Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Last week, Dr. Gavin Barrett came before the committee to advise us on the opt-out by Britain from a range of justice measures. Will the Minister outline the perspective of the Government on this matter? Does it harbour any concerns about the knock-on effects of what is proposed? Is it engaging with the British authorities on the matter? Dr. Barrett provided a comprehensive overview. The committee has a number of concerns in respect of this matter.

The second issue I wish to raise relates to Syrian refugees. Lebanon has a population of approximately 4 million and some 500,000 Palestinian refugees have already taken shelter there. Those refugees have no ability to work; they have been stuck in limbo for decades and find themselves in an extremely difficult situation. There is then the very delicate balance of religions which is reflected in the structure of the Government of Lebanon. When one considers the influx of new refugees from Syria, one can see that Lebanon is literally a powder keg. The feedback I have received indicates that the Lebanese Government is concerned about the level of international resources being allocated. I have quite an amount of knowledge of the situation in Beirut and I am aware that Palestinian refugees there have been sheltering their counterparts from Syria. Some families are living in single room accommodation with no sanitation or water supply and they are being obliged to pay huge amounts of rent. Whatever savings these people have are being spent in no time. Their plight is desperate and it has brought what was already a very delicate political situation in Lebanon to the point of exploding. If that happens, it will be disastrous for everyone.

There is also a delicate religious balance in Jordan. NGOs operating in the area have indicated that they are not at all satisfied with the international response and that they are not receiving the support they require in the context of the resources required to allow them to assist the refugees. Has the Minister received feedback from NGOs regarding the desperate nature of the situation? Is he of the view that there is an urgency within the EU in respect of this matter? I understand that Lebanon has already taken in approximately half of its own population in refugees, which is incredible. What can be done about this matter?