Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am glad that the Tánaiste is confident this resolution will be passed by a large majority. While it is modest, it is a step forward and important that every opportunity is given to the Palestinians to have an appropriate forum in which to air their legitimate grievances. As the Minister of State said, Ireland was the first western state to declare that the solution to the Middle East conflict had to include a sovereign Palestinian state. That was announced on behalf of the then Government in 1980 by the late Brian Lenihan Snr as Minister for Foreign Affairs. I am glad that the European Union has adopted that policy. At all times, as the Minister of State acknowledged, we are horrified by the loss of life, the inhumanity to which both sides have been subject and the desperate conditions in which many Palestinians are forced to live.

An issue we raised with the Tánaiste at the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade last week was the need to provide additional humanitarian assistance due to the recent conflict prior to the ceasefire of a week ago. Will the Minister of State convey this message again to the Tánaiste on the need to provide additional humanitarian assistance to those injured and affected by the recent violence through our overseas development programme? The European Union needs to have a proactive policy in this regard. At times, attention is focused on an area when there is a conflict there, but if the conflict eases or goes into abeyance without being resolved in the long term, the focus can shift away from providing much-needed humanitarian assistance. During statements on the European Council meeting earlier, my party leader Deputy Martin pointed out that the European Union had promised humanitarian assistance for Gaza, as well as developmental aid for new facilities there. Will the Minister relate to the Tánaiste our desire that the maximum assistance be given as rapidly as possible? Following what I hope will be a positive vote tomorrow at the UN, the European Foreign Affairs Council must decide the European Union's role in this conflict.

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