Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which efforts continue to be made to bring about a cessation of violence and the provision of support for aid workers in Syria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1937/13]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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The search for a solution to the conflict in Syria, which by the UN’s estimate has to date cost up to 60,000 lives, is a key foreign policy priority at present for the European Union and for Ireland. It will remain a key major priority during the period of our EU Presidency. Ireland will lend full support to High Representative Ashton in the efforts she is making on behalf of the EU to achieve an end to the violence and to promote a political resolution. In particular, Ireland and its EU partners are fully supportive of the work of UN/Arab League Joint Special Representative, Lakhdar Brahimi, who is endeavouring to get some form of political process underway.. Special Representative Brahimi is working closely with the US, Russia, the Arab League and others in the international community to revive the Geneva Communiqué of last June which foresees the establishment of a transitional Government responsible for mapping a way towards transition and the ending of all repression and violence in Syria. Ireland and the EU will also cooperate closely with other international partners as we work to address the dire humanitarian situation in Syria and to mitigate the plight of thousands of refugees and millions of ordinary Syrian people in need of assistance. In this regard, I am acutely aware of the particular risks taken daily by aid workers operating inside Syria. This has been graphically witnessed over the recent months with the increased targeting of humanitarian actors including attacks on civilians, medical personnel and facilities, aid convoys and humanitarian workers. Such attacks on humanitarian personnel and operations are completely unacceptable. More must be done to break this vicious cycle of violence which is in absolute breach of international humanitarian law.

During our Presidency of the EU, we will continue to emphasise the need for all parties to the conflict to facilitate humanitarian access and aid delivery to people in need, to ensure the neutrality of humanitarian aid and to abide by international humanitarian law, as outlined in the Good Humanitarian Donorship initiative and the European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which he continues to become alerted to the difficulties faced by the Red Cross, Medicins San Frontieres and all aid workers and their agencies currently operating or attempting to operate in war zones or unrest in the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere; if he anticipates any particular improvements in this regard in the current year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1938/13]

Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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The last ten years represent one of the worst decades ever in terms of attacks on humanitarian workers and lack of humanitarian access. Across the world, courageous humanitarian workers struggle every day to reach civilians in armed conflicts as well as those affected by the numerous natural disasters that occur each year. In many of these desperate situations the provision of life-saving relief by UN agencies, the Red Cross movement and NGOs such as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and others is often the only tangible expression of support for those who require the help and solidarity of the international community.

The Government firmly believes that more must be done to break the vicious cycle in which humanitarians are attacked and their vital work undermined in breach of international humanitarian law. In too many instances the work of humanitarians is undermined by those who control access to those in need through harassment or violence.

Ireland remains firmly attached to the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence and our own humanitarian relief policy remains predicated on a strong commitment to provide principled, flexible and timely funding to organisations which deliver effective humanitarian assistance in response to clear and identified needs on the ground. We very much recognise the importance of protecting the so-called “humanitarian space”, and know from experience that those agencies which are perceived as impartial to a conflict are invariably best placed to deliver aid to those who need it most.

Against this backdrop, both the Good Humanitarian Donorship (GHD) initiative and the European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid provide donors such as Ireland with a robust set of humanitarian commitments that are intended to ensure an appropriate, principled and effective aid response. From a national perspective, Ireland is strongly attached to the Consensus (and to the Action Plan which serves as a practical complement to it) and looks forward to championing the principles involved during our Presidency of the EU during the first half of this year.

Of course, Irish-based aid agencies have not been immune to the difficulties and challenges referred to by the Deputy, operating as they do in some of the most volatile and insecure environments in the world. Indeed, each day, countless numbers of courageous Irish, international and local staff members from these organisations struggle to reach civilians affected by conflict or natural disaster right across the globe. Given the political complexity of many of the world’s most serious ongoing humanitarian crises – such as in Mali, Syria, the DRC, Somalia and Afghanistan. – it is unfortunately unlikely that the difficult situation faced by humanitarian organisations will be substantially improved in the coming year.

The Government strongly supports and promotes the efforts taken by many of these organisations to develop solid security management plans and to employ dedicated security professionals to help train for and respond to security incidents. We are also continuing to work with the members and observers of the Dóchas Humanitarian Aid Working Group to develop a series of overarching professional standards for Irish aid organisations with respect to safety and security issues.

Finally, I would like to pay tribute to the many thousands of aid workers around the globe who are striving to save lives and to deliver humanitarian help to those who need it most, often under the most exceptional of circumstances. Their work, often overlooked and taken at great personal risk, is simply heroic.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which efforts are being made to set up permanent structures to engage with all the protagonists in the Middle East conflict with particular reference to the need to ensure access to outside independent agencies to deal with on-going issues and avert new confrontations or the potential for such confrontation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1939/13]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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While suggestions for an independent secretariat or permanent structure to support efforts to resolve the Middle East conflict have occasionally been made in the Oireachtas, I have to say that this idea has not been raised by the parties directly affected when I have met them either in the region or elsewhere. I do not think that we are lacking fora where the parties can express their grievances; rather, the opposite is the case. There are already permanent representatives and staffs operating in the field on behalf of the EU, the US, the UN and the Quartet. The problem is not, perhaps, one of a lack of structures but rather of a lack of political will to use what is already there.