Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his fairly comprehensive reply. He dealt with the issue of genocide which, as he went on, I thought he would not. We need to be careful. There are radical ideological groups within the UN, in particular. It is not an organisation that is as kosher as it would like to pretend. If our blood brothers and sisters were being taken, raped, forced to convert and forced into sexual slavery and if elderly people were being killed, we would cry out to the high heavens about it. These people are our brothers and sisters in Christ. Therefore, our concern should be equally strong.

There is evidence for genocide in all of the reports that have been published. The killing of Coptic Christians in Libya and what has happened in Syria has been put on video. It is pretty clear that there is an attempt to wipe out the Christian community. I have views about whether we should be selective about immigrants but that is a separate issue.

I agree with the Minister of State. It is important that we not do not denude the Middle East of its Christian community. The Patriarch of Antioch has made a statement in that regard and has appealed to Christians to remain there. I urge the Minister of State to ensure that the Government takes a much stronger position than it has done in this regard and to press for the latter to be defined. Most objective people would agree that what has happened is tantamount to genocide. The definition may have to be met but it should not be allowed to be blocked by one or two countries.