Michael Mullins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister and thank him for a very comprehensive report on the many issues being dealt by him and his Department. I wish him much success in his new role as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade.

I wish to follow up on Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan's questions about the political legitimacy of President Assad and where Ireland stood on the issue. Does the Minister agree that President Assad's impunity has undermined the fight against the Islamic State?

Figures show that there are 3 million Syrian refugees. The whole of Europe has only taken 1% of them to date even though we know that Syrian families are fleeing ISIS in their thousands. In three days Turkey took in more refugees than Europe has taken in three years. Lebanon has taken in 1.6 million refugees thus increasing its population by 36% but the UK has only taken in 54 refugees.

Does the Minister envisage that Ireland will be in a position to accept some additional refugees from Syria over the next number of months?
Concerns have been expressed regarding calls by the UN Syria mediator, Mr. de Mistura, for local truces. The concerns are that, as proven in the past, a truce is merely a pause and an opportunity for the regime to regroup, rearm and continue its war at a more favourable time. Does the Minister share that concern? Members have spoken on many occasions about the Iranian involvement in Syria. Many members felt it is time for EU governments and other bodies to examine the Iranian connection but does the Minister share the belief that it is time to seriously examine the involvement of Iran in the Syrian conflict?
The Minister indicated that at the November Foreign Affairs Council meeting there would be discussion of issues relating to Bosnia and Herzegovina. It has been indicated to me that the UK foreign secretary, Mr. Philip Hammond, and the German foreign minister, Mr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, have attempted to create a fait accomplion EU policy towards Bosnia with an initiative announced in Berlin last Wednesday. In it, they advocate removing the requirement adopted by all member states for Bosnia and Herzegovina to change its constitution in order to implement the European Court of Human Rights decision from almost five years ago. The authors state that doing so would allow the stabilisation and association agreement, SAA, with Bosnia, signed in 2008 but never put into effect, to be activated. This ruling, which called on Bosnia to ensure the rights of all citizens of age to run for all political offices, regardless of ethnic self-identification, became an EU condition precisely because it was contingent on the EU's own requirement for respect for fundamental rights and freedoms.
What message does the reduction of EU conditionality send to Bosnian politicians about the EU's firmness? There were many written commitments by Bosnia's political leaders which remain unfulfilled, without any consequences, going back a decade. What position will Ireland take at next week's Foreign Affairs Council meeting to develop the German-British initiative into a coherent and strategic EU policy to promote real reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina? Ireland has been very supportive of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the past and I am interested in hearing the Minister's response in that regard.
Senator Norris referred to the Irish Ambassador to the Holy See. When is it hoped that the proposed ambassador, Ms Emma Madigan, will be in a position to present her credentials to Pope Francis? Where will the embassy be accommodated and is there any possibility that the Villa Spada can be used to house our embassy to the Holy See? Given its significance in the past and the link going back many years, it would be appreciated. There is much support for the possibility so will the Minister update us on what is happening?