Written Answers Nos. 127-145
127. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of the establishment of an approved housing body SPV for the purposes of drawing down funding from bodies such as credit unions for the purposes of the delivery of social housing. [22821/20]
View answer128. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will discuss with the Minister for Finance and the Central Bank the matter of allowing credit unions to invest in the delivery of affordable housing. [22822/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 127 and 128 together.
Following engagement with the Credit Union sector on proposals for credit unions to provide funding for the provision of social housing, the Central Bank undertook a review of the relevant investment framework in 2017.
On foot of this review, revised Regulations commenced on 1 March 2018. The revised Regulations included the addition of investments in Tier 3 Approved Housing Bodies, as a permitted investment class for credit unions. Accordingly, since 1 March 2018, credit unions are permitted to provide funding, through a regulated investment vehicle, to Tier 3 AHBs for the provision of social housing.
In parallel, my Department referred the Credit Union representative bodies to the Irish Council for Social Housing (ICSH) with a view to both sectors sharing, as far as practical, the benefits of their respective work in this area, including the work undertaken by the ICSH on the development of special purpose vehicles for social housing financing purposes. The work of the ICSH was supported by grant funding from my Department.
The ICSH, along with six Tier 3 AHBs, have worked with specialist financial advisors to establish a funding mechanism or vehicle which would identify suitable sources of non-state finance to fund the delivery of social housing by AHBs, based on best value for money. Market testing undertaken revealed good interest in lending to the AHB sector from various lenders including banks, institutional investors and the Credit Union sector. So far, one AHB has set up an SPV and several AHBs have sourced finance from private institutions. As such, the work in this area is ongoing and has led to individual AHBs establishing SPVs for financing social housing.
Separately, I was pleased to welcome a recent announcement by Initiative Ireland and CUDA, the Credit Union Development Agency, of their plan to launch a new social and affordable housing fund supported by the Credit Unions of Ireland. The new fund will enable Credit Unions to avail of the regulatory changes which enable them to lend to AHBs through a regulated fund. Indeed I met with Initiative Ireland and CUDA about this particular initiative on the occasion of the announcement.
The Credit Union sector is one potential funder whose terms are assessed as part of the process of market testing to establish best value for money and optimum terms and conditions from lenders. While my Department will continue to be available to provide any clarifications that may be required in relation to the delivery of social and affordable housing, it falls to the relevant parties, i.e. the AHBs, on the one hand, and potential investors on the other, as in the cases outlined above, to agree a workable and mutually acceptable approach in order to bring potential investment possibilities to a successful conclusion.
129. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of his plans to secure the reclassification of approved housing bodies as off-balance sheet. [22823/20]
View answerIn April 2018 the Department of Finance published the Stability Programme Update for 2018 which was the first set of fiscal projections produced by that Department to incorporate the CSO decision to reclassify the majority of Tier 3 Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) as part of the local government sector. This was an important first step in the Government's assessment as to the impact of the Eurostat decision. The Department of Finance undertook an analysis of the implications for General Government Expenditure and General Government Debt and concluded that there are no direct Exchequer implications and the projections do not present any particular issue in the context of the fiscal rules.
In addition, my Department engaged with AHB sector representative bodies (namely, the Irish Council for Social Housing and the Housing Alliance) to examine proposals, including proposals which were presented by those bodies, as a possible means to achieve reclassification. The proposals are complex as they cut across a wide range of social housing policy issues and require extensive analysis.
An important part of this exercise is to examine the feasibility of measures which can be taken to develop the AHB sector in such as way so that it could be reclassified as being 'off-balance sheet', without undermining the foundations of social housing policy. In this context, it must be accepted that this will more likely be a more longer term objective.
Constructive discussions took place with AHB representative bodies on a number of occasions and these informed a pathway for dealing with the issues involved. It was agreed that a working group would be established to consider these issues further.
The first meeting of the AHB Classification Working Group took place on 24 June 2020. The group comprises representatives from:
- My Department;
- Department of Finance;
- The Housing Agency;
- The Housing Finance Agency;
- Irish Council for Social Housing (ICSH); and
- The Housing Alliance
The group is tasked with examining and making recommendations in relation to the following:
- Clarify the impact of the CSO’s classification decision on General Government Debt and General Government Expenditure;
- Assess the impact of the classification decision on the AHB sector (administrative, reporting, Tiers of AHBs, etc.) and assess the impact on delivery of housing under the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan; and
- Examine the detailed sectoral proposals to achieve reclassification in the context of social housing policy more generally.
