Written answers

Tuesday, 30 May 2017

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Human Rights

Photo of Maureen O'SullivanMaureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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68. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will raise concerns regarding the recently announced arms deal between the United States of America and Saudi Arabia at a European level; his views on the way in which the arms deal might impact on lives and further destabilise the region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25448/17]

Photo of Richard Boyd BarrettRichard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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96. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has had communication with President Trump in view of the €110 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia and in further view of the human rights issues in Saudi Arabia and the escalation of air strikes in Syria and Iraq since President Trump took office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25647/17]

Photo of Ruth CoppingerRuth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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99. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the arms deal between the United States of America and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; his further views on the impact of this on peace in the region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25657/17]

Photo of Charles FlanaganCharles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 68, 96 and 99 together. I will respond to questions 68, 96 and 99 together. On his recent trip to Saudi Arabia, the President of the United States signed a significant arms deal with the Kingdom. Saudi Arabia, like a number of other states in the region, is a party to the conflict in Yemen. The war has now entered its third year, at a considerable cost to the civilian population.

I have consistently, and repeatedly, made known to this House my view that there can be no military solution to the conflict in Yemen. I am aware of comments made during the US visit to Saudi Arabia, that more military pressure is needed to get the Houthis to enter into peace negotiations. My clear view, however, is that what is most needed in Yemen is for those with influence in the region to put pressure on the parties to the conflict to make the concessions required for a peace agreement.

A solution to the conflict in Yemen would not only bring relief to the Yemeni population, but would also have positive, stabilising effects in the wider Gulf region. It would also mean that the Yemeni Government and its neighbours could focus on fighting the terrorist groups that have strengthened their presence in Yemen since the war began.

The longer the war continues, the longer the suffering of the civilian population. The conflict has had a terrible impact on what was already the poorest country in the Gulf. The current cholera outbreak is one example of the knock-on consequences that the fighting is having on civilians. This epidemic is impacting children in particular, reflecting the fact that conflict often has the most devastating effect on the most vulnerable groups in society.

My officials engage regularly with their US counterparts on a variety of Arms Control, Disarmament and non-Proliferation matters. With regard to arms transfers to Saudi Arabia, and to the problems posed by arms transfers to conflict regions generally, our efforts are concentrated on universalisation and implementation of the Arms Trade Treaty, which we strongly support. The US has signed the Treaty, but not yet ratified it. Ireland regularly encourages all States who have not yet acceded to the Treaty as full members to do so. We also participate actively in EU demarches to non-members to this effect, and will continue to do so.

Finally, regarding Syria and Iraq, the US has undertaken a number of operations in Syria and Iraq since the establishment of the Global Coalition to counter ISIS in 2014. Ireland does not oppose the legally sanctioned participation of countries in operations mandated under UN Security Resolution 2249. These operations are aimed at the liberation of Syrian and Iraqi populations under the control of Daesh, or ISIS, a terrorist group which a UN body has charged with the crime of genocide against the Yazidi population.

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