Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 May 2018
118. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of Palestinian prisoners including children held in Israeli prisons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21459/18]
View answer120. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of prisoners held in Israeli prisons who are members of groups (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21461/18]
View answer127. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of Palestinian prisoners detained in Israeli prison camps; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21471/18]
View answer128. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of Israeli citizens detained in Palestinian prison camps; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21472/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 118, 120, 127 and 128 together.
Issues relating to prisoners, both the judicial system and conditions of detention, feature in many discussions about the Middle East Peace Process, and I have addressed them frequently in the Dáil.
My Department and I have also worked to highlight these issues internationally. For example, as part of the UN Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review of Israel earlier this year, Ireland raised concerns about Israel’s extensive use of administrative detention without formal charge. I also raised concerns about the detention of minors directly with the Israeli authorities when I visited the country in January.
However, my Department does not have the capacity to keep track of the total numbers or categories of prisoners in other jurisdictions, figures which are likely to change from day to day, and which may not be publicly available. I believe Israeli and Palestinian NGOs sometimes provide estimates of such figures in their reports.
