Michael Mullins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I join in welcoming our visitors this morning. They paint a grim picture, which we have become accustomed to seeing on our televisions over an extended period.

The significant decision made at European level yesterday is to be welcomed. While it is regrettable that not all countries bought into the process and will participate, the onus is on every country in the European Union to shoulder its responsibility and to work to alleviate the pressures on countries which are literally overrun by people fleeing war torn parts of the world. I have no doubt that countries, our own included, will knuckle down and respond generously and that Government and the various agencies will do a good job in accommodating the 4,000 people we will take. As others have said it is only the tip of the iceberg and that the problem will run for years.

Mr. Barry Andrews rightly highlighted the very significant issue of the lack of action by the United Nations. This is a major world crisis but who is pulling all the world leaders together to see what can be done. We hear that G8, G7 and G12 members come together on a regular basis to discuss issues of world significance but I am deeply concerned that nobody seems to be grasping the nettle on this issue and pulling together all the interested parties who can play a key role in solving this major world crisis. There is no urgency in dealing with this crisis.

The barrel bombing in Syria has resulted in innocent children and others being killed on a daily basis. A stop can be put to that if there is the political will in some of the world powers to intervene and put a stop to it. As Barry Andrews said earlier, we need to have much more discussion in the national parliaments throughout the European Union. We need to keep the pressure on the European Union, the United Nations, the superpowers and those who are playing a significant role in providing the armaments and the weaponry that is causing so much destruction. I would like to see world leaders calling an emergency summit to fasttrack significant actions that can put a stop to some of the conflict in these regions. I am sure that many hundreds of thousands of the Syrians who are pouring out of their country want to remain in Syria and have their children educated there. They do not want to put their lives at risk by coming to Europe. With the onset of winter they will face a very uncertain future.

There is an urgency about this that politicians, at all levels, must grasp. We criticise everybody from time to time, but Deputy Seán Crowe paid tribute to members of the Naval Service who have done such good work on LE Niamhin rescuing people in the Mediterranean. We also have to think of all those working with NGOs who are putting their lives at risk every day to bring humanitarian aid to the victims of war. There is an onus on us to support the people concerned by doing everything we can to bring about a political solution and an end to conflict, but this can only be done by the world's most powerful leaders in coming together in emergency session to deal with the issue.