John Halligan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

We have received a very comprehensive document. I would like to speak about a number of issues, but because there are time restraints, I will talk about the migration crisis. It is quite obvious to many people seven or eight years ago that the problem had been completely underestimated by the European Union, when many organisations working in conflict areas were indicating that it would come upon us in a big way. Groups such as Amnesty International and Concern had indicated that developments in countries such as Libya, Egypt, Iraq, Afghanistan and particularly Syria made it inevitable that many would leave these countries and head towards the West.

I am a member of the Council of Europe human rights committee. It is my opinion that the European Union has failed to deal with the origins of the migration crisis, which date back to the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan and to Israel rejecting, I think, 42 UN resolutions on how to deal with the Palestinian crisis. The emergence of many conflict groups can be traced back to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. The European Union has failed to deal with how the crisis began and we are now reaping a whirlwind.

It has been acknowledged by many on the Council of Europe and within the European Union that America, Canada and other countries in the Middle East are not playing their part in dealing with the migration crisis. It could be said America has been instrumental in creating much of the crisis in the Middle East because of its unremitting and relentless backing of Israel and its attacks on the Palestinians and its failure to recognise a Palestinian state. What are the Minister of State's views on the conflicts?

We need to discuss the actual conflicts. We have moved beyond discussing the migration crisis which is upon us. All of the indications are that another 500,000 people may leave the conflict zone in Syria within the next few months. There is conflict in Chad and other African countries, including Nigeria. Are we preparing ourselves for the inevitable influx of another possibly 2 million refugees in the next two years if the conflicts are not dealt with comprehensively?

The European Union must come to terms with the fact that it has a part to play in bringing the conflict in Syria to an end. It cannot be left to the Russians and the Americans who are arming both sides to decide how it will be dealt with. We are not strong enough and are seen across the world as not being powerful enough to use our influence to deal with this awful conflict in the Middle East in which hundreds of thousands have died and millions have been disenfranchised. Unless we step up to the plate, we will be seen as a non-entity by the Americans and the Russians, as we probably were during the conflict in Ukraine.