Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Griffin for raising this issue. As I have outlined in previous public statements, and as the Taoiseach stated in the House on Tuesday, as a nation we have been shocked and outraged at the appalling scenes of suffering from Aleppo that we have seen daily on our television screens and read in our newspapers. I thank the Deputy for giving me an opportunity to set out in greater detail the position and actions of the Government in response to the horrifying situation in Aleppo and across Syria.

The conflict in Syria began over popular unrest caused by the corruption, violence and lawlessness of the Assad regime. At its core, the conflict remains centred on this one question: can the Syrian people be free to choose their leaders or will the regime's persistent campaign of mass murder, torture and sexual violence subjugate millions of Syrians into accepting his continued reign of terror? From the outset, Ireland has been clear that we believe this is a crisis of political legitimacy and that only a political solution will be viable and sustainable. We are clear that this must be Syrian-owned and Syrian-led. We have also been consistent in condemning the pattern of systematic violence against civilians as part of which hundreds of thousands have been killed and millions more wounded or forced to flee violence and terrorism. We have called for the protection of all civilians from military force and terrorism and for the unimpeded provision of humanitarian assistance to populations in need as well as full accountability on behalf of the victims of crimes under international law.

It is clear from a wide range of reports that the Assad regime has been overwhelmingly responsible for the deaths of Syrians since the beginning of the uprising in March 2011. The commission of inquiry established by United Nations Human Rights Council has reported findings of evidence that the Assad regime may have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity. The excessive, disproportionate and indiscriminate use of military force against the besieged population of Aleppo is a clear violation of international law. Ireland's concerns have been directly conveyed in the clearest terms to the Russian authorities at my direction.

On behalf of the Irish people, I urge Russia to use all its influence in Syria to end these inhumane actions against a defenceless civilian population. Ireland has repeatedly called for the situation in Syria to be referred to the International Criminal Court. The suffering of the besieged population in Aleppo underlines the urgency and importance of ensuring accountability for those responsible for these unacceptable actions. The attacks have rightly appalled people in Ireland and across the globe. I acknowledge the important moral stand taken by Irish people in supporting NGOs working to assist the Syrian people as well as those taking a stance for peace, such as those who attended at the GPO last weekend.

Having set out my political approach as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, I will now outline the position on aid. Members will be aware that the Government has placed considerable emphasis on doing what we can to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people through provision of humanitarian aid. Earlier today I announced my approval of €1.5 million for the work of the International Committee of the Red Cross inside Syria and €1 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East for Palestinian refugees affected by the Syria crisis. These actions, combined with our recent disbursement of €5 million to the Turkey refugee facility, bring our total contribution to the Syrian crisis to €62 million since 2012. By the end of this year, we will have provided €67 million for the relief of the Syrian people. I will be discussing the situation in Syria with my EU colleagues at the next EU Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg later this month. We will focus in particular on how to support the European Union humanitarian initiative on Aleppo.

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