The group is committed to working constructively to address this complex issue, in line with the commitment set out in the Programme for Government Our Shared Future.
Notwithstanding the decision by Eurostat, the Government continues to see a central role for the voluntary housing sector in contributing to the delivery of social housing. It is committed to using all mechanisms and schemes, including through the AHB sector, to ensure that momentum is maintained towards meeting the ambitious 50,000 social housing target. This statistical classification will not affect these ambitious plans.
130. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of negotiations between Irish Water, a committee (details supplied) and his Department on the creation of a single water utility. [22824/20]
View answerThe Programme for Government provides that the Government will retain Irish Water in public ownership as a national, standalone, regulated utility.
In this context, in September 2018, the Director General of the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) reported on a process of engagement, undertaken with the parties involved in the water sector transformation programme, including ICTU and relevant affiliated unions, local government management through the County and City Management Association, Ervia/Irish Water and my Department. Subsequent to this, and commencing in February 2019, there has been an ongoing series of engagements to work towards the development of a stable structural and operational framework for the future to replace the existing system of Service Level Agreements between Irish Water and each of the 31 local authorities, although progress to date has been slow.
Consistent with the Programme for Government and building on the work that has been undertaken to date through the WRC, I am planning to bring forward a clear set of policy recommendations setting out my own and the Government’s expectations. To this end, I look forward to communicating directly with the parties involved.
I recognise the challenges arising, and the concerns which all parties have, notably the workers. The proposed changes also give rise to significant challenges for the local government sector in Ireland. Any process of transformation needs to be cognisant of the potential impacts on the wider local government system.
On this basis I have met recently with representatives of ICTU and the relevant affiliated unions (Fórsa, UNITE, SIPTU and Connect) to outline my proposed course of action, and to hear their views, which have been further communicated to me in writing since the meeting.
131. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his response to the recent spike in deaths of persons accessing homeless services; and his plans to address the growing human tragedy. [22825/20]
View answerTragically, there were a number of deaths during the summer involving people accessing homeless services. Our sympathies go to the families who have lost loved ones in this way and indeed to the dedicated service providers that have also suffered the loss.
Supporting households experiencing homelessness is a priority for this Government. The Programme for Government recognises that many households experiencing homelessness have additional support needs and includes specific measures to address these needs. These include measures to help rough sleepers into sustainable accommodation, the continued expansion of Housing First, with a focus on the construction and acquisition of one-bed homes, and, importantly, ensuring that necessary health and mental health supports are provided to assist homeless people with complex needs.
Ultimately the key to resolving homelessness is to increase the supply of housing, particularly for those on the lowest incomes. To this end, the Programme for Government commits to the increased supply of public, social and affordable homes. In particular, we will increase the social housing stock by more than 50,000 with an emphasis on new builds.
132. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the minutes of his weekly meetings with homeless service providers will be published. [22826/20]
View answerI have established a Homelessness Task Force, to provide a forum for engagement with key organisations working to address homelessness and to provide input on the implementation of the commitments on homelessness in the Programme for Government. The Group met on three occasions in July, with the next meeting scheduled for 14 September. Notes of the meetings can be provided on request.
133. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the projected shortfall in rates and non-rates funding for local authorities by council for 2019; the estimated additional Covid-19-related funding required by each by local authority for 2019; and his plans to address the non-rates shortfall and Covid-19-related additional costs for 2020. [22827/20]
View answerIn 2019, €1.4bn was collected in rates from all 31 local authorities, an average collection rate of 86.6%. This collection rate is in line with the annual trends across the local government sector and does not reflect a funding shortfall. Similarly, as per unaudited 2019 figures, 30 of the 31 local authorities had a budget surplus in 2019, a continuing trend from 2018 and a marked improvement from previous years. The figures per local authority are set out below; while these figures are, as yet, unaudited, no significant change is expected when the auditied figures for the entire local government sector are available.
