Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As did Deputy Seán Crowe, whom I thank for his positive comments. I will be happy to keep him fully informed of developments. I also thank the other members for their comments.

In the circumstances direct comparisons with other cases of individuals are often unfair to everybody involved and I ask members to bear this in mind. Senator Mark Daly should note that I have been in direct contact with EU colleagues. I spoke to High Representative Catherine Ashton during the course of her tenure and renewed very strong representations to High Representative Mogherini during the course of the winter. I also spoke to the chairman of the influential Committee on Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament. I am familiar with the work of the Chairman of this committee. We are all most concerned about the issue and anxious that there be a satisfactory resolution. The only outcome that will be satisfactory will be the return home, at a very early date, of the teenager involved. With my officials, both here and in Cairo, I will continue to prioritise the case and make representations at every level to achieve a successful outcome. I will continue to keep the Chairman informed in that regard.

Deputy Brendan Smith referred to Ebola, as did others. Ireland has delivered in full on its pledges, in addition on its pledges regarding the situation in Syria. The Minister of State, Deputy Sean Sherlock, is due to attend the next Syria pledging conference in Kuwait in March. We have provided in excess of €30 million since 2011. The European Union is also continuing to deliver on its pledges to deal with the issue of Ebola. The onus is on all donors to deliver because we still have a strong programme to complete. Also to be considered are the delivery of humanitarian aid in the form of monetary donations and the purchase of humanitarian aid relief materials. We have a very strong presence on the ground, not just in our full-time embassy in Freetown. I am very pleased about the meeting held with the ambassador. Members of the Defence Forces are assisting and will continue to assist. That is acknowledged here in Ireland and elsewhere.

I want to deal with the situation in the Middle East. I thank Deputies Brendan Smith and Seán Crowe, Senator Mark Daly and others for their ongoing interest in this issue. I was very pleased to have an opportunity to visit the region some weeks ago. My objective was not so much to engage in detailed political talks but to hear from all sides and see what was happening. I did this and recounted some of my meetings in the Dáil. I met Foreign Minister Lieberman, President Abbas, Prime Minister Hamdallah and Labour Party leader Mr. Isaac Herzog. I visited Gaza and the West Bank. I share the concern of members about the circumstances in Gaza and the unacceptable humanitarian crisis that continues to obtain there. There is a sense of hopelessness among the people. I urged everybody involved in the region to help to relieve what was a most difficult crisis.

I also visited various villages in the neighbourhood of Gaza. I noted at first hand that the people faced daily the continuing Hamas threat from within. In the circumstances, this is most unhelpful. I agree with Senator Jim Walsh and Deputy Brendan Smith that the European Union should play a greater role in supporting the peace process. That is a reason I visited. The reason I did not make reference to this in my opening address was that it had not been discussed in any meaningful way at Foreign Affairs Council level in recent times. I regret this. I am satisfied, however, that High Representative Mogherini has prioritised the issue and I expect a comprehensive debate on it in the near future. There is much more the European Union could do to influence and assist in what will have to be a negotiated settlement. Obviously, there is an election campaign in the region and I do not expect dramatic initiatives of a political nature during the course of an election campaign.

I raised the issue of the blockade directly with Foreign Minister Lieberman. I visited the settlements and expressed my dissatisfaction at them. I believe I was representing the strong views of the Irish people in that regard. The United Nations has advised that some reconstruction materials are getting through and that some work has been done. There have been reports on materials, particularly construction materials such as concrete and cement, being diverted for tunnel activity. I certainly understand the concerns of the Israelis in that regard, but I would like to see more progress being made on the ground. People need houses and shelter. I had the opportunity to say this directly to Foreign Minister Lieberman. I hope circumstances can be improved in so far as the transmission of aid in the form of reconstruction materials can be facilitated by Israel, in particular. I acknowledge the role played by the United Nations.

Let me respond to Deputy Brendan Smith. In Cairo in October we pledged the sum of €2.5 million in immediate aid. It is disappointing that there has not been progress on reconstruction work. I hope it will be prioritised, particularly after the Israeli elections. There are elections also due to be held in the Palestinian territories. I had an opportunity to discuss this issue directly with President Abbas and Prime Minister Hamdallah.

