Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the need for a fresh UN mandate to help end the Syrian civil war; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44896/12]

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on current measures being considered at EU and UN level to address the ongoing crisis in Syria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44911/12]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will outline any discussions he has had with the Turkish ambassador regarding the prospect of a conflict between Syria and Turkey; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44898/12]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 10, 41 and 50 together.

The crisis in Syria dominated discussions when I attended the UN General Assembly in New York last month. I made clear when I addressed the General Assembly on 28 September that what is happening in Syria represents an affront to humanity with indiscriminate violence, which is not just confined to one side, taking place on an appalling scale.

There is a widespread feeling of despair and frustration at the continuing violence and the seeming inability of the United Nations, and in particular the Security Council, to act decisively and stop the slaughter of the Syrian people. I continue to believe that a strongly worded Security Council resolution under Chapter VII imposing a comprehensive arms embargo remains an essential step to halt the violence and cut off the flow of arms.

The immediate priority must remain the earliest possible ceasefire and the initiation of some form of political process leading to transition. Ireland and its EU partners continue strongly to support the mission of the UN-Arab League joint special envoy, Lakhdar Brahimi, who clearly needs the active co-operation and support of all in the region and major international actors, such as Russia, if he is to have any chance of succeeding in his mission.

Syria was extensively discussed at the Foreign Affairs Council which I attended in Luxembourg on Monday. The EU has, of course, been playing a prominent role in efforts to stop the violence in Syria and in providing urgently needed humanitarian assistance. The Council adopted strongly worded conclusions once again warning about the dangers of further militarisation of the conflict, expressing full support for the endeavours of the joint special representative, Mr. Brahimi, and recalling the moral imperative to step up assistance in order to alleviate the suffering of the thousands of refugees and internally displaced Syrians.

The Council also adopted a series of further sanctions in a continuing effort to compel the Assad regime to halt the bloody repression it is inflicting on the Syrian people. The Council also emphasised the importance of ensuring full accountability for the very many crimes and serious human rights abuses committed in Syria. Nationally, Ireland continues to support the many calls which have been made for the situation in Syria to be referred by the Security Council to the International Criminal Court as the best means of guaranteeing accountability.

A major preoccupation in the Council’s discussions was the heightened tensions now existing in the region, following the appalling shelling of the Turkish border town of Akcakale on 3 October by the Syrian army and the subsequent impounding of a Syrian Airways aircraft at Ankara Airport last week. I have already strongly condemned the attack on Akcakale in a statement I issued in my role as OSCE chair on 4 October where I urged the Syrian Government to end all violence and to respect fully the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all neighbouring countries. I also offered my condolences to the families of those killed and to the Turkish people.

I have not had an opportunity to discuss with the Turkish Foreign Minister, Mr. Davutoglu, or with the Turkish ambassador the deplorable attack on Akcakale or the recent escalation in tensions between Turkey and Syria. However, what is clearly most required at present is restraint on all sides and a recognition that the crisis within Syria will only deepen if it is allowed spread out into the wider region. This was also very much the sentiment at the Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg and it is a message that I know the EU High Representative, Baroness Ashton, and all EU representatives, including myself, will continue to emphasise in our contacts with all sides involved in the conflict.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Tánaiste for his comprehensive reply. I welcome his statement at the United Nations General Assembly and his pursuing of this issue with his colleagues at the European Union Foreign Affairs Council. Every conflict is frightening, but the awful tragedies, including the mass murder of so many people, we see on our television screens every day is particularly frightening. I understand that approximately 30,000 people have been killed in just over a year since the protests erupted. The following quotation is attributed to the international charity Save the Children:

As Syria’s civil war has intensified, thousands of children have died in brutal attacks and many more have been injured, traumatised or forced to flee their homes.

Boys and girls continue to be killed, maimed and tortured. These appalling violations against children must stop and those carrying them out held to account.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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As there is only one minute remaining for the Tánaiste to reply, I ask the Deputy to ask his question.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I agree with what the Tánaiste is doing and as outlined he has used every forum available to him to highlight from an Irish and EU perspective the need for involvement by the United Nations, which seems to be paralysed in dealing with this conflict given the divisions in the Security Council. I ask him to ensure that this issue, which is of the utmost importance, is addressed in every way in the fora available to him.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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It is very difficult to quantify the number of people who have been killed owing to the restricted access. I have seen figures of 22,000 and up to 30,000, as the Deputy mentioned. Some 300,000 Syrians have been forced to flee to neighbouring countries. Approximately 1.5 million Syrians in Syria are in need of sanitation, food and medical aid. I discussed the humanitarian situation in Syria with the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, when I attended the UN General Assembly in New York. Immediately after this session today, I will meet the UN Under Secretary General, Baroness Valerie Amos, who has responsibility for the delivery and co-ordination of humanitarian aid and we will be discussing what needs to be done there. Ireland has contributed approximately €2.25 million to various UN and NGO bodies which are working on delivering aid.

The Minister of State, Deputy Costello, went to the region in August. He was in the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan and saw at first hand the conditions under which people fleeing Syria are living. We are committed to working with the UN and humanitarian agencies to deliver humanitarian aid to those people, but of course we need to get an end to the violence and a resolution to the problem. To do that I believe we need a UN Security Council resolution. Last Sunday before the Foreign Affairs Council we had a very frank discussion with the Russian Foreign Minister about what needs to be done to secure a UN Security Council resolution.