Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Joe Costello, and his officials to the meeting. We are all aware of the horror story in Syria and the ongoing issues in the region, which we see daily on our televisions. The Minister of State has only recently returned from a visit to the Middle East and his attendance today is particularly timely. We have had several meetings on this issue in recent times. I call on the Minister of State to give his presentation and we will then have a question and answer session.