Deputy Seán Crowe referred to the settlements. I saw at first hand the plans and the ground being prepared for construction following clearance. The settlements continue to represent a major barrier to peace in the region. Their ongoing expansion is incompatible with a genuine commitment towards a peaceful resolution and a viable two-state solution. This continues to represent a main plank of Irish policy. I take the points made by Senator Jim Walsh and Deputy Seán Crowe about settlement products. The real problem, of course, is the settlements and their expansion and that will continue to be the major focus.

Members will be aware that in 2014 Ireland and other EU countries published advice warning citizens against investing in the settlements. That advice continues to obtain. I certainly foresee circumstances in which, in the context of further initiatives on the part of the European Union, both the settlements and our attitude to settlement products will be very much on the agenda.

I refer to the matter of recognition, raised by Senators Mark Daly and Jim Walsh and Deputies Seán Crowe and Brendan Smith, among others.

I wish to acknowledge the vote of the Seanad and of the Dáil in that regard and I wish to reiterate that for many years Ireland has supported the full achievement of the Palestinian state. We said that we believed it should happen, but we want it to be achieved in reality, not just in theory and not just on paper. I believe our view is that a formal recognition of a Palestinian state should come about as a comprehensive peace agreement. This remains the position of the Government and it also remains the position of almost all our European Union partners. Sweden is taking a different view and I have discussed the matter with my European colleagues and with the Swedish foreign minister. EU foreign ministers will continue to exchange views on this issue, as we do on a very regular basis, so this matter will be advanced up the EU foreign affairs council agenda. There is an election currently in Israel and it is generally held, and it is my view, that it would be impractical to pursue this matter further until after the forthcoming election and until there is an opportunity for the new government in Israel to bed down.

I will turn to Ukraine and Russia. Let me assure Deputy Durkan that Ireland fully supports the right of independent countries to decide freely on their policies and their external relationships. This was something we discussed in the context of the association agreements and on the matter of Ukraine and its territory and its sovereignty. I agree with Deputy Crowe and Senator Mullins when they speak about lethal weapons being provided to Ukraine. Ireland seeks a non-military solution to this crisis and we are engaging at both political and diplomatic levels with our EU partners and beyond to ensure the crisis can be resolved without resorting to a military solution. We do not believe that would be in the best interests of anybody in the region. Providing lethal military equipment to Ukraine actually risks undermining the political and diplomatic efforts which are under way.

This brings me to Senator Walsh's, Senator Daly's and Deputy Crowe's points about the European army. I read the views of President Juncker in his interview over the weekend. There is no European army chair, as members well know, nor are there any plans for one. We have only to look back to the Lisbon treaty and our protocol which clearly states that the Lisbon treaty does not provide for the creation of a European army. There has been no discussion on this at foreign affairs level. Ireland pursues a policy of military neutrality which I believe is quite clear. It is in accordance with the wishes of the Parliament, the Government and the people. It has most recently been highlighted in our foreign policy review update. Ireland's participation in European common defence is prohibited by our Constitution, Articles 29 and 49 in particular, which position is reinforced by the Irish protocol to the Lisbon treaty. Any change in that position can only take place with the approval of the people in a referendum. While a number of referenda are planned during the tenure of this Government, let me assure the committee that this is most definitely not one of them. Deputy Durkan made specific reference to the Russian overflight, but as he is not here I will communicate directly with him.

Deputy Mitchell, and others, raised the important issue of the EU migration policy, with particular reference to the very challenging situation in the Mediterranean. The European Union is focused on the matter of the Mediterranean where there have been a number of tragic incidents. Migrants seeking to enter Europe by sea have lost their lives and have been abandoned to their fates by unscrupulous dealers and human traffickers from the region and beyond. We recognise however that the matter of illegal migration can only be tackled successfully by moving beyond border control issues and into partnerships for development to address the root causes of irregular and illegal migration. I acknowledge the contribution of Deputy O'Sullivan on this issue, here at this committee and beyond. I impress upon members the importance of the two EU-Africa initiatives which address a partnership approach to the main migration routes into Europe from Africa and the migration route from West Africa and the Horn of Africa. The Rabat Process and the Khartoum Process bring together representatives of foreign affairs and interior Ministries from both sides of the Mediterranean Sea to focus primarily on tackling the smuggling of migrants and the unacceptable commercial activity of human trafficking. It is an issue also for the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Ms Frederica Mogherini with her own experience as a Minister in the Italian government. She, and other states in the region, are anxious that a positive set of policies are advanced, particularly in relation to the current unacceptable situation.

