Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I want to make clear my total condemnation of the bombardment of Aleppo. The attacks by the Assad regime and its allies, including Russia, against eastern Aleppo are clearly disproportionate and the deliberate targeting of hospitals, medical personnel, schools and essential infrastructure and the widespread civilian casualties may well amount to war crimes. Our concerns have been conveyed in the clearest possible terms to the Russian authorities. Ireland does not recognise the legitimacy of the 2014 Syrian Presidential elections and has ceased all diplomatic or political contacts with the Assad regime in Syria. The Government has provided unprecedented levels of humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people since 2012, providing €62 million in support. I also spoke with UN special envoy Stafan de Mistura last week, underlining our continuing and strong support for his efforts to stem the destruction of Syria and her people. On Thursday last the Taoiseach, along with his colleagues at the European Council reviewed EU efforts to end this horrific violence in Aleppo and Syria. The US will continue to be a key actor in efforts to bring about a cessation of hostilities. In the coming days, I will have an opportunity to discuss the situation in Syria with the US Secretary of State, John Kerry, to make known Ireland’s concerns and to hear about his latest efforts, in the context of the appalling violence in Syria.

I will continue to press for accountability, both to provide the victims with the hope of redress and in the hope that it will deter those involved from even worse atrocities. This has been central to our interventions at the UN in New York and at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. We have resettled hundreds of Syrians across Ireland, including in my home town, some of them survivors of torture by the Assad regime, and we will accept thousands more. We remain engaged through the European Union in the International Syria Support Group and continue to support efforts to find a political resolution to the Syrian conflict.

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