Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)

Several questions immediately arise from the Minister of State's response. Will he consider the Annapolis meeting a failure if its final statement does not address the issues he mentioned, including the future status of Jerusalem, illegal settlements and so on? Does he agree that the credibility of the European Union is badly damaged by, in the first instance, the clearing house decision that added Hamas to a proscribed list, with no accountability to this Parliament or any parliament in Europe, and, following that, its failure to recognise the result of the election, which was acknowledged as free and fair by several international bodies, including the Carter Centre? All we had from the EU was a mealy-mouthed statement expressing gratitude that no lives had been lost in the course of the election. It is absolutely absurd to suggest it is dealing with all the parties. What contact has the EU with Hamas? Most commentators, including the British Foreign Office, agree the only solution will involve talks that include both Hamas and Fatah. Where is the semblance of that recognition in anything the EU says?

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Dermot Ahern, suggested in a previous reply to a question on this issue that he had made the Irish position known. However, we do not know what the Irish position is. Is it our position not to recognise the results of the election? Is it our position not to have any contact with Hamas? Is it our position never to remind Israel that as an occupying force, it is in breach of international law by cutting off vital structures for Gaza?

It seems some slow and tedious progress is being made through the permanent secretariat. I am pleased the Minister seems to be following my suggestion in this regard. However, the notion that we should rely on a press release from a meeting in Annapolis as an alternative to such a secretariat is depressing, as is the operation of an exclusion policy towards some of the participants in the conflict.

See this speech in context