Dáil debates

Thursday, 9 July 2020

Estimates for Public Services 2020 (Resumed)

 

1:50 pm

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There are only two minutes and 35 seconds remaining but I will try to deal with all of the Deputy's questions. On Brexit, I intend to maintain close co-operation with Opposition parties to continue the stakeholders structure that we have had and that has worked very successfully. We hope to have another stakeholders' meeting before the end of this month. I will keep the Deputy and all other Deputies who are interested in progress informed as best I can during the Brexit process. It is not party political in terms of how we handle the challenges of Brexit between now and the end of the year, which is hugely important.

On the Middle East peace process, I am a strong supporter of a two-state solution being the only viable solution for a successfully negotiated peace outcome for Palestinians and Israelis. We are actively working to protect a two-state solution. At UN level and within the EU, I have been very vocal on this issue and will continue to be. In the programme for Government we have made it clear that we want to recognise the state of Palestine in the context of a negotiated peace solution recognising two states, but we have also stated that we would move to recognise the state of Palestine if we felt it assisted in the process of protecting a two-state solution or, indeed, protecting Palestinian land. That speaks for itself. There are a number of policy tools that are available to us here. There is a new Israeli Government and I want to engage with it. I also want to engage with our partners across the EU to provide a deterrent for a new Israeli Government to move ahead with annexation which has been suggested and spoken of by the Israeli Prime Minister on multiple occasions.

On Yemen, I agree with the Deputy that there is an extraordinary humanitarian crisis there. We have committed approximately €28 million to Yemen thus far in terms of humanitarian supports, including €5 million this year thus far. It is the politics of Yemen and the interventions that countries like Ireland and others make in international fora that will hopefully bring about a lasting peace in that country that is being torn apart.

On the Security Council, we will be soon able to access the papers linked to the Security Council and we will then become an associate member. On 1 January 2021, we will take up our seat in the council. I will come back to the Deputy on the questions I have not had time to answer today.

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