Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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3. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in view of Ireland's hosting of the EU presidency, the proactive steps he has taken to address the violation of international law by Israel, most recently their aerial bombardment inside Syria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23487/13]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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The Deputy is aware that EU policy on the Middle East is co-ordinated and led by the High Representative and the European External Action Service, EEAS, of the EU, not by the rotating national Presidency. An ever present danger in the Syrian crisis has been that it would escalate to engulf the wider region. Recent events, such as the alleged Israeli bombing of a target in Syria, the dreadful car bombing in Turkey last weekend, the recent kidnapping of UN Disengagement Observer Force, UNDOF, peacekeepers in the Golan and the continuing threat facing personnel serving with that vital mission, reinforce those fears and underline the urgent need for concerted international action to achieve a peaceful resolution as well as to provide urgent humanitarian assistance.

Israel is widely believed to have been responsible for an attack on a Syrian military base on 5 May, a further attack on a military convoy heading towards the Lebanese border on 2 May and an earlier incident in January, but this has not been confirmed. The Israeli Government, as is its practice, has not officially commented or accepted responsibility for these attacks. I am concerned if this is indeed the case, but I am also concerned about the reported movement of advanced weapons from Syria to supply Hizbollah in Lebanon and the use of these weapons by Hizbollah in attacks on Israeli cities.

All sides in the internal Syrian conflict and in the wider region need to show restraint at this critical juncture. Focusing exclusively on the actions of one party to a complex series of conflicts involving many parties will not help to achieve peace in Syria or the wider Middle East.

Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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Syria's gruesome civil war threatens to spill into a wider Middle Eastern conflict. Israel's aerial attacks on Syrian military installations near Damascus, killing more than 100 people, certainly have not helped. The bombing raids, which were unprovoked and illegal, were immediately supported by the US and British Governments. However, given the fact that Israel has illegally occupied Syria's Golan Heights for 46 years, the legitimacy of a few more air raids probably hardly matters. Nevertheless, I wonder what would be the reaction of the West had Syria or Iran launched such an attack on Israel or one of the Arab regimes arming the Syrian rebels. International legality, equity or rights of self-defence have little to do with it.

President Assad's regime is battered, discredited and unacceptable, but is unlikely to be dislodged by force any time soon. Intensified military action has no real prospect of breaking this destructive and horrific stalemate.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Will the Deputy frame a question, please?

Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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The West seems tempted to get involved. It likes some of the rebels, but not others. It would like to build up its favoured groups and weaken the role of the jihadists, who seem to be taking on a stronger role in the war. Foreign intervention on both sides has had the drastic effect of escalating the conflict. Apart from Israel and the US, among those pushing for more intervention is Prime Minister David Cameron, eager to ingratiate himself with the Gulf's dictators. He has been pressing for the EU's arms embargo to be lifted. Does the Tánaiste not agree that lifting the embargo would only escalate the problem further?

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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I am on public record as stating that I do not support the lifting of the arms embargo and the further militarisation of the conflict in Syria. The EU's sanctions regime in respect of Syria is due for renewal and I expect it will be discussed at the Foreign Affairs Council in May. As is well known, some member states have been seeking a lifting of the arms embargo. Ireland is among a number of countries that do not support such action.

However difficult it may be, we must work towards a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Syria. That conflict is complex, brutal and savage and has had a considerable impact on Syrians. To date, an estimated 70,000 people have been killed. This is probably a conservative estimate. More than 1 million people have been driven out of the country into refugee camps and approximately 2 million people have been internally displaced. We are attempting to address this significant humanitarian crisis.

In this context, it is important that the situation not be militarised further, either by the actions of other states or more arms entering that bloody and brutal conflict.

Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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I welcome the Tánaiste's comments. Will he remind Prime Minister Cameron of the lessons of Iraq and Afghanistan, that being, without a workable political plan, the use of force is a recipe for deep and prolonged trouble? An internationally and regionally backed deal is the only way out of this disaster. The US and Russia must talk. Does the Tánaiste not agree that they are the only players that can bring an end to this humanitarian crisis?

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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The US and Russia have already talked. There was a meeting between Secretary of State Kerry and Foreign Minister Mr. Sergey Lavrov just over a week ago.

My understanding is that it has been agreed that a conference will be convened within a number of weeks, which would build on the conference that took place in Geneva last June. The difficulty is that the international community wants a peaceful resolution of the situation in Syria but the slaughter is continuing within the country. The Assad regime is continuing its brutal attacks on its own people. There is a degree of frustration internationally that the conflict is not coming to an end and that the efforts of Dr. Brahimi have not yet resulted in a settlement. The Brahimi solution is the only one available and we support it through the European Union. We continue to do what we can to bring humanitarian aid to the unfortunate people who are suffering as a result of the conflict.