Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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41. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has had any discussions with British Prime Minister, Mr. David Cameron, in relation to British military action in Syria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44827/15]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I refer the Deputy to the answer I gave to Deputy Micheál Martin earlier this week concerning these issues.

I discussed the threat posed by terrorist groups operating in Syria to the peoples and States of the Middle East region and the European Union and the need for coordinated international action with Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond in London on 23 November.

Ireland fully supports the removal of the threat to international peace and security posed by the Da'esh group, consistent with international law. The recent attacks in Paris, Tunisia, Lebanon and elsewhere, including those in which Irish citizens have been murdered and wounded, show that Da'esh's terrorist crimes are an international and indiscriminate phenomenon which does not respect borders or nationality.

The threat posed by international terrorism requires a coordinated response from the international community. An effective response also requires a comprehensive approach which addresses root causes and contributory factors, promotes a counter-narrative, prevents radicalisation, deters and disrupts terrorist travel, addresses terrorist financing and brings perpetrators to justice.

Ireland, in common with all other UN Member States has a duty to implement relevant UN Security Council Resolutions and we have taken steps to do so. These Resolutions include UNSCR 2161 on freezing the funds and other assets of terrorist groupings and UNSCR 2178 on measures to suppress the recruiting, organising, transporting or equipping of individuals who travel to another State in order to perpetrate, plan or participate in terrorist acts or training.

Ireland is not and will not be participating in any international military action to combat Da'esh.

It is for individual States to determine in what way they might best contribute to the concerted international effort underway to tackle the threat posed by DA'ESH and other UN-designated terrorist groups. Security Council resolution 2249 calls upon UN Member States to “take all necessary measures, in compliance with international law, in particular with the United Nations Charter, as well as international human rights, refugee and humanitarian law, on the territory under the control of ISIL also known as Da'esh, in Syria and Iraq, to redouble and coordinate their efforts to prevent and suppress terrorist acts committed specifically by ISIL also known as Da'esh as well as ANF, and all other individuals, groups, undertakings, and entities associated with Al Qaeda, and other terrorist groups, as designated by the United Nations Security Council, and as may further be agreed by the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) and endorsed by the UN Security Council, pursuant to the Statement of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) of 14 November, and to eradicate the safe haven they have established over significant parts of Iraq and Syria".