Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have no hesitation in saying on the record that I condemn the atrocities that are happening in Syria perpetrated by the Syrian Governments and the Russians. However, the comments made by the leader of Fianna Fáil are both infantile and dangerous when he said that we do not want to condemn Russia or to say that this has arisen from one particular source. That is to simplify matters in a most dangerous way. As a woman, I am outraged by the killing of people, including women and children, in Syria. I believe every person in this Chamber is outraged but there is an onus on us to question and lead. I agree with the comments by Deputy Wallace and others in respect of acting as a neutral country, using our moral power to call for a ceasefire and not taking sides but condemning the violence on both sides. The US is in there funding and arming what are known as the rebels.

I agree with some of the Minister's speech. He pointed out that Syria is a sovereign country and should have the right to make its own decisions and I fully agree with him on that. However, there is no sense of urgency in this Chamber nor in Europe. I understand that this is the first time that Syria has been discussed despite the fact that the war is in its sixth year. Once again, we have been forced by the people of Ireland who want us to lead and stand up and who say in the e-mails we have received that they want a ceasefire and for us to do everything in our power to help bring it about and then hold the Government to account for the 4,000 refugees at a minimum that we promised to take in. The Minister has not explained to us why we have not taken those 4,000 refugees. He referred in general terms to hundreds of refugees being taken in. We promised to take in 4,000. As I speak, our Taoiseach and the other leaders of Europe are having dinner in Brussels tonight and among other topics, will discuss the slaughter in Syria from the point of view of what to do about Russia and without recognising the complicit role played by Europe and the US, particularly the invasion of Iraq. I was one of the 100,000 people who went on to the streets and begged the Government to listen but it did not..

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