Bernard Durkan
Question:1. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on housing will next meet. [45328/23]
Ceisteanna - Questions
Cabinet Committees
Alan Dillon
Question:2. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on housing will meet next. [46344/23]
Peadar Tóibín
Question:3. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on housing will next meet. [46371/23]
Richard Boyd Barrett
Question:4. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on housing will next meet. [46435/23]
Paul Murphy
Question:5. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on housing will next meet. [46437/23]
Mick Barry
Question:6. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on housing will next meet. [46495/23]
Pádraig O'Sullivan
Question:7. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on housing will next meet. [47660/23]
Paul McAuliffe
Question:8. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on housing will next meet. [47661/23]
Jennifer Murnane O'Connor
Question:9. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on housing will next meet. [47662/23]
Mick Barry
Question:10. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on housing will next meet. [47664/23]
Cian O'Callaghan
Question:11. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on housing will next meet. [47752/23]
Rose Conway-Walsh
Question:12. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on housing will meet next. [48503/23]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 12, inclusive, together.
The next meeting of the Cabinet committee on housing will take place on 27 November. The committee works to ensure a co-ordinated approach to the implementation of Housing for All and programme for Government commitments regarding housing and related matters. Housing for All is now in its third year of implementation. Next week, the Government will publish the second annual update of actions under the plan. In undertaking this review, we have committed focus on prioritising measures to speed up home building and sustain the momentum evident across many indicators, including new home commencements and completions. Despite considerable challenges in the external environment, building has started on almost 30,000 new homes in the past 12 months. In the first nine months of this year, 22,000 homes were completed, an increase of 8% on same period in 2022. We are now very confident that the target of building 29,000 new homes this year will be exceeded. The pipeline is also positive, with planning permission granted for in excess of 20,000 new homes in the first six months of this year alone.
Budget 2024 reaffirmed our commitment to increasing housing supply, with a record capital funding allocation of €5 billion for housing in 2024. We will continue to support affordable purchase initiatives introduced under the plan, including the first home scheme, the local authority home loan, local authority affordable purchase scheme and Project Tosaigh. We have also extended the help-to-buy scheme to the end of 2025. We are seeing large numbers of first-time buyers entering the market, with more than 30,000 first-time buyer mortgages approved in the past 12 months. That is well over 500 per week.
Under Housing for All, the Government is committed to improving the rental market by providing greater security, affordability and viability to both tenants and landlords into the future. The rent tax credit, which benefits 300,000 renters, will be increased from €500 to €750 next year. That is €1,500 for a couple and €2,250 for three taxpayers sharing.
Budget 2024 also introduced significant changes to the tax treatment of landlords to encourage them to stay in the rental market. Government has responded to the financial viability problems in the residential construction sector as a result of high inflation and rising interest rates. The Croí Cónaithe cities scheme is assisting the building of apartments for sale to owner-occupiers and the new secure
tenancy affordable rental, STAR, scheme will aid developers to build more than 4,000 cost-rental homes. We are also continuing to reduce vacancy through the significant grants available under the Croí Cónaithe towns fund.
As well as these schemes, a major emphasis for the coming year will be on reform of our planning system through the new planning and development Bill and the improvement of the long-term sustainability of the sector, including through the adoption of modern methods of construction. We will also focus on enhancing construction sector capacity through increased apprenticeships and implementation of the action plan to promote careers in construction.
Housing for All is working in terms of the number of homes available but also in terms of reforming and renewing the housing system in our country.
I acknowledge the announcement of the recent approval of social housing developments in County Mayo, with 33 units to be constructed on Turlough Road and a further 75 units proposed for Snugboro in Castlebar. These initiatives will undoubtedly contribute to alleviating the social housing shortages in the area. The pipeline in the years ahead also looks positive. However, the absence of affordable housing units within the projects stands out as a missed opportunity for many aspiring homeowners in our community. Despite previous discussions with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, and the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, to set forth a realistic goal of introducing 100 affordable houses in Mayo, it appears we are yet to see significant progress in that area. Balance is crucial, especially for a generation of young people who are encountering unprecedented barriers to securing their own homes. I ask that we consider setting affordable housing targets within each local authority, given the availability of government funding for such schemes and the distinct variability of housing costs among many local authorities. I also ask the Taoiseach to provide an update on work that is being put forward to the Government in this regard.
