Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. The settlement issue shows a disregard, a disdain and an indifference to international law and also to the United Nations Security Council. The ongoing policy of settlement expansion has to be seen in light of the possibility of the two-state solution. The Minister was there, as was I. When one is there and sees the extent of the settlement building one gets a real sense of whether it is possible to have a two-state solution.

Palestine is where we were. We had land grabs in this country, with Britain taking the land from Irish people. We remember Cromwell's "to hell or to Connacht". It was an attack on the land. It was also an attack on our culture and our traditions. My question is, how can we support a two-state solution when our Government does not recognise one of those states as a state. If we are committed to the two-state solution, surely it is logical that we recognise Palestine as a state. I would like to know how emphatic we are at EU and UN level in condemning what Israel is doing with settlements.

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