Deputy Durkan I believe was the only one who mentioned Bosnia. I will probably hold that reply until his return. Senator Walsh, Deputy Smith and Deputy Durkan raised the issue of Christian communities in the Middle East. Senator Mullins also continues to raise this issue and I acknowledge his interest in this. Senator Walsh also has addressed this issue with me by private correspondence. The spread of violence and extremism in Syria and Iraq is a most serious concern. The attacks against civilians, especially religious minority communities, are utterly unacceptable. I had the opportunity to include reference to this in my address to the United Nations in the autumn of 2014. We are appalled by the atrocities committed by ISIS as it wages its campaign, not only across northern Iraq, but into Syria also. There needs to be accountability for these atrocities, including referral of the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court, as mentioned by Senator Mullins. I highlighted the issue again in Geneva last week when I addressed the UN Human Rights Council. We will continue to raise the matter of protection of minority communities through our official bilateral contacts with many countries and stress the responsibility of governments to protect their citizens and minorities.

We have raised the possibility, indeed the reality as it is now, of providing protection for a limited number of refugees from the region. I am in close contact with my colleague the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Fitzgerald. This is being advanced between the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Justice and Equality. Ireland is accepting 110 refugees in 2015 through the refugee resettlement programme with the UN High Commission for Refugees. I discussed this last week in Geneva. We accepted 90 from Syria in the 2014 programme. Senator Walsh spoke about humanitarian aid in the form of money to Syria for the relief of the humanitarian crisis there. Let me reiterate that more than €30 million has been provided by Ireland since the onset of the crisis. The EU has given €3.2 billion.

I reiterate that more than €30 million has been provided by Ireland since the onset of the crisis. The EU has given a sum of €3.2 billion. However, the overall appeal by the United Nations continues. The needs continue to be enormous. I acknowledge that, in spite of a very challenging economic climate here, the Government has been in a position to ensure that Ireland is very much to the fore in terms of our monetary contributions. That has been acknowledged at home and abroad.

I note that Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan has left. If she returns I can address the issues she raised, with particular reference to the national plan for the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. We had a conference recently that covered this area; some of the members attended it, and the Chairman may also have attended. It is an area on which our Department is actively engaged.

Senator Walsh and Deputy Smith mentioned the issue of ISIS and its funding. I reiterate that the UK, Ireland, all other EU member states and the United States have signed up to UN Security Council Resolutions 2170 and 2178 setting out a comprehensive strategy which includes disrupting the flow of finances to ISIS and disrupting its fundraising. We agreed to tackle the underlying factors as well as combating terrorism. The EU strategy is in line with the UN resolutions condemning the appalling attacks.

Deputies mentioned counter-terrorism and asked what has the EU has done since the Paris and Copenhagen attacks. It is important that we continue to be focused on combating terrorism. As well as the meetings upon which I have given a report, there have been an unprecedented number of emergency meetings during the past six months since I became Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade. We have had a number of meetings with very packed agendas, often with competing crises. We endorsed the counter-terrorism strategy on foreign fighters in October and at a January meeting we agreed to make a summary copy of the strategy available to the public.

It is our belief that there must be a comprehensive human-rights-compliant approach to preventing counter-terrorism in accordance with international law. I have discussed this issue with my colleague, the Minister for Justice and Equality, who has a role to play in ensuring that communities can be dissuaded from the type of radicalisation we have seen not so much in Ireland but in the UK and in other European countries, particularly France and Belgium. We need to engage in communities with a focus on integration and communication. We will continue to have that as a priority in strengthening partnerships with key countries in the region and assisting them in building their capacity to tackle aspects of terrorism in the region. Justice Ministers have met separately and will continue to do so.