Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 30 September 2004
106 Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on the most recent representations made by the Government to the Israeli authorities with respect to the construction of the apartheid wall. [23168/04]
View answerOn 20 July 2004, the European Union voted in favour of General Assembly Resolution ES/10/15 which welcomed the advisory opinion on the legal consequences of the construction of a wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory which had been delivered by the International Court of Justice. In supporting this resolution, Ireland, in common with its EU partners, was reiterating its consistently held position on the separation barrier. The appropriation of land in the West Bank or Gaza is illegal and contrary to international law. The restrictions associated with the separation barrier are having a detrimental effect on Palestinian society. Equally, we are concerned that the route marked out for the barrier could prejudge future negotiations and undermine physically the implementation of the two state solution. We have consistently called on Israel to stop and reverse the construction of the barrier. The Government's position on the barrier was reiterated in the UN General Assembly address this day last week.
