Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)
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I apologise for being late. I am smothered by a dose. I will confine myself to the Syrian issue. I spent the weekend visiting some refugee camps in Lebanon, including at al-Jalil close to the Syrian border. The stories we heard were horrendous. We also met the President of Lebanon and the EU's representative in Lebanon. Given the conditions, a number of side issues and the total number of refugees inside its borders, Lebanon is concerned that a fissure might open within itself. What practical action is the EU undertaking to resolve these issues? We saw 16 people living in a small room with a galvanised roof in a place that reached -5° Celsius at night. It was inhumane. We sometimes get sidelined onto other issues that are not as fundamental as human rights. What can Europe do in this regard?

The EU has an association agreement with Israel. What types of human rights violation will need to occur within the settlement areas for the EU to consider suspending that agreement? The committee has resolved to ask the Government to ban the importation of goods from settlement areas and to use its influence within the EU to ensure the same. Those imports support the continuation of settlements, aggravating the situation to a point at which a two-state solution is no longer feasible. What is Mr. Lambrinidis doing in this regard?

My final question is on a matter that I feel strongly about. People in the human rights field are strong proponents of abortion, the greatest and most common violation of human rights in the world. What is Mr. Lambrinidis's position on or role in this regard?