Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I believe Ireland has a role to play in trying to bring peace, justice and order to the Middle East and that means working with our colleagues in the European Union, persuading the US and working at UN level to try to push for a new peace initiative to push for a two-state solution. Being absolutist on one side or the other removes our influence. The only influence we have is by trying to build partnerships with the EU, the US, other countries in the Middle East with which we have relationships such as Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon, and at the UN to push for a new peace initiative that can do what I believe is still just about possible, namely, the establishment of a two-state solution with a Palestinian state alongside Israel, secure and hopefully in time being able to have normal contacts and normal economic relations.

I appreciate that the Deputy's view is different - he believes there should only be a one-state solution - but I think anyone watching what is going on can see why that would not be viable and would not last.

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