Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy raised a number of issues of global importance. The entire region of the Middle East, from Afghanistan to the northern Mediterranean countries, is huge and is host to tension, civil wars, slaughter, anxiety and geopolitics. The United States has withdrawn troops from Afghanistan and is considering doing so elsewhere. There are situations of conflict on the Turkish border and in Libya and over 1.4 million people have entered south Lebanon from Syria. Further, over a million people have entered Jordan from Syria. None of the countries in question can withstand such pressure and there is no strategic plan to deal with the assimilation of such massive numbers of people. The humanitarian programme to feed people and provide a minimal level of comfort is haphazard.

I agree with the Deputy that it is not acceptable for missiles to be fired into Gaza. The behaviour of neither side is acceptable. It is not acceptable for rockets to be fired indiscriminately from Gaza into Israel. The Deputy is well aware that the complex politics of Gaza, the West Bank, Israel and the surrounding countries have gone on for more years than the combined period he and I have occupied seats in this House. The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade was in Cairo on 12 October to attend a major international conference, hosted by the Governments of Norway and Egypt, on the reconstruction of Gaza. Representatives of more than 60 countries and international organisations attended and the Deputy is aware that this is not the first time the partial reconstruction of Gaza has been necessary. When I was in Gaza I saw buildings wiped out and the international school flattened. It is a horrific situation where there is 75% unemployment and many children and adults must be fed and looked after on a daily basis. Some €2.5 billion was allocated for the reconstruction of Gaza, and Ireland contributed a further €2.5 million towards the humanitarian response. Some €500,000 has been made available for displaced people with humanitarian needs as winter approaches, as well as €2 million for long-term goals including reconstruction, housing and essential infrastructure. Water presents an enormously complex problem in Gaza, as many wells there have been destroyed and poisoned. It is often necessary to bring in water from outside sources.

I am in favour of neither the firing of missiles into Gaza nor the indiscriminate firing of rockets from Gaza into Israel. Ireland is a small country with experience of conflict and 30 years of terrorist activities; therefore, we know that a situation can be brought about in which people sit down to negotiate peace and give hope to people. I hope wise heads get together to say that this wanton slaughter cannot be allowed to continue. The situation in Gaza and elsewhere must be addressed by powers greater than ours. We must consider the situations in Syria and Libya. We must look at the Assad regime and the mercenary opposition. We must consider the consequences of all this for hundreds of thousands of families in south Lebanon and Jordan. We must look at the situations in other countries in the same way.

Let us consider the slaughter of Christians in Afghanistan and the situation arising on the Turkish border with ISIS.

The Deputy asked what Ireland has done. We have contributed where we have had to in Lebanon. We are contributing in a very tense situation in the Golan Heights. The Irish contingent is exceptionally well trained and kitted out. Those involved are doing an exceptionally competent and professional job in difficult circumstances. We have contributed, as we always do, from a humanitarian perspective. Not only that, we have contributed through the European Council and the Foreign Affairs Council directly. We have pointed to our experience in which we found that at the end of the day one must sit down and negotiate to reach a situation in which peace can be brought about and, hopefully, continue.

The complexities of politics, peoples and countries in that vast region have existed for 2,000 years and, unfortunately, the historical cycle has repeated itself at intervals during that period. Allegiances to one country have transferred to others in that time. Certain regimes and dictatorships have waged war on their own or different tribes because of religious beliefs or whatever. These things have been to the fore for centuries in the region. This does not mean we should not contribute what we can or attempt to play our part in bringing about some sanity in a situation in which millions have been unnecessarily slaughtered. We contribute through the United Nations, the Cairo- and Norway-hosted talks and the European Council, and we will continue to do so. Clearly, it is not the case that Ireland can sort this out on our own. We can contribute in a small but effective way to an overall programme which, I hope, will bring about some semblance of sanity in the region.

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