Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

I regret that the Minister's request to visit Gaza was turned down, particularly in light of the fact that a delegation from the Joint Committees on European Affairs and Foreign Affairs was able to get in, as was the Fine Gael Party leader. It is intolerable and unacceptable that the Minister's request was refused. Will he say whether he will follow this up and continue to attempt to visit Gaza? I believe it is very important that he does so, without any preconditions. I am not suggesting it would be correct to meet Hamas, as I do not believe it would. However, the president of Sinn Féin has visited Gaza and I understand he met members of Hamas when he was there. That visit was sanctioned, so I do not know whether there was an outside influence from the region which facilitated the meeting.

We are coming up to the first anniversary of Operation Cast Lead, and on the other side of the equation, attempts will be made by groups to get aid into Gaza over the next few weeks, which will ultimately serve to undermine real efforts to get aid in there through UNRWA. It is important that the Minister makes further requests to the Israeli authorities and through the European Council, to try to get the blockade lifted for a time to get in the much-needed supplies. By the same token, within the next few weeks we shall see various solidarity groups of no benefit to the people of Gaza, who will be trying to seek publicity in terms of getting in aid by a mechanism that will not be possible.

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