John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting the topic of the ongoing crisis in Syria, which seems to be escalating out of control as each day passes. I wish to state my total support for Ireland's commitment and support for the cause of international peace. Our Defence Forces have played a key role down the years in many areas throughout the world and I hope they continue to do so.

My main reason for tabling this issue today is to establish the position of six members of the Irish Defence Forces who are part of the United Nations supervision mission in Syria. That mission was to supervise a ceasefire as part of a six-point plan devised by Kofi Annan. The ceasefire has not happened and over a week ago the United Nations announced it was pulling back from its monitoring operations. However, the mission remains in Syria. There is great concern among the family members of the Defence Force members in Syria. They are concerned about their security and safety, particularly as the mission is unarmed and is to remain in the country. According to news and other reports, UN vehicles have been shot at and hit on numerous occasions. They suffered both direct and indirect attack before they halted their monitoring patrols. Explosions have also occurred close to the UN patrols.

I understand the members of the Irish Defence Forces are in communication with their families, as are the Defence Forces here. Is there a plan in place to deal with the situation if communication with Syria or with the area in which the mission is breaks down? Is there a plan for an emergency evacuation in the event of the situation escalating further? I understand the monitoring mission has been stepped down but that it will remain in Syria until 21 July. What are the plans after the mission is complete post 21 July? I understand that initially the aim was for the mission to continue for a longer period, perhaps for years, but this appears to be under question now. I thank the Tánaiste for taking the issue and I call on him to answer the queries raised.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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I welcome the opportunity to update the House on the current appalling situation in Syria and I thank Deputy John O'Mahony for raising the issue. All right-thinking people are offended by the continuing violence and blatant repression of human rights which are estimated to have claimed more than 10,000 lives in the past 15 months.

The situation in Syria was extensively discussed at yesterday's meeting of the European Union Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg, which I attended. The Council adopted strong conclusions condemning the brutal violence and the recent massacres at Houla and Al-Qubair and urging the Syrian regime to cease killing its own civilians. The Council was united in the view that President Assad and his regime have no place in the future of Syria. The Council also discussed and strongly condemned last Friday's shooting down of a Turkish jet fighter by the Syrian forces. This incident illustrates well the serious regional ramifications of the Syrian crisis and how easily the conflict could spill over into neighbouring countries such as Turkey and Lebanon. I emphasised this point in my intervention as there is now widespread concern to ensure that the current rather fragile stability in Lebanon is not endangered by events in Syria.

In face of the repeated gross violation of human rights carried out almost on a daily basis, all Syrians are legitimately entitled to expect that those guilty of such atrocities must be held to account. These issues are being discussed at the current session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, at which Ireland and its EU partners are active and which is likely to adopt a strongly worded resolution on the human rights situation in Syria in the coming days. We have also made clear that we will support any referral of Syria to the International Criminal Court by the UN Security Council.

Deputy O'Mahony referred in particular to the situation of the six brave members of the Defence Forces who are participating in the United Nations Supervision Mission in Syria, UNSMIS. At the meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council yesterday I highlighted the critical situation of the UNSMIS. The operating difficulties faced by the mission were such that the force commander, General Robert Mood, had to suspend monitoring activities on 16 June. This came about in the face of escalating violence, a rise in completely unacceptable attacks on UNSMIS patrols and the constant obstruction of its activities. I understand, however, that as of yesterday UNSMIS has been able to resume conducting patrols and that the conduct of such patrols is being reviewed on a daily basis. I welcome this development. I expect the Syrian authorities to ensure from now on the full safety and freedom of movement of UNSMIS observers. In early July, the UN Secretary General will submit proposals to the UN Security Council and troop contributors on the future of the mission after its current mandate expires on 20 July. I earnestly hope that it will be possible for the mission to continue in some form beyond next month.

Despite the significant problems it is encountering, the Annan plan is thus far the only platform available to end the violence and to initiate a long-awaited political transition in Syria. We remain fully committed to this plan and to Kofi Annan's efforts to bring about a more concerted international response to the crisis. Closer engagement with Russia remains crucial in this regard. In the meantime, pressure must be increased on the Syrian regime to abide by its international obligations. The EU has already imposed extensive sanctions against Syria and further measures were adopted yesterday. At this stage, however, UN sanctions would be most effective, in particular, a comprehensive arms embargo to prevent arms getting through to both sides. I urge early action by the UN Security Council in this regard. The prospects for further increasing the pressure on the Syrian regime as well as encouraging greater unity and co-operation among the Syrian Opposition will also be considered at the next meeting of the Friends of Syria Group in Paris on 6 July, which I will attend.

The priority must be to end the violence and initiate some form of political process leading to transition in Syria. For the moment, we must continue to lend full support to the special envoy, Kofi Annan, the UN and the Arab League in their efforts to bring this about. Ending the conflict, not escalating it, remains the goal to which the international community must direct all its efforts.

John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Tánaiste for his reply and for his efforts to promote and encourage a solution to this serious problem. As I noted earlier, my main concern is for the members of the Defence Forces involved. I am unsure whether the Minister can confirm that the Irish contingent does not have its own medical back-up. Can the Tánaiste throw any light on this? I have no wish to raise hysteria but I am concerned about the safety and security of the members of the Defence Forces.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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The Government continues to attach the highest priority to the safety and security of the members of the Defences Forces participating in the mission and that of all those participating in the mission. Close contact is being maintained between my Department, the Department of Defence and the UN, through our mission in New York.

General Mood fully briefed troop contributor countries and the UN Security Council during his recent visit to New York. We have received assurances from the United Nations that ensuring the safety of personnel and the safe conduct of patrols will continue to have the highest priority as UNSMIS resumes monitoring. I hope UNSMIS can continue in some form after its current mandate expires because its presence is of great importance and reassurance to the Syrian people. I take on board Deputy O'Mahony's comments on the concerns of family members of those serving on this difficult mission and I would be happy to brief him or to have my Department brief him on the steps being taken with regard to ensuring the safety of the personnel involved.

The events in Syria represent one of the greatest challenges to international peace and stability. There is daily escalation of violence and casualties, which are horrendous. Since the conflict erupted Ireland and our EU partners have been at the forefront of international efforts to steer the Syrian authorities away from violence and repression and to persuade all parties to engage in a peaceful process of transition. The conflict in Syria is bloody and horrific and I assure the House that we are determined to contribute to its resolution. We have contributed personnel to UNSMIS which is working in difficult circumstances. We are giving the highest priority to the safety and security of the members of the Defence Forces involved in the mission.