Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

That is the point I am trying to make.

Four questions are being taken together. When the Taoiseach's contribution is included, it means that we have two minutes each. That does not work. I appreciate that this new way of doing business means we are dealing with topical issues but we do not have sufficient time to listen to the Taoiseach's response because he does not have sufficient time to deliver it or to elaborate on issues.

In moving on to my questions, I ask the Leas-Cheann Comhairle to be indulgent with me. We will be having pre-European Council meeting statements later. Llike the Taoiseach, I want to raise a few issues at the next European Council meeting, the first of which is the case of Ibrahim Halawa. Yesterday was Mr. Halawa's 21st birthday. We should send very hearty belated birthday solidarity greetings to him, lá breithe shona duit. Yesterday was the 17th time his trial has been postponed. I know the Ceann Comhairle is leading a delegation, of which we will be a part, and we support that. However, I note the President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, has written to the Egyptian President to express his concern about the case. I ask the Taoiseach not only to raise it at the Council meeting but to seek in advance the support of other EU Heads of State to ensure Ibrahim's release.

The situation in Syria in general and in Aleppo is shameful. It is desperate to sit watching this on our television screens in our living rooms. The claim by the Russian enjoy to the UN that no one is going to harm the civilians is incredible. It is unbelievable. This siege has been a shameful episode in international politics and we should be firm in our opposition to all the forces, the Russians, the French and the Americans. Any forces that are operating there should not be doing so. We need a political solution. I again ask the Taoiseach to raise this issue. There is an opportunity to do something positive in the middle of all the horror.

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