Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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Question 1: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the current role of Ireland in the UN mission in Syria; the status of the mission; the future plans for the force; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33767/12]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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On 21 April, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2043 (2012) authorising the establishment of the UN supervision mission in Syria, UNSMIS, for an initial 90 day period. Six members of the Defence Forces have been deployed as unarmed military observers to the mission since 11 May.

UNSMIS's mandate is to monitor and report on the security situation and on any transgression of the ceasefire agreement, as well as on the implementation of the six-point peace plan of Mr. Kofi Annan, the UN and Arab League joint special envoy. Following the intensification of armed violence, the head of mission, General Robert Mood, announced on 15 June that UNSMIS had suspended its normal activities. The suspension is being reviewed on a daily basis by the UN. While normal activities have not resumed, UN military observers, UNMOs, have undertaken limited patrols to humanitarian sites since 26 June. In carrying out their mission, members of UNSMIS have been subjected to utterly unacceptable attacks and limitations on their activities. Such attacks and restrictions must stop and the safety and security of UNSMIS personnel must be rigorously respected, with particular responsibility falling on Syria as host nation.

The UN Security Council is expected to decide on the future configuration of the mission on 18 July, in advance of the expiry of the initial 90 day mandate on 20 July. UN Secretary General Ban is presenting a report to the UN Security Council today which will form the basis for a review of the mission's current mandate. While all options are on the table, from a scaled down mission to complete withdrawal, I continue to believe that the mandate of UNSMIS remains critical in objectively monitoring the situation on the ground while its presence is also of great importance and reassurance to the Syrian population. I hope, therefore, that the Security Council will decide to extend the mission, even albeit in reduced form.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister for his response. Since we last debated this difficult situation in the Chamber, we have had the opportunity, through the good offices of Deputy Pat Breen, Chairman of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, to hear at first hand the experience of Syrian citizens resident in this country. That meeting was held in camera, lest their families in Syria be put at risk by the evidence being given. That meeting brought home to us the enormous seriousness and the impact of this disastrous situation on families. I salute the Tánaiste for the work he has been doing through Friends of Syria.

The last time we spoke about this matter in the Dáil we mentioned the statement of the United States Secretary of State, Mrs. Hillary Clinton, about attack helicopters being provided by the Russian regime. Mrs. Clinton got it wrong, it would appear. It was repair of helicopters that was being carried out by the Russian authorities. Does the Tánaiste agree with the Secretary of State when she asserts that China and Russia have a critical role to play in working towards a resolution of this problem? What is his response to the suggestion from Moscow that the Iranian authorities, and Prime Minister Ahmadinejad, should be involved in the process of working towards a resolution to the problem, given the close relations that exist between Iran and Syria?

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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As Deputy Ó Fearghaíl acknowledged, I attended last Friday's meeting of Friends of Syria at which 107 countries were represented, about half at ministerial level. We heard from representatives of the Syrian opposition of the atrocities being committed in Syria. About 16,000 people have been killed in Syria and there is continuing violence and attacks on the civilian population.

A robust position by the United Nations is needed. There has been one Security Council resolution which I have described and that allowed for the establishment of UNSMIS. However, it is our belief that we need a UN Security Council resolution that will allow for the imposition of much more robust and more widely respected sanctions against the Syrian regime. For that, the agreement of Russia and China would be necessary. Continuing efforts are being made to persuade both Russia and China to participate in a UN Security Council resolution. I hope they will do so. Their influence in involving other countries that may be useful in bringing about a resolution of the atrocities, including Iran, would be helpful. At this stage, the focus is on seeing what can be done to obtain a further Security Council resolution that would have real impact on the ground.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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How does the Tánaiste respond to the assertion of the Syrian citizens who came to this House that direct military intervention by the UN is required? All Members of the Dáil are committed to pursuing diplomatic means, but the assertion of those most directly affected was that military intervention is required.

Has the Tánaiste had discussions with his EU counterparts regarding what will happen after 20 July? We are in a civil war situation that is continuing and getting worse. On Monday last, 100 people were killed in Syria and that was described as an average number of deaths. Has the Tánaiste had any bilateral contact with his counterparts in Russia or China on this matter?

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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My response to calls for military intervention, including UN military intervention, in Syria is that the Syrian opposition leadership would not welcome such an intervention at this point. One concern is the possibility of the deterioration of the situation in Syria to full-scale sectarian civil war. The situation on the ground is complex and the focus of the international community is on securing a resolution of the appalling situation in Syria without military intervention.

The European Union Foreign Affairs Council will be meeting on 24 July and will review the situation that exists after 20 July. We are in close contact with the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Baroness Ashton, and other member states about the situation in Syria and we maintain close contact with them. I have discussed the situation with the Foreign Ministers of Russia and China but I have not had such a discussion in recent weeks.