Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his reply and welcome the additional funding provided under our overseas development budget for the humanitarian crisis in Syria.

Barbarity is too mild a word to describe what has been happening there. Some Members met representatives of the Syrian opposition groups recently. Their descriptions of the treatment of individuals and the murder and mayhem that is taking place there were horrendous. There have been more than 93,000 deaths and a catastrophic humanitarian situation is unfolding there and in neighbouring countries such as Lebanon. Another disturbing development there is the employment of mass rape as a weapon of war.

It is an extremely serious issue for the Syrian people, as is the spillover of refugees into many neighbouring countries.

The Tánaiste has rightly argued for disarmament and the continuation of the arms embargo, but, unfortunately, there is not a unified European Union stance on that issue. Some of the opposition groups argue about the non-provision of assistance in that form for the rebel groups, while some countries such as Russia and others are arming the Assad regime. Arms are also being provided for the rebel groups by other groups. I know that Iran, the Hezbollah and the United States are providing arms. Does the Tánaiste envisage the European Union offering a united response? Will it implore Russia and the United States to hold the Geneva II talks immediately? We have heard that Senator Kerry met the Russian Foreign Minister some time ago and that they agreed to talks to try to reach a political solution. Unfortunately, more and more people are suffering and losing their lives. Was there an indication at the European Union Council meeting that the Geneva talks would take place sooner rather than later in view of the escalating crisis, the desperate humanitarian situation in which millions of people find themselves and the mass murder taking place in the country?

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