Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

I do not agree that we have handed the leading role to the United States. The fact is that the US has the greatest influence on the Israelis, so it has to be involved. Thankfully, it has been more involved in recent times than heretofore. The EU has been very active in this area. As paymasters for the humanitarian situation, we provided in the region of €1 billion to the Palestinian people last year, which is a sizeable increase on the previous year. We have also been heavily involved in all the negotiations and, as I noted earlier, the issue will be on the table at next week's meeting in Malta between the Arab League and the EU.

I concur with the Deputy's long list of governmental policies which are additional to the two-state solution. These policies have been articulated by the Government and the EU over many years. The Middle East peace process has been on the agenda of every General Affairs and External Relations Council meeting I have attended since 2004 and the EU has been very active in terms of discussions with officials and between the EU and Israel and Palestine aimed at bringing the matter to some sort of solution. We would all accept that a solution to the Israel-Palestine issue would be the keystone for better regional stability.

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