Minister Costello to discuss Middle East visit with Foreign Affairs Committee

Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade Pat Breen TD said: “Last week, Minister for Trade and Development Costello made a fact-finding visit to the Middle East, first visiting the Burj Burajneh refugee camp in Lebanon, which houses Palestinian refugees and, more recently, refugees from the conflict in Syria. He then visited various locations in the West Bank where Palestinian refugees are sheltered, before proceeding to Gaza to see the situation on the ground and the humanitarian impact of the Israeli blockade on the people of Gaza. On his visit he met relief agencies who are working to provide emergency food supplies to Palestinian and Syrian refugees, including the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) which provides food assistance to more than 800,000 refugees in Gaza. Minister Costello also visited the Nuseirat Distribution Centre, where he saw the impact of Ireland’s support to UNRWA.

Tomorrow the Minister will have an opportunity to outline in more detail the issues and challenges facing refugees in Lebanon, the West Bank and Gaza, and update the Committee on the humanitarian and relief work which is supported by Ireland. Members will also have a chance to raise any issues or concerns they may have regarding refugees in the area, including the situation in Gaza.”

The meeting will start in Committee Room 1, Leinster House at 3.45pm on Wednesday, 16th October 2013.

Committee proceedings can be followed live here.

Media queries to:

Ciaran Brennan,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2

P: +3531 618 3903
M: 086-0496518
F: +3531 618 4551

Committee Membership

Deputies

Seán Crowe, TD
Pat Breen, TD (Chairman)
Eric Byrne, TD
Olivia Mitchell, TD
Bernard J Durkan, TD
Pádraig Mac Lochlainn, TD
Gerald Nash, TD
Dan Neville, TD
Maureen O’Sullivan, TD
Brendan Smith, TD

Senators

Deirdre Clune,
Mark Daly,
Lorraine Higgins,
Michael Mullins,
David Norris,
Jim Walsh.