Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his remarks. I welcome this debate and I thank the Whip's office, the Business Committee and the Ceann Comhairle's office for answering my call for a debate on Syria to which all Members might contribute. It is important that all Members get an opportunity to express their complete outrage and revulsion at what is happening in Syria and the depravity unleashed on the people of that country, especially on those in eastern Aleppo, during the past five years.

This conflict has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives since the beginning of 2011. Millions have been displaced. That was a long time ago. March 2011 was when the previous Dáil was formed. For people to be living in a state of war for that long and under such horrific condition is unthinkable. Unfortunately, the savagery reported from Syria probably rivals anything in the history of human conflict. My principal fear is that, like so many other conflicts in human history, it is perhaps only afterwards that the total story will emerge. In the cases of Rwanda, Yugoslavia and the Holocaust, it was only afterwards that the full picture emerged. I truly believe that when historians look back at this decade, the conflict in Syria will be the glaring stain on this decade and era.

As a small country, sometimes our impact and influence on international events is limited. Regardless, we have a duty to do what we can do. Our obligation, as Members, is to ensure that the country is working at optimum level in this regard and that we are doing what we can do.

We have a proud record of punching well above our weight on the international scene. We need to continue that. I welcome the sentiments expressed in the Minister's statement and his efforts to date. I know he feels deeply about this matter, as do the citizens of this country. This has shocked and appalled people. We need to do what we can. I welcome the fact that we have allocated over €60 million in aid to assist victims of the conflict in and around Syria. That figure might surprise many people. It is a large sum of money and it is going to some of the most desperate people in the world. I welcome the recent allocation of additional aid that the Minister described to me in this House a week ago.

Another way to help is to make our voices and protestations heard as clearly as possible on the global stage. The role of Russia in Aleppo needs to be questioned. I welcome the fact that the Russian ambassador was called in but it is time for him to be called in again to explain what he has done since the first meeting. The Minister must demand that there be an immediate cessation of the aerial bombardment of eastern Aleppo, not for eight or 11 hours over the next four days, as reported in the news today, but permanently. The weakest, most vulnerable people, children, toddlers, babies, old people, the sick and those with disabilities are the victims of the actions of the Syrian regime and Russia in eastern Aleppo. We cannot stay silent on this. I welcome our moves and actions to date but we need to continue making our voice heard.

In a response to a recent letter from Senator Ray Butler, the ambassador seemed to say that our concerns are part of a western mass media agenda. That does not appear to be the response of an ambassador who shares the concerns of the Irish people. What is the point of having an ambassador here who does not take the concerns, outrage and revulsion of the Irish Government, the people and the Dáil seriously, no matter where he comes from? Expulsion of ambassadors from countries which are complicit in war crimes should be part of our foreign policy.

I welcome the debate and look forward to hearing the views of other Members. I call on the Minister to keep up his efforts and to continue to do everything he can to help this desperate situation, which will be viewed as a stain on this era.

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