Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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I welcome the delegation from the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel, EAPPI - Mr. Joe O'Brien, Mr. Emmet Sheerin and Mr. David Heap. Members may know Mr. Heap from his other role as an actor. Before I invite the representatives to make their presentation, I advise them that they are protected by absolute privilege in respect of utterances at this committee. However, if they are directed to cease making remarks on a particular matter and continue to do so, they are entitled thereafter only to qualified privilege in respect of their remarks. Witnesses are directed that only comments and evidence in regard to the subject matter of this meeting are to be given and are asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they do not criticise or make charges against any Member of the Oireachtas, a person outside the Houses or an official by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.

The Middle East has been designated a high priority in the committee's work programme for 2012, as it was in previous years. We have naturally paid particular attention to the appalling situation in Syria. We have also engaged on the changes taking place in other parts of the Middle East and north Africa, particularly Egypt and Tunisia, in response to the public demonstrations and agitation for change which came to be known as the Arab spring. In my capacity as Chairman of the committee, I addressed the Doha Forum last May on the issue of the challenges arising from the Arab spring. I observed in the course of my presentation that, notwithstanding the pace of change in some parts of the Middle East and north Africa, the legitimate objective of the Palestinian people of establishing their own state has still not been achieved. In fact, the situation has deteriorated in recent times. Moreover, with the presidential election taking place in the United States in the coming months, not much will happen before the end of the year.

The pace of construction of illegal settlements by Israel is a serious obstacle to progress towards a solution under which the Israeli desire to protect the security of its borders and the Palestinian objective of statehood are mutually and equally respected. As part of its programme of work, the committee has already met this year with the Speaker of the Knesset, Mr. Reuven Rivlin, the Israeli Minister for Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs, and the ambassador at the Palestinian mission in Ireland. Today's meeting gives us an opportunity to discuss with the EAPPI representatives how their organisation draws on volunteers' experience in the West Bank to promote its vision of bringing a just and peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, based on international laws and relevant United Nations resolutions. Many members of the committee have visited Israel and Palestine in the past, some as part of a delegation from the previous committee. I had the privilege of travelling to Israel and Gaza with the Taoiseach, when he was leader of the Opposition, in the immediate aftermath of Operation Cast Lead. There we saw at first hand the devastation caused by the Israeli raids in Palestine. We met with Mr. John Ging, our representative at the United Nations at that time and a person who has done trojan work for the people of Gaza. I hope the committee will be in a position to take up an invitation for a delegation to travel to Israel and Palestine some time in 2013 in order to see the situation there for ourselves.

I am sure members will have plenty of questions for the delegates. I invite Mr. O'Brien to make his opening contribution.