Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 62: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the case of a person (details supplied) currently being held by Syrian authorities in solitary confinement without any charges being put to them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27328/11]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Question 67: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his position on the current situation in Syria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27367/11]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 62 and 67 together.

I remain gravely concerned about the situation in Syria. President Assad and his Government seem oblivious to the demands of the Syrian people for change and to the lessons of the "Arab Spring" elsewhere. It is unconscionable that the Syrian government has for some seven months calculatedly and systematically persecuted its own citizens peacefully demanding democratic freedoms. Despite the appeals of the international community, President Assad and his authorities have persisted in their violent repression, including firing at short-range into crowds of unarmed protestors and shelling Syrian towns. To date, these actions have resulted in the deaths of over 2,700 men, women and children. Thousands more have been detained and many of those have been appallingly tortured.

As I stated when I addressed the UN General Assembly on 26 September, my basic message to President Assad is that no leader who refuses to listen to what his people are saying and to act on their clearly expressed desire for peace and reform can expect to remain in power.

The international community is determined to bring utmost pressure to bear until there is a change in policy in Syria. Ireland has fully supported, and enacted, actions taken at European Union level, including comprehensive sanctions against Syria. I fully support the strong political messages which have been sent by EU High Representative Catherine Ashton, most recently on 23 September, calling for an end to the repression and the immediate start of an inclusive political dialogue.

The EU has now extended its range of sanctions against the Syrian government, enacting an investment ban on the Syrian oil sector, as well as prohibiting the delivery of banknotes to the Syrian Central Bank, and listing additional persons and entities connected with the repression in Syria under the existing asset freeze and travel ban. These measures are targeted to ensure that the impact on the general population in Syria is minimised. The EU has also imposed a ban on the import of crude oil from Syria — the EU is by far the largest such importer - on 2 September. Through these measures, the EU hopes to prompt a rethink on the part of a government that has so far failed to heed the international community's messages.

Efforts are also continuing at UN level to increase pressure on Syria to bring about an end to the violence. On 3 August, the UN Security Council issued a Presidential Statement which condemned widespread violations of human rights and the use of force against civilians by the Syrian authorities. The Security Council also noted the lack of progress in the implementation of announced reforms by the Syrian authorities. The UN Security Council is currently discussing a draft Resolution on the situation and Ireland strongly supports our EU partners on the Security Council who are working towards a robust Resolution on Syria, commensurate with the gravity of the situation there. In addition, the UN Human Rights Council has formed an international Commission of Inquiry to examine and report on the human rights situation in Syria.

In relation to the case raised by the Deputy, that of renowned Syrian psychoanalyst Dr Rafah Nashid, I understand that Dr Nashid was detained on 10 September at Damascus airport. There have been reports that she is being held in solitary confinement and concerns are growing about her serious health condition. Mrs. Nashid is well-known for treating victims of psychological trauma as well as for her active engagement in favour of dialogue between all Syrians. I call for her immediate release, as well as the release of the many thousands who have been arbitrarily detained in Syria, many of whom are being subjected to torture in custody. In this regard, I fully support the comments by EU High Representative Catherine Ashton in her statement of 23 September on the case of Dr Nashid.

Ireland will, with its partners with the EU and the broader international community, maintain and indeed intensify its pressure until the violence perpetrated by the Assad regime in Syria comes to an end and the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people begin to be realised.