Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

I thank the Deputy for his kind remarks about my departmental officials who have worked very hard in the past week. Each day they have visited the 14 people in detention and worked to have them released and returned to their families here as quickly as possible. I have been in daily contact with our officials both here and in Israel on the matter. I had hoped that seven of the 14 people held would be home today and the other seven tomorrow. I still hope all of them will be home by tomorrow. That is our immediate priority. As the Deputy said, there are issues which we can raise with the Israeli authorities and I have already indicated some of them to the Israeli ambassador.

The blockade of Gaza should not be continuing. The international community has to work to get the negotiations back on track between Palestine and Israel to find a solution to the problem. The Quartet's statement agreed at the UN General Assembly which provides a timetable for discussions is very helpful. We must work and build on it.

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