Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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I thank our guest for giving us the benefit of his time and experience to provide an updated report. We are all distressed and we have discussed this issue in various formats on many occasions over the past year or more. I have a number of questions. I do not know what we can do to intervene at this stage to influence people who might be in a position to do something about this issue. I do not know if we can do anything about it. Initially, the Americans, the UK and various others offered practical support but it does not seem to be making any impact on the overall and ongoing struggle, strife and war that is taking place.

Some lessons have been learned from the past, as we know, particularly with regard to the Americans in Iraq. The exit strategy did not exist, but when they left the country, it was left in a worse state than before. There is a reluctance to repeat that. Similarly, in other countries such as Libya, where there was an intervention on the side of the angels or the righteous, unfortunately it brought about tragedy as well. There were more refugees, more strife and more loss of life. Those events are ongoing.

Will the witnesses, who work on the ground, tell us what might make the most practical impact at this stage? Who can intervene to bring about a ceasefire? For example, we all support the objective of a democratic resolution. Unfortunately, ISIS is not known for democracy, and that is another part of the problem. Is there one particular issue to which we can lend ourselves that would be of help in bringing about a ceasefire? Nothing will happen unless this happens first. Will the regime capitulate, or is that likely? I do not believe so on the information we have. Does the international community have sufficient influence to bring about a cessation of violence on both sides?

This is a tragic issue and I do not know the answer. It is appalling and it is going on before our eyes. Arising from that is the refugee issue, and the free world has not covered itself in glory in that respect either. The European Union and the UN must address that issue in a much more serious way than they have done so far. We have discussed the matter here on many occasions. I am depressed by the inability of the international community to make a meaningful contribution that would alleviate the problems described by the witness.