|
Annual Surplus/(Deficit) 2019 |
Rates Collected 2019 |
% Collected |
|
|
Carlow County Council |
€ 56,889 |
€ 11,604,480 |
86 |
|
Cavan County Council |
€ 88 |
€ 12,389,423 |
79 |
|
Clare County Council |
€ 535,724 |
€ 38,709,116 |
87 |
|
Cork City Council |
€ 52,798 |
€ 63,893,897 |
83 |
|
Cork County Council |
€ 63,542 |
€ 123,284,692 |
93 |
|
Donegal County Council |
€ 652,747 |
€ 27,746,968 |
76 |
|
Dublin City Council |
€ 2,143,110 |
€ 320,093,620 |
94 |
|
DLR County Council |
€ (1,052,478) |
€ 79,864,068 |
94 |
|
Fingal County Council |
€ 923 |
€ 126,852,927 |
98 |
|
Galway City Council |
€ 222,758 |
€ 34,079,386 |
83 |
|
Galway County Council |
€ 16,773 |
€ 23,236,302 |
87 |
|
Kerry County Council |
€ 83,784 |
€ 35,784,704 |
86 |
|
Kildare County Council |
€ 170,424 |
€ 51,942,802 |
83 |
|
Kilkenny County Council |
€ 10,193 |
€ 17,424,136 |
94 |
|
Laois County Council |
€ 73,343 |
€ 11,592,946 |
80 |
|
Leitrim County Council |
€ 1,524 |
€ 4,781,009 |
83 |
|
Limerick City & County Council |
€ 10,303 |
€ 53,627,807 |
88 |
|
Longford County Council |
€ 13,302 |
€ 7,367,602 |
88 |
|
Louth County Council |
€ 404,831 |
€ 29,884,642 |
83 |
|
Mayo County Council |
€ 468,191 |
€ 19,856,075 |
88 |
|
Meath County Council |
€ 267,818 |
€ 34,285,905 |
93 |
|
Monaghan County Council |
€ 76,867 |
€ 10,458,447 |
86 |
|
Offaly County Council |
€ 632,096 |
€ 14,488,091 |
88 |
|
Roscommon County Council |
€ 11,907 |
€ 10,311,746 |
89 |
|
Sligo County Council |
€ 1,017,089 |
€ 10,461,576 |
82 |
|
Sth Dublin County Council |
€ 4,073 |
€ 117,950,053 |
88 |
|
Tipperary County Council |
€ 6,590 |
€ 27,711,053 |
83 |
|
Waterford City & County Council |
€ 891,847 |
€ 28,437,225 |
82 |
|
Westmeath County Council |
€ 31,172 |
€ 13,962,140 |
85 |
|
Wexford County Council |
€ 1,642,312 |
€ 32,395,976 |
90 |
|
Wicklow County Council |
€ 305,274 |
€ 24,194,959 |
87 |
As the Covid-19 pandemic had not yet had any impact in Ireland, there was no additional Covid-19 related funding required by any local authority for 2019.
In relation to my plans to address the potential shortfall for 2020; in order to support the local government sector, my Department is continuing to keep local authority income, expenditure and cash flow generally under review and will continue to work with all local authorities on both collective and individual issues arising.
My Department is engaging with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform regarding the level of additional financial support that will be needed by local authorities during and after the COVID-19 Crisis.
Indeed, to that end, as a short term measure in recognition of the immediate need, my Department made €136m available to local authorities as cash flow support in early April, in order to ensure that vital services that local authorities deliver could be maintained. This support was comprised of the early payment of the Local Property Tax allocation ordinarily paid from the Local Government Fund in May and July. Furthermore, as of September 2020, the full Local Property Tax allocation has been advanced to local authorities. This has been completed on an accelerated schedule to support local authorities.
In May, the Government announced an initial three-month waiver of rates for businesses forced to close business due to COVID-19. In order to enhance the supports available for enterprise, and in recognition of the fact that not only have many ratepayers been forced to close business due to the public health requirements, but many others that remained open have suffered significant reductions in turnover, this waiver was subsequently extended to six months to the end of September and the categories of enterprise that are eligible has been expanded. €600m has been allocated by Government to fund the cost of this waiver, which will take the form of a credit in lieu of rates.
As stated previously, in relation to the potential non-rates funding shortfall and Covid-19 related additional costs, my Department is engaging with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform regarding the level of additional financial support.
134. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the functions transferred to his Department as part of the reconfiguration of the Department to include issues pertaining to heritage. [22828/20]
View answerThe Heritage Division of the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht is transferring to my Department. The transfer will take place in two stages, with the first stage due to take place on 9 September 2020.
There are linkages between some of my Department's existing legislation, for example on the planning side, and some of the transferring heritage functions which will need to be managed. In this first stage, the heritage functions where no legal or related operational issues arise will be transferred i.e. all Waterways functions (including Waterways Ireland), the Heritage Council and functions in the areas of National Monuments, Built Heritage, National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, National Parks and Reserves and wildlife licensing and wildlife crime.
The second stage will take place at a later date when the legislative challenges that exist have been remedied in primary legislation. The functions/elements that will be transferred in the second stage include the Development Applications Unit, site protection and designations.
The process of transferring functions takes place in accordance with a Guidelines and Best Practice Handbook published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
135. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the timeline for the publication of the final general scheme of the marine planning and development Bill. [22835/20]
View answerIn January, my Department published the finalised General Scheme of the Marine Planning and Development Management Bill, which will provide the legislative basis for Ireland's new marine planning regime.
The commitment in the Programme for Government to enact this legislation in nine months reflects the priority it has been accorded.
In order for this legislation to be enacted within the 9 month timeframe, further policy work is continuing on the development of certain aspects of the proposed regime and intensive engagements in that regard are ongoing with the Department of Communications Climate Action and Environment, who are leading the development of the provisions specific to Offshore Renewable Energy.
In addition to the policy development work, engagement is also continuing with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel, other Departments and agencies on the drafting of the legal text.
136. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the timeline and draft terms of reference for the review of the National Parks and Wildlife Service; and if the Committee will be involved in the design, content and conclusion of the review. [22836/20]
View answerThere is a commitment in the Programme for Government to review the remit, status and funding of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) to ensure that it is playing an effective role in delivering its overall mandate and enforcement role in the protection of wildlife. Preparatory work on this matter is underway. An options paper will be prepared in coming weeks. This paper will present the different modalities available for such a review, including, inter alia, the stakeholder engagement element, suggested ambit and Terms of Reference and timelines for completion.
137. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the average cost of Part V social housing units by local authority for 2017, 2018 and 2019. [22837/20]
View answerPart V units can be delivered through a range of programmes funded by my Department, including:
- The Social Housing Capital Investment Programme which is Local Authority (LA) led and 100% capital funded
- The Capital Assistance Scheme which is Approved Housing Body (AHB) led and 100% capital funded
- The Capital Advance Leasing Facility which is AHB led and operates with a range of 0% to 30% capital loan funding and ongoing lease under a Payment and Availability Agreement
- Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme Part V which is generally LA led with homes leased using current funding; and
- LA own funding or Cost neutral which are Part V units delivered by LAs not claiming Exchequer funding.
Each Part V programme has its own discreet data requirements and data held on file. As has been previously advised my Department is working with delivery partners to collate all of the data sought. This work is almost complete and will be made available to the Deputy as soon as possible.
138. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when funding for a development (details supplied) will be approved. [22877/20]
View answerOn the 6th August 2020, my Department received an application for funding under the Capital Assistance Scheme from Dublin City Council for the scheme referred to by the Deputy.
In order to assess the application further on the 27th August 2020 my Department requested additional information from Dublin City Council in relation to the design of the scheme. On receipt of this information, the proposal will be considered further.
139. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the statutory basis on which the Land Development Agency is engaged in masterplanning exercises on lands in Limerick city and Cork city, respectively; the impact these plans will have on the current and future city and county development plans for these local authorities; and the form of approval and oversight his Department has over these masterplanning processes. [22900/20]
View answerThe Land Development Agency (LDA) was established on an interim basis in September 2018, by way of an Establishment Order made under the Local Government Services (Corporate Bodies) Act 1971, pending the enactment of primary legislation when it will be established as a commercial State agency. Under Section 5(e) of the Establishment Order, the LDA can provide masterplanning and development appraisal services to relevant bodies, including local authorities.
Any masterplans developed by the LDA will be consistent with the policies and objectives of the relevant statutory plans, including Development Plans and Local Area Plans, and would be subject to the Development Management process in any case when an application for development is made.
