Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. I will do my level best to be brief. The Minister's statement covered a multitude.

I want to focus first and foremost on the situation in Syria. As the Chairman and the Minister have said, we condemn the ongoing military actions of the Syrian regime, aided and abetted by Russia, in the strongest possible terms. I am particularly concerned about how our Government is responding to this crisis through the Minister. When was the last time the Minister met the Russian ambassador to convey the concerns of the Government and the Irish people regarding the ongoing situation in Aleppo and the use of bunker-busting bombs on hospitals, schools and medical facilities? On 4 October last, my party leader directly asked the Taoiseach whether he or the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade had "summoned the Russian ambassador or discussed the summoning of same to convey our views and raised the matter at European Union level with a request for common action". In his reply, the Taoiseach said that "the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade called in the Russian ambassador last Tuesday and left him in no uncertain terms as to how this country feels". The Taoiseach concluded that reply by saying "I repeat that our Minister last Tuesday called in the Russian ambassador, leaving him in no uncertain position as to the way this country feels about the humanitarian catastrophe that has afflicted Syria for some time and Aleppo in particular". That did not happen. The Minister did not call in the Russian ambassador. I put it to the committee that the Taoiseach misled the House. I met the Russian ambassador to convey my party's concerns about his Government's role in what is happening in Aleppo. The Taoiseach, who is the Minister's party leader, told the House that "the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade called in the Russian ambassador", but that did not happen. When was the last time the Minister met the Russian ambassador? It was clarified in response to a parliamentary question tabled by Deputy Crowe that two officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade conveyed the concerns. Was that meeting specifically about Syria? Why did the Taoiseach feel it was appropriate to tell the Dáil that the Minister had called in the Russian ambassador when that had not happened? I would like to know when the Minister last met the Russian ambassador.

Following on from that, can the Minister confirm that Ireland will vote against Russia's election to the UN Human Rights Council? From an EU perspective, existing diplomatic efforts have not delivered a ceasefire. The Lavrov-Kerry initiative is probably the way forward. What specific pressure can the EU apply on the warring parties? As we all know, this is the most major humanitarian crisis on our borders. We could do a lot more. The very least this crisis deserves is for the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to personally convey our disgust at what is happening in Syria.

I would like to ask briefly about third party or third-country arrangements, particularly the EU-Turkey arrangement. I reject fully the Minister's assertion that "substantial progress" has been made through the EU-Turkey deal. The Minister told us that 69 Syrians have been relocated to this country, but 14 months ago the Government committed to taking 4,000 people. The Minister said he hopes to increase the number of relocations to this country to between 40 and 60 per month soon. I heard that in March of this year. The position is not improving. Can the Minister confirm that none of the €20.9 million given by the Irish Government on behalf of Irish taxpayers towards the EU-Turkey arrangement is being used for security and containment measures? Can he confirm that all of the money in question is being used for the well-being and security of refugees? It is my party's belief, and my belief as my party's foreign affairs spokesperson, that these third-country arrangements completely undermine the rights of asylum seekers, migrants and refugees. The EU-Turkey arrangement is one of a number of arrangements that the EU is looking to enter into. Most recently, the EU proposed to relocate 80,000 refugees to Afghanistan. Turkey has its issues but - God almighty - Afghanistan does likewise. I would like the Minister to address these questions in the first instance. I hope to come in again in the second round.