste is at pains to emphasise that Ireland has not supported military action, but that is mealy-mouthed in the sense that he has said he understands it. He made a clear, unreserved condemnation of the particularly callous attack on civilians using chemical weapons. I agree with the Tánaiste in that regard and I join him in making that unreserved condemnation, no matter who did it, but will he also make a condemnation of military strikes by the United States, Britain and France in Syria? He will not.

I also join the Tánaiste in rightly criticising Russia over its use of the veto on the UN Security Council, but will he criticise the United States for using its veto on the UN Security Council to veto condemnation of the gunning down of unarmed Palestinians by the Israeli defence forces in Gaza? I bet he will not, precisely because he has double standards and all of that points to implicit, tacit support for western imperialism. The Tánaiste is on that side as opposed to the other side, even though he might not have an army at his disposal.

Deputy Mick Wallace

I appreciate also that the Tánaiste said he urged caution. He said Ireland has not supported military action but he did not condemn it. The Tánaiste said he condemns the use of chemical weapons, but that is before he can get proof on whether they were used or who used them. He is just taking their word for it. It suits the agenda. It is nuts. How do we know what is going on? The White Helmets were one of the first groups to tell us about it. The White Helmets, the Syrian campaign and the Syrian American Medical Society, who control a lot of the flow of information coming out of Syria for media, are PR companies that are funded by the Americans and the Brits. That is the truth. One could not believe the time of day from them. I heard someone say last week that the media makes the war and the war makes the media. The media have played an incredibly poor role in all of this. God help us. Things are not going to get better. The Tánaiste has said the European Union is working for peace. It has to work a lot harder. The Government cannot say boo to the Americans or stand up to them.

Deputy Simon Coveney

My record is pretty strong in relation to disagreeing with the United States on certain issues in the United Nations. We voted for a motion that was very critical of the United States on the Jerusalem issue, despite being asked not to. My record is pretty clear in that regard.

I do not think some of the comparisons are relevant. As far as I am concerned, it is a warped idea that one would equate condemnation of the use of chemical weapons on women and children with the need to condemn airstrikes on buildings where notice was given to make sure that no civilians were killed or injured.

Deputy Paul Murphy

Does the Tánaiste condemn it at all?

Deputy Simon Coveney

What I have said-----

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett

What about the chemical weapons attacks in Gaza?

An Ceann Comhairle

The Deputies should please not interrupt.

Deputy Simon Coveney

What I have said is that I condemn any chemical attack on any population, military or civilian. We are trying to put chemical weapons out of use permanently. The reason for targeted strikes was to act as a very clear deterrent to make sure that we do not see repeated use of chemical weapons on civilian populations and targets in Syria, which is a country that has already been ripped apart by war, yet now we are seeing repeated use of chemical weapons there. In the absence of the UN Security Council being able to respond comprehensively, I said that response was understandable. I did not say I supported it, but I can understand the motivation behind it. That is all I said yesterday.

I listened to the French and British Prime Ministers outline in detail why they took part in that action. I responded by saying I felt the focus should not be on military strikes but should be on diplomatic and political solutions, which is what the European Union has been pushing for and supporting the UN on for some time. That is where Ireland can be relevant and focused. We have no role or capacity in terms of military strikes. After they had taken place, it would not have achieved anything for me to have been strongly critical. Instead, I want to focus on the positive agenda that the European Union and the United Nations are working together to try to achieve, which is the implementation of ceasefires that have been signed up to but are being ignored. We will continue to focus on trying to create positive outcomes that can bring about an absence of the kind of continuing military activity and misery we are seeing across Syria.

Dáil Éireann díospóireacht - Tuesday, 17 Apr 2018