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

Again, I strongly condemn the killing of the Al Jazeera reporter, Shireen Abu Akleh, in Jenin on 11 May last. As I have said time and again, media freedom and the safety of journalists must be paramount and must be protected. We have called for an immediate impartial, independent and effective investigation. Ireland's representative in Ramallah attended Shireen's funeral. The excessive use of force by the police at her funeral was disgraceful and totally unacceptable. Through the European Union, bilaterally and directly, Ireland will continue to raise these issues. We are concerned about a range of things that are taking place. We issued a statement on 13 May on the construction of more than 4,000 new housing units in the West Bank. We are endeavouring to accelerate funding from the EU to Palestine. The delay is unacceptable at present.

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