Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 24 May 2006
55 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the level of funding now being allocated to the Palestinian Authority from the European Union and by Ireland; the level of funding which was in place at the start of 2006; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19807/06]
Amharc ar fhreagra59 Mr. F. McGrath asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs when he will raise the plight of the Palestinian people within the European Union and United Nations; and if he will act as a peace broker in the current difficult climate. [19806/06]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 55 and 59 together.
The Government shares the concerns expressed about the increasingly difficult circumstances facing the Palestinian people. We have been consistently active within the European Union and United Nations in promoting a lasting, peaceful and just settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This must be based on negotiations between the parties leading to a viable two-State solution. Within the Union, we advocate a policy approach aimed at ensuring that the Union remains fully engaged in the process, with a clear and balanced message for the parties.
We believe the Israeli Government and Palestinian Authority must face up to their obligations under the roadmap, and under international law. The Irish Government has continued to raise directly with the Israeli authorities its concerns over the humanitarian and economic impact of policies and activities in the occupied territories. The European Union has consistently urged the Israeli Government to end all activities in the occupied territories that are contrary to international law and that threaten the viability of a solution based on the coexistence of two States.
Following the democratic Palestinian elections in January, the European Union and the Quartet have also made it clear that the new Hamas Government of the Palestinian Authority must commit to the peace process. It must renounce violence, recognise Israel's right to exist and adhere to agreements already negotiated by the authority and the PLO. Since April, the European Union has been reviewing its assistance against the Palestinian Government's commitment to these principles.
The European Union has been the strongest supporter of the Palestinian people internationally and it is also the largest donor. For the past five years, overall assistance, including bilateral assistance from member states, has averaged some €500 million annually. This has covered humanitarian assistance and support for Palestinian institutions, NGOs and civil society, as well as contributions to the UN and other international organisations. Funding from this overall sum, which is administered by the European Commission, has amounted to an average of €250 million annually. In February, the Council approved the urgent release by the Commission of €121 million in humanitarian assistance to the Palestinians. In early April, the Commission temporarily suspended direct assistance to the Palestinian Authority and it estimates that this could affect up to €126 million of projected expenditure for 2006.
The Irish Government regrets that Hamas has not yet demonstrated any significant movement towards acceptance of the peace process. While we understand the difficulty of the transition it must now make, it would be unreasonable to expect the European Union to continue its capacity-building support for the Palestinian Government irrespective of its willingness to respect the basic rules of the peace process. However, the Palestinian people should not have to face a humanitarian crisis because of the reluctance of Hamas to meet its new responsibilities. The European Union is committed to continuing necessary assistance to meet the basic needs of the Palestinian population, and Ireland has argued strongly for the widest possible definition of those needs.
The EU has now undertaken the urgent task of developing a temporary international mechanism to channel assistance directly to the Palestinian people. As a matter of priority, it will aim to provide for basic needs, including health services. It will be essential that all international donors co-operate to ensure the effectiveness of these new structures. The European Union has also called on Israel to take action to resume the transfer of withheld Palestinian tax and customs revenues, which will be essential in averting a crisis in the occupied territories.
The Irish Government is committed to maintaining the level of Ireland's bilateral assistance to the Palestinians, which amounted to more than €4 million in 2005. Already this year, €1.5 million has been allocated for humanitarian assistance through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East and further allocations will be make in the near future.
The Minister of State said in his response that he is concerned about the problems in Palestine arising from the cut in aid, yet he stated that €126 million will be taken from the EU aid package in 2006, some of which sum has already been taken. I have tried to establish the facts with the Minister on a few occasions, both in the House on Europe Day and subsequently at a meeting of the Oireachtas Committee on European Affairs. What exactly was Ireland's role in the appalling decision to cut the aid for the Palestinian Authority? This move has strengthened the hands of the extremists in Palestine and has weakened considerably the reasonable voices that were beginning to emerge within the Hamas movement.
That is right.
