Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister. There is a great appreciation on the part of all parties and none of the high profile he maintains internationally and how proactive he is on all of these issues.

In Syria, 90% of the population is in poverty, with 13.4 million people in need of humanitarian aid. After ten years of civil war, it is a horror story. Will the Minister elaborate on getting access to aid for Syria at the Bab al-Hawa border crossing? There is a huge crisis around Idlib and access to aid there is critical. How confident is the Minister that we can maintain access in that area?

The issue of sanctions is a perennial one. Over the years, right back to South Africa and apartheid, we have always discussed who they hurt. Given that Assad has clearly won the war at this stage and in view of the fact that sanctions are hurting ordinary people, does the Minister think that now is the time to look at their removal and how might that impact the situation?

There are disturbing reports from Denmark and Lebanon about returning refugees to Syria on the basis that there is calm there. From the Minister's presentation, however, it is clear that it is widely accepted that there is not the level of calm there that one could send people back in any involuntary way.

I would like the Minister to comment on the return of the refugees. I am surprised by Denmark but I would like a comment on that. The fact that we are all in the EU and friends together does not mean we should fail to criticise them for what is wrong. Similarly, I believe there is a major effort to push back refugees from Lebanon.

Regarding Palestine, I would like the Minister to comment on the settlements and the demolitions. My understanding is that the settlements and the demolitions are threatening the two-state solution, which we all aspire to and which the Minister rightly stated as an ambition in his presentation. Could he comment on the extent that is the case? Is he optimistic that through the use of diplomacy, our role on the UN council, etc., we can achieve anything in halting the illegal settlements, the demolition and, of course, the human rights abuses?

It is extraordinary that the elections are postponed. Is that because of East Jerusalem and is it the specific fault for the postponing of the elections with Israel in East Jerusalem? Is internal politics among the Palestinians a factor? The fact that there was a difficulty with East Jerusalem people voting is a horror.

On vaccinations, I understand Israel has virtually vaccinated its own population. It had been negligent with vaccinations to Palestine. Covid-19 Vaccines Global Access, COVAX, had been coming in there, but how is the vaccination situation?

The Minister made a point about the sexual violence in Tigray. It is a horror, almost, as he said, on an industrial scale. It is almost as if it is a policy, which is dreadful, or a military option. I would like him to comment on the Eritreans. While it is officially said that they have gone, it is clear that they have not. I understood that they were masking going in - using other uniforms and camouflaging their presence. Could the Minister comment on the Eritreans getting out of Tigray and being removed from there, how optimistic he is and whether we can do anything practical about that in the short term?

Moving to Ukraine, I would like the Minister to comment on the situation in Donbas. I understand the military build-up around Ukraine has been softened down and moved, but is he confident that the position is stabilising? Is there any risk that there is deliberately stirred-up disturbance in Donbas? What is his assessment?

I understand the breakdown of Navalny's apparatus or support base and the arrests but I would like the Minister's comment on both his personal situation and on the wider arrests of his people.

I had people on to me recently, including somebody known to many here. I presume, if he was on to me, he has been on to all of the members of the committee. It is a local agency dealing with Belarus. Belarus remains one of the great horror stories of contemporary times. I would like the Minister's comment on where we are at there.

Could President Biden's attitude to Saudi Arabia make a difference to Yemen? Is the UK still providing arms to Saudi Arabia? If so, and I am aware they are outside of our control to a degree, can anything be done about that? Generally, the supply of arms is a major factor in the trouble there and I would be interested in the Minister's beliefs around what difference President Biden might make there.

Lastly, I agree with the previous speaker, Deputy Brady, regarding the crisis in India. I would like the Minister to comment on what we are exactly doing, where he sees it going and what more we could do. It is a very interesting point Deputy Brady raised about intellectual property rights, which are often talked about now. There is an argument that if we make the vaccinations available and remove those rights that would be a disincentive. I would like the Minister to comment on that. Surely there is a compelling case to get vaccines to India, and to deal with the crisis there.

I thank the Chair for the opportunity and thank the Minister for being with us.