Written answers

Tuesday, 10 July 2018

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Syrian Conflict

Photo of Niall CollinsNiall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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148. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of the conflict in Syria; the EU's preferred outcome for the country post-conflict; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30753/18]

Photo of Róisín ShortallRóisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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157. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to a recent report regarding the ongoing situation in Syria (details supplied); his views on the content of the report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30884/18]

Photo of Róisín ShortallRóisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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158. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the recent unilateral breach of the months' long de-escalation agreement that had prevailed in Daraa and surrounding opposition held areas in southern Syria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30885/18]

Photo of Róisín ShortallRóisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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159. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has made known Ireland's views to Russia on a bilateral basis regarding that country's use of and support for lethal force against unarmed civilians in Syria, including conducting airstrikes on hospitals and other healthcare facilities and camps for displaced persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30886/18]

Photo of Róisín ShortallRóisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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161. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the illegal confiscation of property from exiled Syrians (details supplied); and if he will raise this confiscation at EU level. [30888/18]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 148, 157 to 159, inclusive, and 161 together.

The Syria conflict, which is now in its eighth year, has cost the lives of well over 400,000 people. Over 13 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance inside Syria, including 1.5 million people trapped in hard-to-reach and besieged areas. Over 6 million people are displaced internally, and a further 5.6 million have fled to neighbouring countries and the wider region. The Assad regime and its allies have repeatedly targeted civilians, through deliberate attacks, including chemical attacks, on civilian infrastructure such as homes, hospitals and schools, the use of "starve or surrender" techniques and the denial of humanitarian assistance, and forced displacement in the interest of demographic engineering.

I am particularly concerned by the recent escalation of violence in the south west, including air strikes by the regime and its allies, which forced over 300,000 civilians from their homes and destroyed critical infrastructure including several health facilities. I am aware of the report to which Deputy Shortall refers which highlights some of the shocking attacks that have taken place in Daraa province in recent weeks. I welcome the truce announced on Friday, but I am concerned by reports that it has already been breached. I take this opportunity to call for an immediate cessation of hostilities, the respect of the de-escalation agreement and full humanitarian access to all Syrians in need.

I have frequently called on all regional actors, and all those involved in the Syria conflict, to show restraint and avoid any escalation, which could further undermine regional stability, as well as adding to the suffering of civilians. I have also called on all parties with influence on the Syrian regime to exert that influence to ensure that civilians are protected, and to encourage the Syrian Government to engage fully with the UN-led peace process.

It is clear that Russia's support for the Assad regime has prolonged the suffering of the Syrian people. Russia has also repeatedly vetoed UN Security Council resolutions on Syria, which has seriously undermined the protection of Syrian civilians. Ireland's has communicated its concerns directly to the Russian authorities on numerous occasions. In October 2017, I met with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Vladimir Titov. I relayed Ireland’s condemnation of the ongoing attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, and the use of chemical weapons. I called on Russia to ensure civilians are protected, and to exert its influence on other parties to the conflict to do the same. These messages have also been relayed to the Russian Ambassador on numerous occasions at Ministerial and official level.

I am aware of the issue related to property rights to which Deputy Shortall refers. Ireland recently co-sponsored a resolution at the UN Human Rights Council that "deplores the existence and application of national legislation, in particular 'Syrian Law Number 10/2018', which would have a significant detrimental impact on freedom of movement and the right of Syrians displaced by the conflict to return to their homes in a safe, voluntary and dignified manner when the situation on the ground allows it, and calls for their repeal".

Ireland and the EU believe that there can be no military solution to the Syrian conflict. The human suffering caused by the Syrian conflict can only be brought to an end by reaching a sustainable political solution. Ireland and the EU fully support UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura in his efforts to lead political negotiations to end the conflict based on the 2012 Geneva Communique and UN Security Council resolution 2254. The EU provides direct assistance to the UN-led Geneva peace talks and has launched, in coordination with the UN, an initiative to develop political dialogue with key actors from the region to identify common ground.

Ireland and the EU also provide political and financial support to a broad range of measures which aim to ensure full legal accountability for all war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Syria. This includes the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism established by the UN General Assembly to assist in the investigation and prosecution of persons responsible for the most serious crimes under international law committed in Syria, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria established by the UN Human Rights Council, and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Fact Finding Mission and Joint Investigative Mission with the UN. Last month, Ireland co-sponsored the decision adopted by the States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention introducing an attribution mechanism to identify the perpetrators of chemical weapons attacks in Syria and elsewhere.In addition, Ireland has consistently supported EU sanctions targeting the regime and its supporters, and will continue to do so as long as the situation on the ground justifies these measures.

The EU and its Member States constitute the largest single donor to the humanitarian response to the Syria crisis and have to date mobilised more than €10.6 billion for humanitarian, stabilisation and resilience assistance inside Syria and in neighbouring countries. The EU hosted two international donors’ conferences for Syria in April 2017 and April 2018 at which pledges totalling over €9 billion were made.

Since 2012, Ireland has provided over €110 million in humanitarian assistance to the humanitarian response to the Syria crisis, making this Ireland’s largest contribution to a single crisis in recent years. In 2017 alone, Ireland provided almost €25.5 million to the humanitarian response. At the 2018 Brussels Donor conference, Ireland pledged to contribute a further €25 million in 2018 and almost €22 million of this has been disbursed so far. Through its annual contributions to the EU Institutions, Ireland also supports the EU’s humanitarian response in Syria.

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