Michael Mullins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Tánaiste and I thank him for his comprehensive report. My apologies for having to leave because of a vote in the Seanad. We are all reading on a daily basis about the appalling situation in Syria that the civilian population, children in particular, as Senator Norris said, are going through. Most concerning is a report published yesterday by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights which stated that the Assad regime has authorised war crimes against humanity in Syria. Will the Tánaiste comment on that?

It is very obvious that the Assad regime is not responding to appeals by Valerie Amos to allow humanitarian access to towns under siege in the countryside around Damascus. Does the Minister feel that we and the EU are not taking a tough enough line on this? Does the Minister feel that the Western community is demonstrating too much respect for the Assad regime as a result of which the civilian population feels abandoned by the West? Is the question on sanctions against Syria likely to be on the agenda of the December Council meeting? What do our Government and the EU think about sanctions?

Given the delay in implementing the decision on the Sejdić-Finci case is it time for the EU to review its position on, and approach to, Bosnia?