Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank all Senators for their contributions. In particular, I thank Senator Higgins for her initiative in tabling this all-party motion. The Government welcomes the opportunity to state our position on the conflict in Yemen. As has been mentioned by many, the cross-party support for the motion reflects the importance that Ireland attaches to Yemen and the widely felt concern of the Irish people about the risk of famine that hangs over millions of Yemenis.

Let us not underestimate the very significant task that lies ahead. Yemen is still reeling from a conflict that is multifaceted, as Senator McDowell pointed out, and incredibly complex, with roots that extend far deeper than the current dispute between the Houthi rebels and the internationally recognised Government. Yemen is in the grip of a humanitarian disaster that is man-made and is taking its toll on the most vulnerable. Yemen has long suffered from underdevelopment and the conflict has exacerbated that situation, all but destroying the economy and severely impacting on the delivery of basic public services. It has long been clear that there can be no military resolution to the conflict. We are relieved by the positive developments in recent weeks as the UN special envoy, Mr. Martin Griffiths, brought representatives from the internationally recognised Government of Yemen and the Houthi de facto government to Stockholm for negotiations. Agreements were reached on a ceasefire in Hodeidah and on prisoner exchange. We are anxiously waiting to see how the implementation of these agreements proceeds. Most importantly, there was agreement to meet again in the new year. We all hope the talks will make substantial and rapid progress when that happens.

Senators have mentioned the very significant humanitarian crisis that is now presenting in Yemen and Ireland's response to it. Our humanitarian aid programme in that region will continue to be of the utmost importance. Since 2015, Ireland has provided almost €17.5 million in humanitarian assistance to Yemen, including contributions of €5 million to the UN Yemen humanitarian fund this year. This fund provides assistance in the areas of education, logistics, food security, nutrition and health. Ireland also supports Yemen through annual contributions made to the EU and, since the beginning of the conflict in 2015, the EU has allocated €438 million in humanitarian aid to the Yemen crisis, which includes humanitarian development, stabilisation and resilience support. Ireland also contributes to the UN central emergency response fund, the World Food Programme, UNICEF and the international committee of the Red Cross, all of which are active in Yemen. However, it is clear to all of us that much more will be needed and Ireland remains committed to helping to alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people in any way we can. Ireland will continue to prioritise humanitarian aid contributions to Yemen next year in view of the appalling level of need.

Many Senators referred to the role that arms supply plays in continuing this crisis. The motion recognises how foreign weapons, both legally traded and illicitly smuggled, are prolonging the war in Yemen and thus the humanitarian crisis. There have been calls from some quarters for an arms embargo. I must state first of all that Ireland does not produce or sell military weapons, thankfully. A number of countries within the EU have taken the decision to suspend their sale of weapons to the Saudi and UAE-led coalition. However, a full EU arms embargo would require an EU consensus and I regret that this is currently not possible. Therefore, Irish efforts have instead concentrated on ensuring the effective implementation of agreements to which EU member states have signed up, namely, the export control regimes and the implementation of the 2014 arms trade treaty. It is often more effective to press for the implementation of commitments made than to seek agreement on new measures. These obligations require all EU states to assess the potential that arms exports could be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of international humanitarian or human rights law and to consider measures to mitigate the risk of these violations.

I assure the House that Ireland will continue to take every opportunity to press for a negotiated settlement to the conflict in Yemen as well as for respect for human rights and international humanitarian law and improved humanitarian access. The UN process is the only game in town right now. I will take this opportunity to state again Ireland's full support of the UN special envoy and his team as he continues to engage with all parties to the conflict and to work towards a sustainable solution for the people of Yemen. The negotiations at Stockholm were but the beginning of what will likely be a long and complicated process. Nevertheless I hope that 2019 will mark the beginning of an improvement for the Yemeni people building on the fact that the parties are now at the negotiating table. Through our humanitarian aid, Ireland will continue to provide support to the Yemeni people in ensuring as best we can that their most basic needs are met.

I thank Senator Higgins and all speakers for the unity they have shown on this motion and for allowing me the opportunity to restate the commitments of the Irish Government and people. I also reiterate the Government's support for the motion.