In the interest of justice and parliamentary transparency, will the Minister of State tell us Ireland's role in that appalling decision? He should not hide behind the cloak of consensus.
Hear, hear.
Ireland must have given an opinion at a meeting of the Council of Ministers. What is its position on the short-sighted, cruel, counter-productive decision made by the Council of Ministers? No slick talk or crocodile tears will hide the facts.
The Minister of State, Deputy Conor Lenihan, should not laugh when I am talking about a serious issue.
We had three answers on this already.
Order, please.
No amount of crocodile tears will hide the fact that the decision damaged the reasonable voices within the Hamas movement and the people of the Palestinian territories and ignored totally the awful acts being perpetrated on them by the Israeli Government.
I do not understand where Deputy Allen is coming from. Ireland's position on this matter has been very even-handed, fair and open at Government level, ministerial level within the Council and official level through our ambassadors and official negotiators. We want to ensure that there is fairness and equity and that both sides recognise and have mutual respect for each other.
Through our work, we want to ensure that human rights, law and order and democracy prevail, that the Hamas Government is recognised and that it in turn commits itself to total peace. On this basis, the European Commission recommended, after the change of Government and Hamas's coming to power, that there be a suspension of funds until such time as Hamas recognises its responsibilities and commits itself to the peace process. This does not mean the funding has been terminated — it has been suspended.
If agreement is not reached, there could be a loss of €126 million this year. However, Ireland has been one of the top two champions of the Palestinian people, the two-State solution and the commitment to bring peace to the region. We have worked and continue to work to ensure the existence of a new international channel to allow the funds to be directed to those who need them, namely, the Palestinian people. We are working on this very hard.
The High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana, is in negotiations with all the different parties on behalf of the European Union. We fully support him and have made our position quite clear. We will continue to support the Palestinian people and want to ensure that humanitarian aid is delivered to them as rapidly as possible.
Following the recent Palestinian elections, which were open and democratic, does the Minister of State agree there appears to be a complete sea-change in the attitude of the European Union?
I ask the Minister of State to ensure the EU continues to supply the necessary assistance to meet the basic needs of the Palestinian people. We have recently seen the €121 million in aid. Will the Minister of State push this further? Surely the idea of political exclusion, in all conflicts around the world, will not work in this case. While he talks about suspension of funds, he should keep in mind that political exclusion for a people and a nation will not work in any conflict resolution process. Will the Minister of State say how much humanitarian aid Ireland has given in 2006 and update the House on these allocations?
I ask the Minister of State, Deputy Treacy and his colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Conor Lenihan, to support the rights of the Palestinian people on the international stage, at EU and United Nations levels, and to give them maximum support and assistance, while acting as peacebroker with those states that seem to be hostile to the Palestinian people.
Ireland has acted as an honest broker at all levels, internationally within the UN and with our colleagues in the European Union. Ireland is recognised as one of the champions of this whole situation in trying to bring about fairness, equity and respect for everybody's position to achieve a two-state solution. We have fought trenchantly to ensure, at all levels, that the 1967 territorial position is accepted and recognised and that the Palestinian people are given that option. There is now a change of Government, as has been said, and we recognise that. We accept the wisdom of the international community, including that of the European Union, that it is critically important for the new Government to commit itself to the peace process.
As late as yesterday, the High Representative of the Palestinian people in this country thanked the Government publicly for its contribution. Ireland is one of only two member states in the European Union which commits, domestically, each year to support Palestinian missions here, as does Finland. In addition, we provided €4 million in humanitarian aid last year and there is a similar commitment this year. We are working assiduously to find a funnel, a channel, an opportunity, a vehicle that is very structured and that guarantees the transfer of resources from the Union directly to the Palestinian people. That is not simple, it is complex and it has to be done on a clear, transparent basis, protecting the donor's position, supporting humanitarian requirements and ultimately ensuring that it achieves the political impact that is critical to the future of the entire region.
