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

Firstly, I agree with much of what Deputy Berry has said. By way of quick reply, we are actively exploring the possibility of Ireland contributing to this multinational effort and Jordan, in particular, has been leading this in organising air-drops. I spoke to Foreign Minister Safadi on this a week or two ago and I specifically asked questions on this. We speak a great deal on other issues. We are now actively engaged with Jordan. It is not an issue of our technical capacity or anything like that. Jordan obviously has much experience interlocuting with the Israeli Government on the airspace there and the Deputy will understand the issues which arise there. We are working in partnership with Jordan and are actively exploring that.

What is important is that that should not distract from Israel's obligations. The most effective and only way to really get meaningful volumes of aid through is through the corridors, to open up the checkpoints, to open up Gaza and to allow far more trucks to get in on the ground than are getting in at the moment.

At the European Union, we have done about 41 air bridges but that is via Egypt. Janez Lenarčič, the European Commissioner for Crisis Managerment is a fine Commissioner. He might forgive my pronunciation at times on that but he has been very proactive in trying to get humanitarian aid into Gaza. I have met with and have discussed this with him and the centrality of UNRWA in getting that aid across. While there are air-drops in some countries other than these we are working with Jordan, are exploring this and will be supporting it in that respect. Of that the Deputy can be certain.

We are also very conscious that these cannot be used as an excuse for other actions as one does not get the same volume. There are also operational issues in getting the aid to people once it is dropped. Nonetheless, it is vital in northern Gaza, for example, where the UN agencies are not working, are not able to get in, are not effective and are not getting the stuff through. Really, it is about the opening up on a full-time basis of the border to allow for more trucks to get through.

On the capability question and a new C295W aircraft, which I believe is what the Deputy was referring to, that will be capable of transporting and deploying palletised cargo from the air and it can be configured with the required cargo handling system. It is equipped with a rear cargo door which can then be opened in flight. The aircraft avionics system is also capable of being programmed with the various parameters to allow for the accuracy required with aerial delivery operations.

The considerations are more on the, dare I say it, political or practical level in working with the Jordanian Government on the specifics of getting aid in and in whatever we can do to get aid in through that route, in terms of Ireland's purchase and support.

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