Mr. John Whyte:

I thank the Deputy. These are good questions also. The Irish Government, as I acknowledged earlier, has played a very positive role, both in terms of support through the Department of foreign affairs and Irish Aid. It is a massively important donor, consistent, reliable and contributing to our programme budget, which is our core funding and kind of pays for all our core services - education, health, protection, etc. It is highly valued and really very important. In advocacy, as well, the Irish Government is leading the way in terms of debate at a European level. It is a matter of record.

Can more be done? Always. The EU is divided. It is important that Ireland and other similar-minded member states galvanise themselves. Governments change and so there are opportunities and things can go one way or the other, but it is good that the Irish Government has been consistent. There is cross-party consensus, I think it is safe to say, on this issue and that is greatly welcomed. There are not many member states with that approach and track record.

Donor fatigue is a reality. This war has ground on for two years. There are other wars. There are other conflicts. There is a lot of demand for very few resources. The UN system has never been under more threat because of the approach, let us say, of the current US Administration, and a lot of the big agencies have had to lay off massive amounts of staff. Now, the whole idea of multilateralism is under massive threat. That is simply a reality. We have to hope for better days and we have to also believe from what we saw in Italy yesterday, for example, that not everybody thinks like his or her government. It is important that we do not give up. We cannot give up because the alternative is unthinkable. Gaza is maybe an idea of what could happen elsewhere, I am sorry to say.