Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 November 2023
61. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs whether, as per his Department's website, he can state in detail what Ireland is doing to support and strengthen the quality of the education system in Palestine, while ensuring more Palestinian children are accessing education. [49699/23]
View answerEducation is crucial to the long term development of Palestine, and is a key focus of Ireland’s work in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Ireland supports the Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Education in strengthening the quality and accessibility of the education system through a Joint Financing Arrangement. The objective is to improve capacity and provide equitable access to quality education for Palestinian children. The Joint Arrangement is also supported by Finland, Germany and Norway. Ireland is providing €3 million in support in 2023 and engaging actively in education sector dialogue. Ireland has been supporting the Joint Arrangement since 2010.
A mid-term review of the European Joint Strategy in support of Palestine noted that the Joint Arrangement is referenced as a flagship example of effective joint programming and implementation in Palestine.
Ireland also supports the United Nation’s Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), providing €18 million in 2023. A key part of UNWRA’s mission is supporting 706 elementary and primary schools for Palestine refugees. Before the current crisis, over 500,000 Palestinian refugee children were enrolled in UNRWA schools. Our support through UNWRA has been a key pillar of education in the occupied Palestine Territory, especially in Gaza.
In terms of further education, the Ireland-Palestine Scholarship Programme is a dedicated scholarships programme for Palestinian students, supporting 25 students annually from Palestine to undertake a one-year Master’s-level course in Ireland. Since it was established in 2019, 95 students from Palestine have undertaken a Master’s programme in Ireland. There are currently 22 Palestinian students in Ireland on that programme, at an annual cost of €1 million.
In 2022, Ireland also contributed €1 million to the Global Programme for Education’s specific account for the West Bank and Gaza. The Global Partnership for Education is a multi-stakeholder partnership and funding platform that aims to strengthen education systems in developing countries in order to dramatically increase the number of children who are in school and learning.
