Shane McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)

The matter is close to everybody's heart. By right, we should be discussing this for a couple of hours rather than a couple of minutes. We stated it would never happen again after the Second World War and it has happened several times since. In this case, I hate to think that we must wait another four years for the truth when people are being butchered by their own government.

Horrific suffering and a campaign of ruthless repression is being visited upon the civilian population in Syria. The Government, in concert with its EU partners, has strived to exert strong and united political pressure on the Syrian regime to end its campaign of repression and make decisive progress towards fulfilling the aspirations of the Syrian people for a democratic transition. The grim facts of this conflict are truly horrifying. Credible reports of more than 7,500 people killed since March last, an estimated 200,000 internally displaced persons, and 35,000 who have fled to other countries as refugees. According to the latest report of the commission of inquiry established by the UN Human Rights Council to investigate events in Syria, state forces stand accused of committing widespread and gross human rights violations which amount to crimes against humanity. They have done this, apparently, with the knowledge and consent of President Assad and his regime.

There is no doubting the widespread international revulsion. This is evident from the overwhelming support for various resolutions adopted by the UN General Assembly and the UN Human Rights Council in recent weeks. It was also evident at the initial meeting of the Friends of the Syrian People group, which the Tánaiste attended in Tunis on 24 February and where more than 70 countries gathered to voice their support for the Syrian people and for international efforts to end the conflict and promote peaceful democratic transition within Syria. There is an obligation on the international community to do all it can to end the violence and suffering of the Syrian people and to help them to chart a new way forward.

The immediate priority must be to secure a ceasefire which will end the indiscriminate shelling of cities such as Horns and Rastan and at the same time provide the UN, ICRC and others with humanitarian access. The visit yesterday of the UN emergency relief co-ordinator, Baroness Amos, to the Baba Amr district of Homs revealed the true extent of the human catastrophe. She reported that the area had been completely devastated and most inhabitants had fled to other parts of the city or nearby villages. It is vital that full humanitarian access to the whole country is achieved urgently.

It is regrettable that the UN Security Council has so far failed to agree a resolution on the situation. The Government regards it as a welcome development that discussions have now got under way at the UN on a new draft resolution primarily addressing the humanitarian situation. It is incumbent upon the Security Council to live up to its responsibilities in the area of the maintenance of international peace and security and to adopt a resolution at the earliest opportunity on the situation in Syria. No other action could better convey to the Syrian regime the strength of the international condemnation of what is happening in that country.

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