Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 175: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the position regarding the ongoing situation in Syria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19793/12]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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I am deeply concerned at the current situation which has seen escalating violence in recent days, notably the appalling indiscriminate bombing that struck the city of Damascus on 10 May as well as continued shelling of urban centres, such as the town of Rastan, by Syrian armed forces. While there had been some initial diminution of violence following the ceasefire which originally came into effect on 12 April, this unfortunately has not been maintained and overall levels of violence and casualties are rising steadily. The overall pattern of the conflict has also altered in recent weeks, with more indiscriminate bombings and acts of random violence (including by opposition forces) while brutal repression and raids on civilian areas led by forces loyal to the Assad regime have continued. It is estimated that more than a thousand people have now lost their lives since 12 April, despite both sides to the conflict agreeing to a cessation of violence and of offensive operations.

I call upon the Syrian authorities as well as the armed opposition to desist immediately from these despicable acts of violence and to comply fully with all the elements of the six-point peace plan of UN/Arab League Joint Special Envoy Annan. In particular, the Assad regime must ensure the complete withdrawal of heavy weaponry and troops from population centres, the release of political detainees and full access for humanitarian assistance organisations. All sides, including opposition forces, must halt the violence if the ceasefire is to have any chance of taking hold.

The current situation in Syria was extensively discussed at the Foreign Affairs Council on 14 May which I attended. The Council recalled its full support to the Annan six-point plan, which remains the only realistic and agreed framework to bring an end to the violence and to promote a peaceful political transition in Syria.

The Council also welcomed the deployment of the UN Supervision Mission (UNSMIS), as authorised by UN Security Council Resolution 2043. This is a central element in the efforts towards achieving a complete and durable cessation of violence. Ireland is contributing a contingent of six military observers to the Mission, as per the Government decision of 24 April. The Irish contingent is now fully deployed in Syria and has joined the approximately 200 other military observers and 65 civilian staff of the 300-strong Mission already on site.

Recent attacks targeting UNSMIS personnel, such as that outside Deraa on 9 May and the attack on a convoy of four cars carrying UNSMIS observers near the city of Hama on 14 May, serve as stark reminders of the severity of the challenges faced by the Mission in fulfilling its mandate. Ireland, along with its EU partners, reiterates its call to the Syrian authorities to ensure the safety of the observers and to facilitate the full and prompt deployment of UNSMIS.

The humanitarian situation remains critical. Over 50,000 Syrians have been forced to flee to neighbouring countries and many civilians inside Syria are in need of sanitation, food and medical aid. Ireland is working closely with the UN and other international partners to address this situation and we urge the Syrian authorities to facilitate the delivery of aid, rather than continuously hindering the efforts of humanitarian organisations to speed up the provision of essential relief.

I very much regret the postponement of the Arab League-sponsored meeting scheduled for 16 May in Cairo whose objective was to build greater unity among the Syrian opposition. The international community has been quite clear that it will only engage with and support those opposition groupings committed to democratic values and a peaceful political transition in Syria. All such opposition parties, both inside and outside Syria, must make greater efforts to unite and work towards a much-needed common platform of values, reflective of the legitimate aspirations of all Syrian people, with a view to engaging swiftly in a genuine and inclusive process of political transition, as provided for under the Annan Plan.