I wish to raise vacancy, which is probably the biggest sin of this Government in respect of the housing crisis. The Taoiseach has been asked why it takes an average of eight months for a public local authority to flip and re-let a vacant home while it takes three weeks for the private sector to do the same. That speaks to the enormous level of waste, bureaucracy and red tape that exists in the Government's approach to housing. Another such example is the vacant property refurbishment grant. In its first iteration, the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, made the criteria so tight that to apply, one needed almost to be a homeless homeowner. It took a year for the Government to cop on that the criteria were not working. In its current iteration, 1,389 applications for the grant have been received since July with only 16 being paid. The Government keeps producing these grants and schemes, etc., but is making them so ridiculously bureaucratic that it is nearly impossible for people to draw them down and as a result, the Government is making no real dent in the level of homelessness in the country. What is the Government going to do to make it practical for people to be able to draw down these grants and get homes for themselves?
A point I have made to the Taoiseach many times is that for people who are working and whose income exceeds the social housing threshold, the only available option is a cost-rental home. However, the delivery of cost-rental homes is very small at the moment and, therefore, people who find themselves in housing difficulty and who are working and over the thresholds, or in quite a few cases people who find themselves homeless, have no options available to them. They do not get the housing assistance payment, HAP, or any rent support. They are not eligible for any social housing that comes onstream. They could be waiting years before cost rental will be available and even when it is, allocation is carried out on a lottery basis so there is no guarantee. I ask the Taoiseach to come up with some assistance for people in that situation. A lottery system is okay when cost-rental homes or affordable housing are available. It is fair at one level. However, some proportion of cost-rental and affordable housing should be prioritised for people who are actually homeless or in very difficult housing situations and threatened with homelessness and where there are children in homeless accommodation.
The Deputy is eating into other people's time. I call Deputy Paul Murphy.
It is more than 15 months since the Government received the working group report on building defects in apartments and duplexes. It revealed the scale of the crisis that up to 100,000 families are facing. They are facing serious fire defects and other defects with an average remediation cost of €25,000. The responsibility for this crisis lies with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael and the regime of self-certification for which they are responsible. At the time, the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, responded to the report, promising action and 100% redress. Those were very fine words. However, that is all we have had. More than a year on, there has been no emergency funding and no movement on the scheme. Two budgets have passed and almost no money has been provided for redress. For mica in apartments and duplexes, the Government has committed to providing more than €5 billion but no money was provided in the budget. We now hear that the legislation may not be passed by the time the Government is done and turfed out. Will the Taoiseach give a commitment that this is going to happen within the term of this Government, that it will be legislated for and implemented, and that the money will be paid out?
I have an urgent issue to raise concerning a hunger strike. Asylum seekers currently accommodated at the Kilbride Army camp on the Dublin-Wicklow border will march to Government offices tomorrow to seek a meeting with the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O'Gorman.
I ask the Taoiseach to request the Minister to meet with these men's representatives.
I have been informed by my colleague, Councillor Kieran Mahon, that approximately 20 of the 123 men at the camp, which is operated by a private operator, have been on hunger strike for nine days. This is a serious situation that requires urgent attention. The main grievance of these men is that they are living in a place that is totally isolated. It is 10 km away from the nearest bus route. The physical isolation is giving rise to increased stress, anxiety and mental health pressures. They need to be transferred to another facility before the bitter cold of winter is on them. Will the Taoiseach please treat this as an urgent case and urge the Minister to meet with the men and their representatives tomorrow?
I join the Taoiseach in acknowledging the progress that has been made under Housing for All. That is lost in here sometimes. We are making progress and we are likely to exceed our targets again this year, which is to be welcomed. However, I want to raise the issue of wastewater. It really irks me, at a time so many other variables are beyond our control and the control of builders, such as escalating costs and so on, that the prioritising by Irish Water of wastewater treatment units in certain areas leaves a lot to be desired. I give the example of the villages of Carrignavar, Whitechurch and Glenville on the outskirts of Cork city to the north, where the lack of wastewater treatment units is prohibiting any future expansion, whether in terms of homes or, in the case of Carrignavar, restricting the intake students in local schools. I ask that the Government would prioritise wastewater treatment plants in those areas that need them most.
I too want to welcome the progress being made on housing, including in my own area of Carlow. I welcome the improvements, although I know we have a lot more to do. There are still many challenges.
