Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Socialist Party)
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732. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the difficulties faced by the Circassian minority group in Syria; if he has raised the position of minority groups in Syria with his international counterparts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28784/15]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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The rights of minority groups, including the Circassian community in Syria, as well as minorities in Iraq, are of major concern to the Government. Officials from my Department have met with representatives from a number of religious and ethnic minorities since the start of the Syrian conflict. Concerns for the well-being of religious and ethnic minorities, as well as women and members of the LGBTI community, have grown in light of ISIS’s campaigns, which pose a threat to the survival of ethnic and sectarian minorities. I raised these concerns during my address to the UN General Assembly in New York and condemned all forms of persecution or discrimination based on religion or belief, and specifically highlighted the persecution of religious minorities in the Middle East as well as the rise of anti-Semitic attacks in European countries. Ireland also condemned the threats to religious minorities in a recent Security Council debate at the UN.

While Ireland does offer resettlement to vulnerable persons though the UNHCR, asylum in Ireland or in Europe cannot provide the solution to this problem, because the numbers are too great, because there are others also at risk, and because this would bring the life of these ancient communities in their homeland to an irreversible end. We remain fully committed to the comprehensive protection of their rights in their countries of origin.