Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I refer to the area of policy coherence which means we should not give with one hand while taking with the other. For example, land that had been used for food is then used for producing biofuel. Has Mr. Meehan experience of instances where land has been grabbed, literally, or subtly, from people who had been living there for many years?

There is no doubt that the situation in Syria is a huge problem which is getting worse. Today there are reports about bombing of civilians. There is a fear that an evacuation will not be properly patrolled with the danger that men will be taken. Will Trócaire have a role in the process? Like other members I received an e-mail from the Israeli ambassador with regard to Palestine and the funding of NGOs. I was fortunate to visit Palestine in a semi-private capacity last November. We met wonderful community groups, youth groups, drama groups, cultural groups and heritage groups. We visited a wonderful music school with a symphony orchestra. In general, there seemed to be disconnect between those groups and the Palestinian Authority. What is Trócaire's engagement with such groups? There is no doubt that the settlement issue is the biggest factor preventing peace. It is only when one is able to see the separation wall in Hebron that one realises the extent of the settlement problem. There seems to be a disconnect between the political issues and the people who have decided to get on with their lives. We met groups in both Palestine and Israel and we wondered where is the dialogue between people and the movement to bring people together. The dialogue seems to have fallen away due to pessimism and perhaps cynicism that there had not been progress in the years since the Oslo Accords.