In 2021, I introduced the Housing (Housing Assistance Payment Waiting Times) (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment) Bill. I am very disappointed that I am still waiting for it to be put on the system. Can the Taoiseach do anything for me in that regard? The purpose of the Bill is to set out a new statutory deadline for the processing of HAP applications and social housing assistance applications. When people apply to local authorities, through no fault of their own, they are waiting for months. I am asking for a three-week deadline to be introduced as soon as possible. Furthermore, all local authorities should go back to the old way of processing applications. Before Covid, everyone was interviewed in one-on-one. Some local authorities are still interviewing people by phone but I do not agree with that.
I welcome the fact that Carlow County Council has received approval for a homeless prevention officer post. The only thing awaited now is the appointment of a homeless officer. I ask the Taoiseach to talk to the Minister for Housing, Heritage and Local Government and do what he can in this regard.
I raised with the Taoiseach previously the need to regulate management companies effectively. As apartments from the Celtic tiger era reach 20 years of age, management sinking funds will be needed increasingly to repair roof leaks, replace lifts and so on. When sinking funds are insufficient, repairs will not be take place or owners will be levied sums that they simply cannot afford. Failure to regulate management companies properly combined with sinking funds being used to fund building defects means that in the next few years this crisis is going to come to a head.
The commitment in the programme for Government to review the Multi-Unit Developments Act 2011 has not been progressed and while the Housing Agency drafted regulations on sinking funds and service charges last February, the Department of Justice has failed to publish these. I ask the Taoiseach to provide an update, as I have requested previously, on when the draft regulations will be published, when the commitment in the programme for Government to review the Multi-Unit Developments Act be implemented and when a regulator for management companies, with robust enforcement powers, will be established.
We were told that the transition to the new pyrite/mica scheme would be seamless. Eight home owners in Mayo are still in phase one and have fully completed remediation works. They were told that they would not be penalised for getting in early but now, four months later, they are still waiting. The shortfalls in the scheme are staggering because of construction inflation. People are being refused due to the damage threshold and the accommodation shortage is atrocious, with extortionate rents being sought. I ask the Taoiseach to ask the Minister for Housing, Heritage and Local Government to consider the use of modular housing for those people who cannot move out of their homes to get the work done. On top of that, there is no feedback from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI. On accommodation, what we are finding is that families are being asked to move to other counties because there is no accommodation in Mayo that they can afford. I ask the Taoiseach to raise this with the Minister and to instruct him to get in touch with Mayo County Council directly to address these issues.
We have to review how we deal with wastewater. I spoke earlier about Dundalk and the fact that in most of the town, we have combined wastewater systems that deal with both storm water and sewage. We have infrastructure and a pumping station system that simply do not have the capacity to deal with current rainfall and flooding. We do not have the capacity to deal with the houses and factories that we have today, not to mention the capacity to deal with more factories or housing estates that need to be built. This is something that needs to be dealt with.
In terms of dealing with emergencies like the floods we had in north County Louth recently, we need to look at protocols and ways for local authorities to form central hubs. From time to time, they may need to bring in added resources from State agencies and central government.
I thank Deputies for their contributions. I join Deputy Dillon in welcoming the approval of more than 100 new social houses in Mayo. We are seeing very good numbers now in new social housing provision. We will probably build more new social housing this year than any year since the 1970s. It looks like the 2020s will be a record decade in terms of public housing provision in the history of the State. I agree with the Deputy that there needs to be a greater focus going forward on affordable purchase provision and cost rental so that more people have more opportunities to buy their own home.
Deputy Tóibín raised the issue of vacancy. There is always going to be a proportion of homes that are vacant for one reason or another. When it comes to public or council housing, the vacancy rate is approximately 2% and a lot of those units are designated for demolition, refurbishment or re-letting.
Why does it take eight months when it takes three months in the private sector?
When it comes to Croí Cónaithe, that is going very well, with approximately 4,000 applications submitted. We will review the process. It is still a new grant. We want to make it as simple as possible so people can draw down the money as quickly as possible but we need safeguards as well because ultimately, this is taxpayers' money. There will always be issues and we have to make sure that we have checks and balances.
Deputy Boyd Barrett again mentioned the issue of the social housing income thresholds. They have been increased, as Deputies will be aware, and they are under regular review. I believe they will be increased again, taking into account increased incomes and house prices. When it comes to cost rental, the system at the moment is a lottery system, which is fair, or at least equally unfair to everyone, depending on one's view of these things. We do not have any plans at the moment for a system of prioritisation but it cannot be ruled out in the future.
