John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome our guests to the committee, in respect of what I imagine is a harrowing and traumatic experience for all of them. I was particularly struck by the testimony of Ms Hassan. It was truly brave and remarkable of her to make that statement given the lived experiences she has had to endure. Like her, so many other Yazidi people have suffered at the hands of the barbaric terrorist organisation ISIS. I commend the witnesses on their bravery in speaking out to try to get justice for their people.

I have a number of questions. For a number of years, I have been following what was happening to the Yazidis at the hands of ISIS and, similarly, the people in Syria, Northern Iraq and Kurdistan. It is appalling. Similarly, the slowness of the international community to step in and try to provide assistance to the people when they were being slaughtered by ISIS was appalling. What happened has left an awful lot of trauma legacy issues. Suicide is prevalent given the extent of the trauma, the displacement of the Yazidi people and the uncertainty as to where loved ones are. It was striking to hear from Ms Hassan there are still 3,000 people missing, including 40 members of her family. That must serve as a message to the international community to step up to the mark and provide assistance to reunite families and find loved ones that are missing and to provide the tangible assistance laid out by the witnesses in their statements.

I have a number of specific questions. For me, what happened to the Yazidis was genocide, pure and simple. It is important that when a genocide takes place the international community calls it out for what it is in order that we can learn from it and hold people to account. I will touch on the need for a tribunal later. On the specific issue of genocide, am I correct that the UK Government is the only government that has declared what happened a genocide and how helpful would it be for the international community to state it as it is?

As a member of this committee I had the opportunity to put questions to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Coveney, when he was before us a couple of weeks ago. I am struck that Ireland is one of a few countries that has not contributed to alleviating the difficulties and plight of the Yazidi people. As I am aware that Concern is active on the ground in parts of Iraq and that there are particularly sensitive security issues around that, I will not prise the witnesses for information on that. In terms of assistance from the Irish Government, what more can be given? I note the witnesses have a specific request for €368,000 to assist the excellent work they are doing. Sinn Féin will support that. It is the minimum the Irish Government should do. I am sure the committee will come back to this issue in terms of some of the specific requests from the witnesses, on which, I hope, all committee members will be able to agree.

Other than financial aid, what more can Ireland do? Ireland has a seat on the UN Security Council and is a member state of the EU. There is a specific request that Ireland would lend its voice in regard to the tribunal. It is critically important that survivors are listened to. What message would the witnesses send to the Irish Government in terms of the tangible assistance needed to ensure Yazidi voices are heard within the tribunal? Given our own conflict and attempts at conflict resolution and the peace process within Ireland, what role could Ireland play in terms of trying to negotiate a settlement? I am aware of some of the issues in regard to Kurdistan and in terms of the international support for a tribunal. Kurdistan still has the death penalty, as does Iraq. That might be a problem. The witnesses might address that issue. If that is a problem in terms of the international community getting involved, given Ireland's involvement in the peace process and the Good Friday Agreement, what role could it play in terms of trying to get agreement and having the death penalty set aside to ensure accountability can be heeded.?

I have a couple of other questions. Sinjar is still in ruins and the Yazidi people are dispersed across many different countries. In terms of the rebuilding of Sinjar, for example, what commitments have been given by the international community and what work is happening on the ground to help people to rebuild their communities, livelihoods and lives in general? In terms of recommendations, the committee should consider putting forward a recommendation on the funding to Department and the Minister in regard. On the tribunal, Ireland needs to use its voice to ensure the voices of survivors and victims are central in that process and it is essential there is recognition that a brutal genocide against the Yazidi people was perpetrated. I again commend the witnesses and thank them for being here, in particular Ms Hassan, whose statement was truly powerful and touching.