Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

President Obama is a very good friend of Ireland. This country has very warm and close relations with the United States which we will continue. President Obama will state his country's position on international issues at the UN, just as I stated Ireland's position on this issue. In respect of the expansion of the settlements, I said in reply to an earlier question that we strongly condemn the decision to go ahead with the 1,000 household settlement plan in Gilo in East Jerusalem. I agree with the Deputy that coming directly after the quartet statement, it was not a very good signal on whether progress can be made.

I remind the Deputy that the quartet statement is an agreed one between all the members, namely, the United States, Russia, the European Union and the UN, and it sets down a timetable. It also sets down very clearly that provocative and pre-emptive actions should not be engaged in, and I agree with that. My colleagues in the European Union, High Representative Ms Catherine Ashton and I will focus on how we can make that quartet statement become a reality, get negotiations going and try to get a settlement.

See this speech in context