Deputy Paul Murphy raised the issue of defective apartments and duplexes. Since Government approval in January, the Minister for Housing, Heritage and Local Government has been working to progress the various programmes of work required to place the scheme on a statutory footing. This includes the remediation of fire safety, structural safety and water ingress defects in purpose-built apartment buildings and duplexes constructed between 1991 and 2013. It is expected that draft legislation will be published in 2024 and, hopefully, enacted by the Houses in early course. Subject to the legislation being enacted, a statutory scheme will be in place shortly thereafter. The Minister is working on this as a matter of priority.
Deputy Barry raised the issue of some people seeking international protection who are on hunger strike. I will certainly make the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration, and Youth, Deputy O'Gorman, aware of the situation, although I imagine he is already aware of it.
Deputies Pádraig O'Sullivan and Ó Murchu raised the issue of wastewater. It is absolutely the case, unfortunately, that wastewater is a constraint on new housing development in large parts of the country. Irish Water has a budget of more than €1 billion per year and there is a pipeline of projects that it is getting through. It will never be possible to do them all at the same time or even as quickly as we would like but Irish Water is ramping that up. There is a specific scheme for rural towns and villages and the Minister for Housing, Heritage and Local Government is going to make an announcement on that before the end of the year.
Deputy Murnane O'Connor raised her legislation on HAP applications and people having to wait a long time for their application to be considered. I am not sure that three weeks is achievable but I absolutely agree that people are waiting too long and we need a better standard of service.
I will certainly bring it to the attention of the Minister, Deputy O'Brien. I recognise the Deputy's call for a homeless officer to be assigned to County Carlow.
Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked about the regulation of management companies. That is being examined in the context of the review of the Multi-Unit Developments Act and some regulations that have yet to be published. I do not have the timelines on that but I will come back to the Deputy by means of correspondence.
As regards Deputy Conway-Walsh's suggestion of using modular housing where people are waiting for their home to be rebuilt or repaired, I will bring that to the attention of the Minister, Deputy O'Brien.
International Relations
Bernard Durkan
Question:13. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Taoiseach the extent to which he continues to have discussions with leaders throughout Europe and elsewhere in regard to the ongoing crisis, and potential crises, in the Middle East. [46709/23]
Seán Haughey
Question:14. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his participation in the extraordinary European Council meeting on 17 October 2023. [46717/23]
Mick Barry
Question:15. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his participation in the extraordinary European Council meeting on 17 October 2023. [47665/23]
Mick Barry
Question:16. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Taoiseach to report on any meetings or communication he has with the Israeli Government. [48577/23]
Seán Haughey
Question:17. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his participation in the European Council meeting on 26 and 27 October. [47699/23]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 13 to 17, inclusive, together.
I took part in an extraordinary meeting of EU leaders by video-conference on 17 October, convened by President Michel following Hamas’ attack on Israel on 7 October.
At the meeting, we reaffirmed our statement of 15 October: condemning Hamas for its brutal and indiscriminate attack; acknowledging Israel’s right to defend itself, while reiterating the importance of ensuring the protection of civilians at all times in line with international humanitarian law; calling on Hamas to release all hostages without precondition; and expressing our commitment to a lasting and sustainable peace based on a two-state solution.
At the meeting, I called for a humanitarian pause to hostilities to enable the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza and to facilitate EU citizens who wish to leave to do so safely.
The situation in the Middle East was also discussed at the meeting of the European Council in Brussels on 26 and 27 October.
Reaffirming our statement of 15 October, leaders also expressed our grave concern at the deteriorating situation in Gaza and called for continued, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access though all necessary measures, including humanitarian corridors and pauses. We reviewed the state of play and different strands of EU action, including efforts to assist EU citizens caught up in the conflict. We also stressed the need to avoid escalation in the region and the importance of engaging with partners in this regard, including the Palestinian Authority.
Leaders also emphasised the need to redouble efforts on restarting the peace process based on a two-state solution and welcomed diplomatic initiatives and the holding of an international peace conference.
I welcome the UN General Assembly resolution adopted on 27 October, for which Ireland voted, calling on all parties to respect international humanitarian law in all circumstances, to ensure urgent unimpeded access for humanitarian assistance in Gaza, and calling for de-escalation.
The Government will continue to work with EU and international partners to seek to bring about an early ceasefire so that essential supplies can reach people in Gaza and so that Irish citizens who wish to leave can do so safely.
