Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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157. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the issues discussed at the recent EU Foreign Affairs Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40687/14]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I attended the most recent meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg on 20 October 2014. Discussions were largely dominated by the Ebola crisis in West Africa, as well as by developments in the EU’s Southern and Eastern Neighbourhoods. In opening remarks, High Representative (HR) Ashton gave a short update on the progress of the negotiations with Iran on the nuclear dossier. In addition, HR Ashton welcomed the orderly conduct of elections in Bosnia-Herzegovina on 12 October. Council Conclusions on Bosnia-Herzegovina were adopted without discussion. The first formal agenda item for discussion was the Ebola crisis and there followed an extensive exchange of views, involving the participation of European Commissioners Georgieva (International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response) and Borg (Health). Clearly the outbreak and spread of the disease is a cause of great concern to all EU Member States. During our discussions there was a strong commitment to step up efforts to prevent the spread of the disease, and to increase efforts to improve the coordination of efforts on the ground, including in terms of providing appropriate support to medical personnel. In my intervention, I welcomed the discussion, stressing both the leading role of the UN, as well as the importance of EU coordination. I also provided the Council with a read-out from Minister of State Sherlock’s recent visit to Sierra Leone. The Council Conclusions received strong support and draw together the key aspects of cooperation and coordination at EU and the wider international level.

Ministers were later joined by the UN Special Representative on Libya and Head of UNSMIL (United Nations Support Mission in Libya) Bernadino Leon who updated us on recent developments in Libya and ongoing mediation efforts. Council Conclusions on Libya were adopted by the Council.

The Council adopted conclusions on the situation in Iraq and Syria. These Conclusions unequivocally condemn atrocities, killings and human rights abuses perpetrated by ISIS and other terrorist groups in both Syria and Iraq, as well as by the Assad regime in Syria. The Conclusions also highlight the ongoing humanitarian challenges, and the need to implement UN Security Council resolutions 2139 and 2165 which provide for the lifting of restrictions on humanitarian relief and cross-border assistance. The Council also agreed to expand restrictive measures against the Assad regime, including a new ban on the export of aviation fuel to Syria.

Ministers then had a short exchange on Ukraine. The Conclusions adopted by the Council noted the decreased level of violence while regretting and condemning the continued numerous violations of the ceasefire. The Council called for all parties’ full engagement and swift implementation of the Minsk document.

Finally, the Council turned its attentions to the Middle East Peace Process and the situation in Gaza where there was a useful exchange of views. High Representative Ashton debriefed Ministers on the outcome of the donor's conference for Gaza on 12 October in Cairo, which I attended. My comments welcomed the outcome of the Conference – where Ireland pledged €2.5 million in humanitarian assistance and reconstruction aid – while emphasising that this funding could only be effective in an environment where the conflict was not going to resume. As I have stated before, it is imperative that the underlying issues in Gaza are addressed and resolved politically. Ireland’s support for a two-State solution is well known and resuming substantive negotiations to bring this about represents only effective means of ending the conflict.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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158. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the proposals he put forward at the recent EU Foreign Affairs Council in relation to the need for the EU and the international community to intensify efforts to deal with the Ebola outbreak; if he will provide additional humanitarian assistance to the areas affected in West Africa; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40688/14]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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The EU Foreign Affairs Council, which I attended in Luxembourg on 20 October, held a critical discussion on Ebola, and in particular on the need to step up EU efforts to tackle the crisis in a more coordinated way. At the Council, we reviewed the overall situation in West Africa as the Ebola virus continues to spread in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. The Council recognised that a united and increased effort is needed to contain the outbreak and to provide the necessary assistance to the countries affected. In this respect, we stressed the importance of reinforcing regional and international cooperation and welcomed, in particular, the UN Secretary General’s decision to establish the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER). It represents an important step in the global efforts to contain the outbreak; to assist with the management and coordination of the international response; and to take a strong leadership role at national levels. The Council recognised also the need to support international health workers who are essential in responding to the emergency and agreed that the EU will provide appropriate care for them, including the possibility of medical evacuation if necessary.

During the discussion, I reiterated the urgent need to intensify support for the West Africa region in particular by addressing gaps in leadership and coordination through UNMEER, by addressing funding needs and by addressing the urgent need for more international health-care professionals in the isolation and treatment centres. The Council called on all international donors to respond to the UN appeal for funding, including through the recently established UN Ebola Trust Fund.

Ireland will continue to work closely with EU partners as well as with the United Nations to ensure a coordinated and robust response in the tackling of the Ebola virus. We are providing over €16 million in the region, directly and through NGOs. Our programmes in Sierra Leone and Liberia are focused on strengthening health systems and we have reprogrammed other funding directly to the Ebola response.

We are urgently looking at what more we can do, both internationally and through our Embassy in Freetown, which has been very active in helping to coordinate the local effort. We have adopted a flexible approach with NGO partners so that our long-term development funding to them can, as necessary, be redirected to assist with the fight against Ebola. We are keeping in close contact with Irish aid organisations operating in the region.

Ireland has been playing a strong role internationally and on the ground in Sierra Leone, and, significantly, the Minister of State for Development, Trade Promotion and North-South Cooperation, Seán Sherlock TD, was the first European Minister to visit the country since the start of the Ebola outbreak. We will continue to play our part in the fight to tackle the outbreak and I welcome the agreement at the Foreign Affairs Council that we will examine at the next meeting the wider political, security and economic implications of Ebola for West Africa.