Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will outline the decisions made at the recent EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in relation to Syria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8943/13]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent of any progress made through the aegis of the EU or UN towards achieving some consensus on the situation in Syria with particular reference to achieving a common approach with the objective of a cessation of hostilities and some provision to alleviate the hardship and human rights abuses arising from the war; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8912/13]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the additional steps he and his EU counterparts have taken to address the Syrian conflict; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8921/13]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the steps the international community continue to make to bring about a resolution to the conflict in Syria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9274/13]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 16, 39, 40 and 85 together.

Syria was the major issue discussed at the Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels on 18 February, which I attended. The focus was very much on the most appropriate steps for the EU to take in support of ongoing efforts to achieve a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

Against the background of escalating fighting between the Syrian army and opposition groups, and with no military resolution in sight, it is increasingly evident that a negotiated solution is the only realistic option to bring about an end to the appalling violence (which has so far cost more than 60,000 lives) and to start a genuine process of political transition. The Council made clear, in its Conclusions this week, that the EU welcomes and supports all efforts to bring a peaceful solution to the violence in Syria.

These objectives are central to the mission of the UN/Arab League Joint Special Representative, Lakhdar Brahimi. The Council reiterated its full support for Mr. Brahimi’s efforts and also welcomed the offer made to the Syrian authorities by the President of the National Syrian Coalition, Dr Al Khatib, to start a political dialogue leading to a peaceful transition.

The Council devoted considerable attention to reviewing the current EU sanctions which apply against Syria. These sanctions remain essential in order to maintain strong pressure upon the Syrian authorities to stop its campaign of repression and violence against the Syrian people. I welcome the fact that the Council was able to agree on renewing the full range of existing sanctions for a further period of three months.

Accountability remains very important, in the context of the many war crimes and human rights violations that have been committed by all sides during the conflict. Ireland has been to the fore within the EU in supporting calls for the situation in Syria to be referred by the UN Security Council to the International Criminal Court. The Council has issued a clear call on the UN Security Council to urgently address the situation in Syria in all its aspects, including on a possible referral to the International Criminal Court.

The role of the UN also remains key in coordinating international relief efforts to address the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation arising from the conflict. Ireland was represented at the highly successful high-level pledging conference on Syria chaired by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in Kuwait on 30 January at which in excess of US$1.5 billion was raised to support ongoing international relief efforts. My colleague the Minister of State for Trade and Development, Mr Joe Costello T.D., announced additional emergency assistance of €4.7 million at the conference, bringing total Irish aid to Syria in the past year to €7.1 million.

The Council, at its meeting last Monday, explicitly reaffirmed the leading role of the UN in providing assistance to Syria as well as to those neighbouring countries who are so generously hosting the estimated 800,000 refugees from this conflict.

The conflict in Syria will remain a major priority for Ireland at all levels of our international engagement and we will certainly use whatever influence we have in our current EU Presidency role to support and promote European and UN efforts and initiatives towards a peaceful resolution of the conflict.