Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Ireland continues to play a positive and active role in that regard. It recently issued a statement strongly condemning the use of cluster munitions in Yemen and Syria and we expressed our concern at reports of their use in Libya, Ukraine and Sudan. We also spoke of the challenges facing the convention in terms of new contamination sites and new victims from the use of these weapons in the current conflict. The statement also focused on the need for further and greater engagement in the matter of international co-operation, assistance and updating our work in humanitarian demining, which is linked to our obligations under the convention. The total Irish expenditure on this last year was €2.97 million. In the period 2006 to 2016, it was €38 million. We value our important role in this regard and will continue to help encourage other states to move this issue higher up their agendas.

See this speech in context