Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)

I will repeat what was a very simple question. The Tánaiste is new to his position and this is a fresh start. Traditonally his party gave support to the Palestinian people. I ask him, therefore, to take a stand, with Cyprus, in the European Union in recognising the rights of the Palestinian people. That would have a significant and dramatic impact. Ireland is respected internationally for its involvement in peacekeeping and defending the rights of those who are downtrodden. We could take a significant step in this regard. I, therefore, implore the Tánaiste to recognise a Palestinian state as soon as possible to follow in the footsteps of Cyprus, one of our European partners, and a number of countries in Latin America. It would be a significant gesture.

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