Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour) | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy said, Ireland is taking some refugees. The issue of refugees is a matter for the Minister for Justice and Equality and I know he is keeping it under consideration. We need to recognise the scale of the problem here. Some 2 million people are in refugee camps in countries bordering Syria. It is on a scale at which the taking of refugees does not address the entire problem.

We have been concentrating on getting assistance to the refugees and humanitarian assistance into Syria and using our good offices to encourage a resolution of the conflict. It is essential that we continue the efforts to get Geneva II moving. Ultimately, the conflict has to be resolved through that process. In the meantime, it is urgent that humanitarian aid get through to the people who need it. The UN agencies must be enabled to do their work on issues such as the evacuation of Homs.

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