Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

On the recognition of the state of Palestine, we have made it clear in the programme for Government that we will honour our commitment to recognise the state of Palestine as part of a lasting settlement of the conflict or in advance of that when we believe that doing so will progress efforts to reach a two-state solution or protect the integrity of Palestinian territory.

On practical support for the Palestinians, it should not be forgotten that Ireland provides significant levels of development and humanitarian assistance to meet the needs of the most vulnerable Palestinian men, women and children. In 2020, this support will amount to €16.2 million in total and in light of the threat posed by Covid-19, the Government has expedited this year's funding to agencies and civil society organisations working on the ground with the Palestinian people. One of our main partners on the ground is UNRWA and we will provide €7 million this year to support its vital work in providing education, healthcare and humanitarian relief to approximately 5.6 million registered Palestinian refugees in the occupied Palestinian territories, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. We are also providing funding to the Palestinian Authority's Ministry of Education and Higher Education; the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs; the West Bank Protection Consortium, which works to deter demolitions on the West Bank and civil society organisations advocating for human rights and peace. We continue to provide humanitarian assistance to alleviate the worst of the suffering in Gaza, including through our support for UNRWA, which provides a lot of public services, such as health and education, in Gaza.

Deputy Boyd Barrett raised an important point on the question of a one-state or two-state solution. It seems to me that the general consensus internationally and the European position have been in favour of a two-state solution. That said, the continued policy of annexation and settlements makes that a difficult prospect into the future and it would seem to me to be in the best interests of all to create a momentum behind what many people think is the practical and realistic idea of a two-state solution.

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