Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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4. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the current number of Irish persons in Syria; if he will provide an update on Irish Aid’s provision of humanitarian assistance to that country and adjoining regions; if he has raised at the EU Foreign Affairs Council the need to have an urgent and effective response to assist in the refugee crisis there; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1506/14]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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This crisis in Syria has continued for almost three years. I welcome that the Government has provided substantial overseas development in recent years. It is very disappointing to hear today that in the pledging conference that is taking place only one fifth of what is needed has been pledged to date.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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There are approximately 80 Irish citizens who have registered with my Department and who are resident in Syria. We have been advising all Irish citizens to leave Syria since March 2012.

Ireland has provided in excess of €14 million in assistance since the crisis began. The total includes support to NGOs partners as well as to members of the Red Cross or Red Crescent and six different UN agencies. My colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Joe Costello, is today attending the Second International Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Syria and its neighbouring region in Kuwait, where he has announced Ireland’s pledge of €12 million in support of the humanitarian relief effort over the course of 2014.

I have discussed the humanitarian situation inside Syria and of Syrian refugees with my colleagues at the Foreign Affairs Council on numerous occasions since the start of the conflict. The Syrian crisis was most recently discussed at the European Council on 19 and 20 December 2013, which reiterated the EU's continuing deep concern at the humanitarian situation, and reaffirmed the EU's commitment to working for increased humanitarian access to those in need and the provision of adequate funding for the humanitarian relief effort.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister for his reply. I welcome the commitment of €12 million in aid for 2014. Will the Minister ensure this issue is on the agenda of every meeting of the European Union Foreign Affairs Council? It is the humanitarian issue of our generation. A total of 130,000 people have died in this conflict and approximately 2.3 million are displaced or are refugees in adjoining countries. We should recognise the commitment, effort and assistance that those neighbouring countries have given the people of Syria, in particular Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Turkey. There is particular pressure on that region too.

The latest figures I saw show that 9 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. It is frightening to think of that. Millions of people have been displaced internally in Syria as well. Of the 130,000 who have perished in this civil war, more than 12,000 were children under the age of five.

Europe has been one of the better donors. Will the Minister state again at EU level that it is very disappointing to think that only one fifth of the funding the United Nations estimates is needed has been pledged by the international community at the humanitarian pledging conference taking place today?

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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This is the biggest humanitarian crisis of our time. That is reflected in the fact that the call from the United Nations for $5.2 billion in humanitarian assistance is the largest call for humanitarian assistance in the entire history of the United Nations. The official figure is 120,000 but we know that may be an underestimate of the number of people killed in this conflict. There are 9 million people in need of humanitarian assistance and 6.5 million - more than the entire population of this island - have been driven out of their homes, 2.3 million of whom are refugees in neighbouring countries.

There are several dimensions to this problem. First, there is the need for humanitarian assistance, second is the issue of getting humanitarian assistance to those who need it. A United Nations presidential statement made in October set certain ground rules for the delivery of humanitarian aid. That is not being complied with. Humanitarian aid is not getting through as it should be, for a range of reasons. We have been pressing for a United Nations Security Council resolution on the delivery of humanitarian aid.

We are in contact with Ms Valerie Amos, who has been leading the UN effort in that regard. I can assure the Deputy that I will be at the Foreign Affairs Council again next week and that I will reflect the views the Deputy has expressed here on behalf of this country. We will continue to lead by example, as the Minister of State, Deputy Costello, is doing today in Kuwait.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome every comment the Minister has made in regard to this humanitarian disaster. As he rightly stated, we have been one of the better donors. I read an Amnesty International report that described Europe's response in regard to providing for refugees as "pitiful". Perhaps this is an issue that could be pursued at the EU Foreign Affairs Council. Will the Tánaiste assure the House that, in every international forum available to us, at political and at official level, be it in the EU, the UN or other international fora, this issue is given serious and continued attention by those representing our country, and that we continue to highlight the plight of so many innocent people?

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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First, we have to recognise that the EU, with its member states, has been, by some distance, the biggest single donor in terms of humanitarian assistance to Syria. The EU has also been very active in seeking a settlement and support for the Geneva II talks process. Ireland, on a per capita basis, is at the top end of the donors on humanitarian aid. However, the need is huge, at a number of levels. First, there is the question of the delivery of aid and the provision of the finance to support that. Second, there is also the question of the delivery of the aid to those who need it. We are working closely with NGOs and partners, which are doing great work in this area. I want to assure Deputy Smith and the House that we avail of every opportunity to bring, in particular, the humanitarian dimension of this crisis to attention at the Foreign Affairs Council, and we will continue to do that. This is the biggest humanitarian crisis of our lifetime.