Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

All I am asking the Minister to do is to discuss these issues and raise the issue of a suspension of arms sales with his counterparts in the EU. I do not believe that is unreasonable. What I find incredible is the contradiction in policy.

We know that war crimes have been committed in that area. We have more than enough evidence to go on in terms of the appalling humanitarian crisis that exists. How can the Minister square the circle whereby the EU approved an embargo on arms sales to Venezuela in November because of electoral irregularities but we cannot find it in ourselves to advocate an end to arms sales to Yemen, where war crimes have been committed and the worst humanitarian crisis anywhere on the globe is unfolding? The EU stands over sanctions on everything, not just arms, to Syria. This has actually had a humanitarian impact but nobody is calling for an end to arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, both of which are responsible for war crimes in the area. That is appalling and I believe the Government should be making such a call. It would give meat to our words and would mean that we are not just telling the parties to behave themselves but are actually removing some of the weaponry that facilitates the slaughter that is ongoing.

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