At the European Council meeting on 26 and 27 October, we reiterated our unwavering solidarity with Ukraine and its people in the face of Russian aggression.
EU and member state assistance made available to Ukraine is now more than €82 billion.
Leaders welcomed the extension of the temporary protection for displaced persons from Ukraine until March 2025 and expressed their full commitment to Ukraine’s recovery and its reconstruction.
In addition, we held in-depth discussions on the proposed review of the European Union’s multi-annual financial framework or budget; participated in a Euro summit; held a strategic discussion on migration; and considered important external relations issues, including COP 28, the normalisation of Kosovo-Serbia relations, efforts to advance a lasting peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the situation in the Sahel.
What is happening now in Gaza following the brutal attacks by Hamas a month ago is truly shocking. Daily Israeli bombardments have resulted in the deaths of thousands of civilians, including many children, which is clearly a breach of international law. It is a humanitarian catastrophe and we must do everything possible to bring it to an end. The European Council struggled to agree a compromise wording on the situation. Ireland was right to look for a ceasefire but the final statement included a call for a humanitarian pause. There is now talk internationally of humanitarian pauses and corridors and we need to push strongly for this. We need to get vital aid and supplies into Gaza.
I refer to the Spanish proposal at the summit for an international peace conference to be established within six months. In my view, the international community has neglected its responsibility to bring about a just and lasting two-state solution in the region. It has tolerated, normalised and managed the status quo for far too long. Needless to say, any final solution would have to be acceptable to both sides. Is the Council's call for a peace conference something Ireland will actively promote?
The war in Ukraine is becoming more protracted. As we enter another winter, Russian air strikes are hitting Ukraine's critical energy infrastructure. EU leaders rightly pledged to continue to provide strong financial, economic, humanitarian, military and diplomatic support to Ukraine and its people for as long as it lasts. This is despite the contrary view put forward by the populist Prime Ministers of Hungary and Slovakia.
In this context, I welcome the announcement by the European Commission today regarding the opening of formal membership talks with Ukraine. Is the Taoiseach hopeful the December European Council meeting will sign off on this recommendation by the Commission in respect of Ukraine's application to join the EU?
I call Deputy Barry, who has two questions in this grouping.
I will fit them into one minute.
That is very positive.
Reports are emerging from Gaza of medics having to perform amputations of limbs without anaesthetic. Yesterday, the Taoiseach disagreed with my proposal that the Israeli ambassador be expelled. That is not an issue that will go away. It will come up again and again as this situation worsens. I will leave it aside for today, however. In his response to me yesterday, the Taoiseach failed to say what alternative action or actions he might intend to take. We have heard a lot of words in the past days and weeks but, surely, given what we are all seeing on our screens every night, it is clear the time has come not just for words, but for actions. What alternative actions does the Taoiseach propose to take to send a clear message and put pressure on the Israeli state at this time?
The Taoiseach has indicated there may be war crimes being committed by Israel in Gaza. Most people have no doubt they are being committed because they are happening right in front of us and, critically, Israel is not hiding it. Leading ministers and military personnel have publicly declared their intention to commit war crimes - to starve the entire population of water, food, gas and electricity. That is a war crime and they have said it. They have described Palestinians as human animals and said there will only be destruction and that they are all responsible. They have declared their intention to target the entire population and then they have committed those war crimes. There is no doubt.
The point is that if we were in any way facilitating the commission of those war crimes, we would also be liable for war crimes. Is the Taoiseach ensuring Shannon Airport is not being used to transport weapons to Israel to commit war crimes? We should remember that in 2006, in the context of a previous Israeli murderous assault on Gaza - of course, the history of this did not begin on 7 October, although some people want to pretend it did - munitions were being transported through Shannon to Israel and the Government of the day, under pressure from protests, made a decision that should end.
Are we checking the airplanes going through Shannon to ensure there are no weapons being transported to Israel? As we also know, the United States Government, including officers who were involved in the US massacres in Fallujah in Iraq, is giving military advice to Israel on how to conduct the attack on Gaza. How shocking is that? Can we also be sure no weapons or military assistance from the United States is going through Shannon Airport to assist Israel at a time when it is committing war crimes in Gaza?