The masterplanning processes being undertaken by the LDA are being carried out in partnership with the relevant local authorities and other public bodies and the oversight and governance of these projects is a matter for those bodies. The LDA have advised the Department that collaborative engagement between the LDA and the planning authorities informs all masterplanning projects.
As with all State bodies operating under the aegis of my Department, arrangements have been put in place by the LDA through which Oireachtas members can request information directly from the Agency in relation to operational matters - in this regard, the LDA may be contacted directly at oireachtas@lda.ie.
140. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will give urgent consideration to a national buy-out scheme for families whose family homes are in imminent danger of destruction due to coastal erosion and flooding in order that families can be rehoused and compensated for the loss of their family homes; if local authorities have the power to put in place immediate local buy-out schemes for families in such circumstances pending a national scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22984/20]
View answerMatters relating specifically to the funding of flood response schemes are the responsibility of the Office of Public Works (OPW). I understand that there is currently no ‘buy-out’ scheme in place with regard to property at risk from coastal erosion.
Further to a decision of Government, my Department is working with the OPW to examine and address matters of coastal erosion through the National Coastal Change Management Strategy Steering Group, which met for the first time last week.
The group is tasked with the preparation of a scoping report relating to coastal change, and will report to Government within six months, with initial findings and recommendations. The work of the group will build upon preliminary risk analysis by the OPW, existing climate adaptation plans, the National Planning Framework and the draft National Marine Planning Framework, to provide a framework for key decisions to be taken on how Ireland could best manage its coastline in light of the future risks from rising sea levels and more frequent extreme sea level events and coastal erosion.
Coming from a constituency affected by the coastal erosion issue, I am very aware of the potential impacts and urgency of the situation faced by residents of coastal areas, and I look forward to working with the Group and progressing its findings through Government.
141. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has met lobbyists or representatives of residential developers or investment funds to discuss the introduction of a State-funded shared equity scheme for the purchase of private homes; if so, the details of the persons or bodies met, when they met and the contents of the discussions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23021/20]
View answerThis Government is absolutely committed to ensuring that affordable, quality housing solutions are available to everyone in Irish society and this is reflected in the Programme for Government - Our Shared Future. The Programme commits to putting affordability at the heart of the housing system through the progression of State-backed affordable housing.
In this context, I have consulted with a broad range of key stakeholders and delivery partners, to examine and identify the issues and potential options for the acceleration and expansion of the delivery of affordable housing.
To date, this has included representatives from across the community and voluntary sector, Approved Housing Bodies, local authorities and the housing construction sector. Whilst these engagements can cover a broad range of topics, I can confirm that I have not met with representative bodies where the subject item has been a State funded shared equity scheme. I am aware that a number of construction industry representative bodies have recommended the introduction of such a scheme, and such an idea was raised with me in recent weeks as part of broader conversations regarding the delivery of affordable housing, including for example by the Irish Home Builders Association.
In terms of affordable housing, I will outline my detailed plans later in the Autumn, taking account of the progress already made and the evolving situation.
142. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has spoken formally to the Slovenian foreign minister, Mr. Anže Logar, in the past three months. [22753/20]
View answerOver the past three months, I have participated in a number of Foreign Affairs Council video conference meetings along with the Slovenian Foreign Minister.
In regard to direct contact, I had an introductory phone call with Dr. Anže Logar on 27 May, which focused on a number of issues, including the UK’s withdrawal from the EU and the EU’s Multi-annual Financial Framework. Our successful candidacy for an elected seat on the UN Security Council was also discussed.
143. Deputy Joe O'Brien asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his plans to ensure that Ireland uses its international influence, especially among the EU Foreign Affairs Council, to end a blockade of necessary medical supplies from reaching Gaza in view of the news that there are over 400 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Gaza; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22803/20]
View answerIreland has long worked to keep international attention on the situation in Gaza. The particular risk posed by COVID-19 in the Gaza Strip was addressed in Ireland’s statement at the UN Security Council Open Debate on the Situation in the Middle East on 23 April.
During my most recent visit to Gaza in December 2019, I saw for myself the impact of the blockade. Ireland contributes humanitarian assistance to alleviate the worst of the suffering in the Gaza Strip, including through our support for UNRWA, totalling €7 million this year, which is a key provider of public services, health and education in Gaza. Recently, my Department allocated additional funding to support the medical response to the pandemic in Gaza, including €125,000 allocated to Oxfam, and €1.2 million in support of social protection measures.
