Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour) | Oireachtas source

A strong position has been taken by the European Union in particular from the beginning of the conflict in March 2011 when protests about security force abuses started which resulted in the adoption of sanctions. The Security Council has also made repeated efforts to agree strong resolutions and a robust response to what is happening in Syria. Unfortunately, it was not possible to reach agreement. As I have mentioned, various attempts have been made, particularly through the Friends of Syria, to mobilise international opinion and countries to help the situation. Again, unfortunately that has not succeeded. We have seen the biggest call for humanitarian assistance leading to the biggest mobilisation of humanitarian effort in modern times.

On the process, the executive committee of the Organisation for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons, of which we are a member, is meeting on Friday. The matter will then go to the Security Council with a view to agreeing a resolution on implementation and what happens if it is not implemented and so on. We must see how that will be dealt with at the Security Council. Clearly the OBCW has a big responsibility and it will require addition resourcing. We have in mind a financial contribution and my officials in the Department and I are looking at what contribution we can make.

Our total aid contribution to date for the Syrian crisis is about €11 million. The Minister of State at the Department of Trade and Development, Deputy Costello announced €1 million of funding about ten days ago. Against the scale of the crisis that is a small amount but on a per capita basis it is at the higher end of the international community. We keep under review what additional contribution we can make.

The aid contribution is being channelled through the NGOs. The total contribution to date is €10.8 million of which €8.15 million has been provided in this year alone which probably reflects the growing scale of the crisis. The breakdown is €650,000 through GOAL; €500,000 each through Oxfam, Concern Worldwide and the International Federation of Red Cross; €1.4 million through the International Committee of the Red Cross; almost €3 million through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UNCHR; just under €1 million through the World Food Programme; €100,000 through the International Rescue Committee; €300,000 through the World Health Organisation; €700,000 through the United National Relief and Rehabilitation Administration, UNRRA; €1 million through UNICEF; and €500,000 thorough the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, OCHA. We have also contributed €750,000 towards non-food items from our emergency relief stocks which are held in Dubai and which were delivered through our rapid response unit. That is broadly the Irish aid effort. We work in close collaboration with the NGOs.