Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his reply. I acknowledge the efforts made to provide relief and I welcome the increases in the recent allocations of funding. I imagine the Minister is already doing so, but I call on him to try to do whatever he can to optimise the amount he can make available given the seriousness of the situation. Unfortunately, throughout the world other similar cases are unfolding, but probably nothing is as horrific as what is happening in Syria.

I call on the Minister to try to keep this on the agenda of his colleagues in the European Union as much as he can. As a neutral country, Ireland should make our diplomats and our best people available for efforts to try to resolve the crisis. It seems that the military situation that has unfolded over the past five and a half years will not end soon. So many parties are involved and it is not straightforward or a black-and-white matter. Irish citizens want to know that we are doing our best no matter how limited our interventions can be. They want to know that we are doing what we can. Again, I thank the Minister for his efforts to date. I hope this can be kept high on the agenda.

The Dáil should take the opportunity to hold a broader discussion on the Syrian issue at the earliest possible date. All parties could contribute to a full debate over a longer period. Unfortunately, in the seven or eight minutes available, it is difficult to get in to any detail or discuss the matter and the various complexities. In any event, I think it would be helpful to have a full Dáil debate.

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