I welcome the agreement announced on 31 August to de-escalate the situation in and around Gaza. This should now be fully respected by all parties, including the reopening of the Kerem Shalom border crossing, allowing fuel deliveries to Gaza’s electricity plant, and the restoration of Gaza’s fishing zone.
The roots of the problem in Gaza are political and cannot be solved by funding alone. I have consistently called for the lifting of the blockade, so that normal life and normal economic activity can resume, and I will continue to make every effort to ensure that the situation in Gaza remains high on the international agenda, particularly as we prepare to take up our seat on the UN Security Council in January 2021.
144. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the steps taken since the formation of the Government to advance a Middle East peace process and build a consensus at EU level to take a more proactive approach in supporting a negotiated two-state solution and lasting process there; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22951/20]
View answer146. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the steps being taken by Ireland within the EU to oppose plans by Israel to annex territory in the West Bank and apply Israeli sovereignty to it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22953/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 144 and 146 together.
I have given a high priority to the Middle East Peace Process since my appointment as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in 2017, and I continue to do so as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence in the current Government. I have made four working visits to Israel and Palestine, most recently in December 2019.
The Programme for Government states that the Government will “continue to work with other Member States to give leadership within the EU to oppose any annexation or plans to apply Israeli sovereignty over territory in the West Bank, which is part of the occupied Palestinian territory. The Government would regard any such moves as a breach of international law and would consider an appropriate response to them at both national and international level.”
Israel’s announcement that it will suspend plans to annex parts of the occupied Palestinian territory is welcome. High Representative / Vice President Josep Borrell also welcomed the announcement on behalf of the EU in a Declaration on 15 August. I have noted with concern, however, subsequent Israeli statements that annexation plans remain on the table and call for any such plans to be permanently withdrawn.
The unilateral annexation by Israel of any part of the occupied Palestinian territory would be a clear violation of international law. It would have no legitimacy, and would not be recognised or accepted by Ireland, or by the international community more generally, and would be deeply damaging to the two-state solution.
I have been forthright in my public statements on the issue of annexation. I have also raised this matter directly and clearly with Israeli leaders in person, including during my visit to the region last December and in telephone and VC conversations with Israeli FM Gabi Ashkenazi in recent months. I have also outlined my concerns about possible annexation in discussions with US representatives.
I have engaged extensively with European partners, with a view to encouraging strong EU messages, public and private, against such an action. When this was discussed at the 15 May video conference meeting of EU Foreign Ministers, there was broad agreement that the EU and its Member States should convey our concerns directly to the new Israeli Government. That outreach continued throughout the summer. Most recently, EU Foreign Ministers participated in a discussion with the Israeli Foreign Minister during an informal session of the Foreign Affairs Council on 27 August. The EU’s firm commitment to a Two State solution to the conflict was conveyed to the Israeli Foreign Minister, in addition to the EU’s welcoming of Israel’s suspension of annexation plans.
Ireland remains ready to support any peace initiative that respects the international parameters for a Two State solution and relevant UN Security Council Resolutions, and provides a basis to meet the aspirations of both peoples. I will continue to work to keep this issue high on the international agenda and to prioritise the Middle East Peace Process, amongst other issues, as we prepare to take up our seat on the UN Security Council in January 2021.
145. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his plans and those of the Government to recognise the state of Palestine as part of a lasting settlement of the Middle East conflict; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22952/20]
View answerThe Programme for Government states that the Government will “Honour our commitment to recognise the State of Palestine as part of a lasting settlement of the conflict, or in advance of that, when we believe doing so will progress efforts to reach a Two-State solution or protect the integrity of Palestinian territory”.
In recognition of the lack of progress towards a Two-State solution, I have been clear that I would be prepared to recommend to the Government early recognition by Ireland of a State of Palestine, if and when it might be helpful. This is an issue where there could be benefits to moving in step with EU partners, and it is a matter that I discuss regularly with EU colleagues.
However, recognition by Ireland outside the context of an overall peace agreement would also undoubtedly affect Ireland’s influence on the Israel-Palestine conflict at EU and international level. Timing and context would affect whether this loss of influence would be matched by delivering a commensurate benefit for the Palestinian people and a positive impact on the peace process. I am continuing to monitor the situation closely.
