Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

What I have said is that I condemn any chemical attack on any population, military or civilian. We are trying to put chemical weapons out of use permanently. The reason behind the motivation for targeted strikes was to act as a very clear deterrent to make sure that we do not see repeated use of chemical weapons on civilian populations and targets in Syria, which is a country that has already been ripped apart by war, yet now we are seeing repeated use of chemical weapons there. In the absence of the UN Security Council being able to respond comprehensively, I said that response was understandable. I did not say I supported it, but I can understand the motivation behind it. That is all I said yesterday.

I listened to the French and British Prime Ministers outline in detail why they took part in that action. I responded by saying I felt the focus should not be on military strikes but should be on diplomatic and political solutions, which is what the European Union has been pushing for and supporting the UN on for some time. That is where Ireland can be relevant and focused. We have no role or capacity in terms of military strikes. After they had taken place, it would not have achieved anything for me to have been strongly critical. Instead, I want to focus on the positive agenda that the European Union and the United Nations are working together to try to achieve, which is the implementation of ceasefires that have been signed up to but are being ignored. We will continue to focus on trying to create positive outcomes that can bring about an absence of the kind of continuing military activity and misery we are seeing across Syria.

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