Foreign Conflicts

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 2 October 2013

Wednesday, 2 October 2013

Ceisteanna (1)

Brendan Smith

Ceist:

1. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the engagement he has had at European Union level and at United Nations level in relation to the urgent need to bring an end to the ongoing conflict and loss of life in Syria; the efforts being made to ensure that the international community meets its obligations to provide adequate humanitarian assistance to Syria and adjoining areas in view of the very serious problems that have arisen due to the displacement of 6.5 million persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41479/13]

Freagraí ó Béal (5 píosaí cainte)

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade

The crisis in Syria dominated discussions at the UN General Assembly last week, which I attended, and formed one of the principal themes in my address to the General Assembly on 28 September. I have consistently argued that the United Nations and the Security Council must be central to efforts to resolve this crisis and ensure international law and basic human rights are upheld. Despite the long delay in reaching this stage, I welcome the decisive action the Security Council has now taken on Syria. Full implementation of Resolution 2118, providing for the complete elimination of Syria’s chemical weapons and full compliance by Syria with its obligations, is now imperative. Ireland has pledged €200,000 in funding to support the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, assisted by the United Nations, in implementing these arrangements.

The Security Council has also called for the early convening of the Geneva II peace conference, I hope by mid-November. Syria’s conflict can only be resolved politically, not militarily. Peace can only come through all Syrians engaging in a genuine, representative and inclusive process to agree a new political dispensation in their country. I also welcome the Security Council’s clear call for accountability for what has occurred in Syria. I have long called for these crimes to be referred to the International Criminal Court which is in place precisely for this purpose.

Ireland is playing its part in the international effort to meet the massive needs both inside Syria and in the wider region, having contributed almost €11 million to fund relief efforts to date. On a per capita basis, we are one of the most generous contributors in the world in dealing with the Syrian humanitarian crisis. Ireland has also been consistent in its efforts at EU and international level to highlight the grave humanitarian dimensions of the crisis and the need for the international community to meet its obligations in providing life-saving assistance for Syria and neighbouring countries. The Minister of State, Deputy Joe Costello, will travel to the region in early October to assess the current situation on the ground.

Deputy Brendan Smith

I thank the Tánaiste for his reply. It is welcome, as he has stated, rightly, that the Syrian crisis was the main topic of discussion at the UN Security Council last week. Once again, however, the Council has been, as it is has been for so long, ineffective in dealing with this issue. As the Tánaiste said, the European Union is playing its part in providing humanitarian aid. After two and a half years of bloody conflict in Syria, more than 100,000 people are dead and 6.5 million are displaced, with over 2 million, or 10% of the Syrian population, now refugees in adjoining countries. All of these figures for different aspects of the crisis paint very clearly for us what a humanitarian disaster it is. In the first six months of this civil war, 2,600 people were killed; in the past six months that figure has risen to 30,000. The intensification of murders and the loss of life is frightening. Will the Tánaiste indicate whether the European Union is co-ordinating a response in assisting refugees from Syria and the wider area?

Deputy Eamon Gilmore

I agree with the Deputy that the scale of the crisis is enormous. Over 100,000 people have been killed and several million driven out of their homes, many of them into refugee camps in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan, in particular. That, in turn, is placing great strain on these countries and their resources. The European Union's response, in which Ireland participates, is, in the first instance, on the humanitarian side. It has contributed €1.8 billion to date in humanitarian assistance, which is by far the biggest contribution in the world in dealing with the humanitarian crisis in Syria. It also played a very constructive role in bringing about a situation where the United States and Russia engaged and agreed a formula for dealing with the chemical weapons issue. As the Deputy knows, that formula has now been enshrined in the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and also by way of a Security Council resolution which is being implemented. It was late in coming but welcome nevertheless.

Deputy Brendan Smith

The most recent figure I saw from the United States indicates that every 15 seconds a Syrian person flees the country, which is frightening. Does the Tánaiste yet know the countries which have agreed to participate in the Geneva II talks to be held in November? Does he foresee a situation where the perpetrators of the chemical weapons attack in Syria will be brought before the International Criminal Court to be tried for their outrageous behaviour and the mass murder of innocent people?

Deputy Eamon Gilmore

First, the agreement which was reached between the United States and Russia on Syrian chemical weapons represents a significant breakthrough by both countries in their positions on Syria. It also represents an opportunity to revive the Geneva II peace talks. The Security Council, in Resolution 2118, has called for the early convening of an international conference and the Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, has said he will try to convene such a conference by mid-November. This is something I discussed directly with him last Saturday. Clearly, the issue of who will participate is still very much in flow and there is still some discussion about it.

On the International Criminal Court, the position of Ireland, in which we are joined by a number of countries, has consistently been that those responsible for the atrocities in Syria must be held accountable and brought before the court.