Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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141. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the outcome of discussions at the recent European Union Foreign Affairs Council in relation to the terrible plight of refugees fleeing the Middle East and North Africa; the progress to date in developing an adequate and comprehensive response programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36763/15]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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The scale of the migration challenge facing the EU is an enormous one requiring a comprehensive and coherent response. The political and economic circumstances behind the displacement of millions of people must be addressed, if the flow of migrants is to be managed. The conflict in Syria (which is the biggest driver behind this year’s migrant flows) has led to the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. More than 12 million Syrians have been displaced from their homes, of whom over 4 million are refugees in neighbouring countries. More than 250,000 Syrians have been killed since the conflict began. Many thousands more have been displaced from other conflict zones including the Horn of Africa, South Sudan and Afghanistan.

Last week’s Foreign Affairs Council confirmed the EU’s commitment to mobilise all appropriate instruments and policies to support efforts to address the root causes of migratory flows, including political instability, poor socio-economic development and poor governance. The Council expressed its support for diplomatic efforts by the United Nations to find solutions to the conflicts in Syria and Libya, major drivers behind the mass displacements of people.

The Council emphasised that cooperation with third countries must be a key element of EU efforts to address the migration crisis. To this end the EU is working with Turkey on an Action Plan to better address the migration challenges we both face.

As part of its efforts to develop a comprehensive migration strategy, the EU recently organised two high level conferences. Earlier this month a conference focusing on migration flows into the EU through the Eastern Mediterranean and Western Balkans route took place in Luxembourg. It issued a Declaration endorsing a five-pronged approach to addressing the migration challenge. Next month, an international summit focussing on migration will be held in Valletta. EU and African Heads of State and Government are being invited.

At their meeting earlier this month EU Foreign Ministers called on the international community to provide greater support to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), the World Food Programme (WFP) and other programmes and agencies assisting refugees. EU leaders have already agreed, at the 23 September European Council, to provide €1 billion in funding to the UNHCR and the WFP.

The EU and its Member States collectively are leading the international response to the refugee crisis. Since 2012, more than €4.2 billion have been mobilised for assistance to Syrians in their country and to refugees who have fled. Ireland will provide €12 million in support of the Syrian people in 2015, bringing our total funding since 2012 for this crisis to €41 million.

In addition to this financial support Ireland is also supporting the humanitarian search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean. The L.É. Samuel Beckett recently replaced the L.É. Niamh and has already helped to rescue over 530 people. In total, the Irish Naval Service has now rescued 7,639 migrants from the Mediterranean Sea under the auspices of the ongoing rescue operations. It is expected that the L.E. Samuel Beckett will be deployed until at least 30 November.