Yesterday, the Taoiseach spoke about the need for the International Criminal Court, ICC, to have a proper investigation into the alleged war crimes which we think are very clearly, openly and brazenly being committed by Israel in Gaza. I asked the Taoiseach about it earlier in Leaders' Questions. I suggested that the Government should use the power that it has under Article 14 of the Rome Statute to make a referral to the ICC so that an investigation will immediately take place. The Taoiseach suggested there is no need for that and that he will look into it. I have looked into it further and I will explain to the Taoiseach what the benefit of the State making an Article 14 referral is. I will do so in the words of the former Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Coveney. He said the benefit of an Article 14 State Referral is that it enables the prosecutor to "immediately begin his investigation into alleged crimes currently unfolding there and will promote justice and accountability...". The former Minister for foreign Affairs, Deputy Coveney, was speaking after the Irish State made a referral under Article 14 of the Rome Statute on what is happening in terms of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The Irish State did this recently so that there could be an immediate investigation. Will the Irish State and the Government do the same in terms of what Israel is doing in Gaza? Will the Irish State make a referral under Article 14 so that there can immediately be an investigation of the war crimes being committed?
The Tánaiste stated that allowing the Israeli ambassador to remain in Ireland allows Ireland to become an interlocutor for peace in this shocking conflict. Ireland is a small country but we are seen as an honest broker internationally. We can show leadership in terms of peace because we have massive experience in conflict resolution. What evidence is there that the Government has made any material effort at all to provide this country as an interlocutor, mediator and facilitator of peace in the Israeli-Palestinian war? I ask the Taoiseach to be specific and not to be general. Has the Irish Government made any offer at all internationally to be a facilitator in relation to peace?
The Taoiseach mentioned the European Union. The leaders of the EU-27 have called for an international peace conference, but despite the mounting death tolls, European Union dithering has meant there is still no detail, location or timescale in relation to the process of an international peace conference. I actually think that exclusively pooling our foreign policy with the EU is a mistake. The EU is at sixes and sevens. It is useless right now in terms of this conflict. What specific actions have been taken by this Government to offer our internationally understood experience to this conflict to see if we can possibly bring the international peace conference to Ireland or if we can offer to become a facilitator in some way?
The Taoiseach has said himself that what we are seeing in Gaza from Israel is more revenge than it is any element of defence. We have seen an absolute abject failure from a security point of view from Israel in what they dreadfully term "mowing the grass". There has been much in the public domain in the sense of Benjamin Netanyahu at times having seen Hamas as an asset in dealing with a split Palestinian leadership and facilitating what has happened in the West Bank and what has made it nearly impossible to deliver the two-state solution. What interventions does the Irish Government propose to take with whatever international friends we have from a point of view of calling out what is genocide and ethnic cleansing, and some form of intervention that can bring us or at least produce some roadmap to justice and self-determination for the Palestinian people? That is the only thing that can secure even Israeli security.
I thank the Deputies for their contributions. I thank Deputy Haughey, in particular, for his remarks, and concur with the general spirit of them. The proposal for a peace conference was an issue made by President Sánchez of Spain, but has now been adopted as a European objective. Ireland will support and assist that in any way we can. That offer to do so has been made openly.
In relation to Ukraine, I am hopeful that at our December meeting we will be able to agree to open discussions on accession both with Ukraine and Moldova.
Deputies Barry and Ó Murchú asked about actions and interventions. The actions and interventions that we are taking at the moment are both practical and political. They are practical in terms of the humanitarian aid being provided the UN in Gaza in particular, and also in the efforts we are making to seek safe passage for people and our citizens who are held in Gaza and want to leave. We are also using our voice and influence at the EU and UN, with the US and also with middle-eastern countries.
That is not action.
I think we have sent a very clear message in this regard and will continue to do so. Whether that message is heard or not, of course, is not something under our control.
We do not have any evidence that Shannon Airport is being used to transport weapons to Israel, and we have a system for approving and refusing the transport of weapons.
In terms of the matter that Deputy Murphy-----
No searches.
-----has raised, he has had a chance to look at things. I have been in the Chamber so the answer that I gave him is the same because I have not left the Chamber in the last couple of hours, but I will get advice on the matter. It may be the case that a referral has already been made and that an investigation is already under way. I honestly do not know and will have to check up on those things.
In response to Deputy Tóibín, the fact that there is no evidence of progress yet does not mean that you give up.
My question was about effort by the Government.
At some point there will have to be peace talks.
I asked about the effort by the Government to act as interlocutor.
In relation to a peace intervention specifically, the truth is that there is no appetite for that at the moment-----
Has there been any effort?
-----from the protagonists, but I think that has to come at some point.
No effort.
There has never been any appetite by Israel - ever.