Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 February 2025
6. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will provide an update on any recent engagement his Department has had with the EU regarding Palestine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4541/25]
View answerI wish the Tánaiste and the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, well in their roles. Sinn Féin will hold them to account. When we see what is happening geopolitically, there is no shortage of issues that need to be dealt with. The Tánaiste spoke earlier about Sudan and the issues Donald Trump has spoken about that relate to tariffs. I am asking specifically about governmental engagement on the ongoing issues in Palestine. We know about the dangers in relation to the ceasefire, the commentary from America that has not been helpful and the attacks that are ongoing in the West Bank at this time.
I thank Deputy Ó Murchú and congratulate him on his re-election. I have always enjoyed our sparring with him on a variety of issues and working constructively on other issues. I do not expect any change in that service, so I will look forward to it.
I thank the Deputy for raising an important question. In the current context, the situation in Israel and Palestine remains a standing agenda item on the Foreign Affairs Council each month. This enables me to exchange with EU counterparts on this key priority on a monthly basis. Ireland’s engagement at EU level is guided by our long-standing and principled position, notably respect for international law, respect for the equal right to self-determination, peace, security and dignity for Israelis and Palestinians alike and, as the Deputy will be aware, unwavering support for the two-state solution.
Ireland has consistently called for a ceasefire, the release of hostages and humanitarian access at scale to Gaza. At January’s Foreign Affairs Council, I welcomed the ceasefire and hostage-release deal, as well as the release of hostages to date, and underlined to my EU counterparts the need to focus on urgent humanitarian needs in Gaza while also taking a longer-term perspective that prioritises the two-state solution, including addressing threats to its very viability.
Palestinian Authority governance will be crucial in this regard and working with the Palestinian Authority to support its efforts to reform and build its institutional capacity has been a key pillar of our response at a European level. I welcome in this regard that the EU remains the largest international donor of aid to the Palestinians and discussion of a further significant package of assistance will be an important area of our ongoing engagement in the coming months.
I welcome that our co-operation at EU level has also yielded very tangible and immediate benefits. The medical evacuation of sick children from Gaza for healthcare treatment in Ireland last December was a very positive example of co-operation under the EU civil protection mechanism. I also welcome that the EU border assistance mission has now been redeployed to the Rafah crossing point. This means this, as well as the EU police mission, are playing an important role in building the capacity of the Palestinian Authority in these areas. I will come back in a moment.
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Tánaiste. Obviously, anything helps the people who have been under absolute genocidal slaughter is to be welcomed. I accept that the Government has spoken strongly and probably, at times, has been among very few with regard to the plight of the Palestinian people. We have stated explicitly that we believe we have to do everything we can as a State. We would much prefer that action was taken at a European level, particularly when you talk about holding Israel to account.
I do not think there is any doubt but that we need to follow through with the occupied territories Bill. I am somewhat worried, with regard to the Tánaiste's commentary, in the sense that the only promise at this point in time is on goods but we have to look at services. We cannot have people profiting from modern-day colonisation and genocide. It is just not acceptable in any way, shape or form.
I would like to know how the communication with our European partners goes on. I understand they are coming from a different place.
I thank the Deputy. He can come in again.
I do not necessarily buy the whole excuse regarding the Holocaust, particularly when we are dealing with this issue. I would like to know how that engagement goes on.
There is a lot of engagement at European level in this regard. It is obviously important that this continues and I welcome the fact that this month, there will be that meeting I referenced to the Deputy's colleague, Deputy Ó Laoghaire, of the EU-Israel association agreement. Ireland has been arguing that for a long time. It should have happened a long time ago and will happen this month.
I also welcome that in the following month, March, crucially, there will be a high-level political dialogue with Palestine in the European Union. Despite the differences of opinion - there are stark differences between member states on certain issues regarding the Middle East and we have to be honest about that - there are some fundamental things on which people agree, that is, a cessation of violence, a ceasefire, the release of the hostages and, overwhelmingly, a two-state solution. That is where the European Union's focus has to remain, particularly at a time when others are making comments that seem to threaten the very viability of that proposition.
I should also say that we already support both the EU border assistance mission and the EU police mission through the provision of a civilian staff member. I have now asked my officials to see if we can do more in this area.
We all agree that we want to see the release of all hostages and that we want to ensure the ceasefire is maintained. Whatever happens, we are incredibly afraid that we are getting further and further away from the room and space for a two-state solution for peace, freedom and democracy, which basically will both benefit the Palestinians and provide real security, as Israel often talks about . We recall in our own peace process and earlier stages of the Middle East peace process that there was, at times, beneficial American involvement. There is nothing to be seen in that sense at the minute and our fears are that circumstances are going to get worse.
We have spoken many times on the EU-Israel association agreement. What are the chances and possibilities of moving this on? There are humanitarian conditions which are being breached every day of the week-----
I thank the Deputy. I call on the Tánaiste to respond.
-----and we do need to see movement because it is a failure by the European Union.
I have been very clear on the EU, and I have said it many times. I said it in my previous role as well that I think the European Union, in many parts of the world, could have done even more to apply more pressure to bring about a ceasefire. However, I am very conscious, in the context in which we are talking tonight, that there is a ceasefire in place but the ceasefire is extraordinarily fragile. There have been remarks in the past number of hours that are alarming, concerning and threaten to further undermine that ceasefire. We need the hostages released. They need to be back with their families. We need the aid to flow and an ability to get humanitarian aid at scale into Gaza. Any return to hostilities, conflict and violence would be unbearable.
The agreement on a hostage release and ceasefire deal was long awaited. It was much welcomed. Too many innocent people have been killed in Gaza and in Israel since the conflict commenced. The US has played an important role in helping to secure the ceasefire and I really believe there is a role for everybody in the international community to do everything humanly possible to keep that ceasefire in place. That must be our immediate priority.
I welcome the association agreement meeting. I will speak up very strongly with regard to Ireland's views on all these matters but maintaining the ceasefire has to be the immediate priority.
