Noel Treacy (Galway East, Fianna Fail)

I am not in a position to give a de facto answer to the question but from experience I am aware that once a decision is taken, the decision is reported, but information is not given on what way people voted. I do not think it is revealed how anyone votes in any of the communications or conclusions that are arrived at.

Ireland and the European Union are very much at one on the situation in the Middle East. We regard the democratic decision taken by the Palestinian people to elect a new government as a legitimate decision. The government is in place and the desire is that people would respect that fact, and that the Palestinian Authority in turn would respect the sovereign government in the adjoining state of Israel and that there would be mutual respect. As we speak there is a European Union initiative through the Austrian Presidency where every effort is being made to engage in dialogue to ensure we can continue to find a formula to transfer resources so that the Palestinian people will not be the victims of a change of government vis-À-vis the cash transfers from which the country has benefitted from the European Union and other countries.

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