Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour) | Oireachtas source

First, I thank Senator Walsh for his kind remarks.

Let me start with the contribution of the Russian foreign Minister, Mr. Lavrov, and US Secretary of State, Mr. Kerry. I have had the privilege of discussing the issue of Syria with both, more recently with Mr. Kerry at the Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Vilnius, and I am not in any doubt about their personal commitment to seeking a peaceful political solution to the conflict in Syria.

The issue facing the international community over the past couple of weeks was that a war crime had been committed, in that chemical weapons, banned since 1925, were used. The United Nations, for reasons that we all know, is not in a position to respond. Does that mean that there cannot be a response, that there should not be a response, that chemical weapons can be used with impunity and that regimes can commit atrocities without consequence? We are in the fortunate position today - I commend both Mr. Kerry and Mr. Lavrov on the work they have done together in bringing about a solution - that a way of dealing with this has now been agreed, because the first priority was, I suppose, to ensure that chemical weapons were not going to be used again. There was a very real worry, in the aftermath of what happened on 21 August, that this might be the start of repeated use of chemical weapons, with all of the consequences that would flow from it. We have at least seen progress on that. The hopeful aspect is that their work lays a foundation for further work to be done.

I am glad Senator Walsh raised the issue of Christians because I want to make an observation on it. The Middle East is home to some of the world's most ancient Christian denominations, although of course there has been a very significant reduction in their numbers in the region over recent years. The political turmoil that has overwhelmed many countries in the Middle East in recent years has led to increased international concerns about the safety of Christians, first in Iraq and Egypt and now, most pressingly, in Syria. The descent of Syria into violence and disarray has left small Christian communities very exposed and sometimes subject to direct attack. Ireland raises the issue of the safety of Christians through its official bilateral contacts with the countries in question and stressing the responsibility of the Government to protect minorities. I have raised the issue of the protection of Christians in the Middle East at discussions at the Foreign Affairs Council and supported stronger EU statements on the issue - for instance, the Council conclusions on Egypt which were issued on 21 August last. Officials from my Department have met frequently local Christian leaders from the Middle East region and discussed the issues that are affecting their communities. It should be noted that many of these groups requested that any efforts made on their behalf be carried out discreetly, as any special attention from Western countries might only increase their difficulties. I assure Senator Walsh and the committee that we have been very active on the issue of the protection of Christians. I welcome the statement that was made by Pope Francis and the call that he has made. He has been forthright and consistent in his calls for peace.

I have spoken already about the impact on the neighbouring countries of Jordan and Lebanon and the potential for destabilisation because of the number of refugees involved. I am quite happy to go into greater detail on it, but it is an issue about which we are very concerned.