Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am not calling the EU out. We are part of the EU. We joined it, are members of it and are around the table. What I am doing every single day with colleagues across Government, including the Tánaiste, is working at a European level to help bring about the actions that need to happen. Europe has not covered itself in glory in relation to this humanitarian catastrophe. I am very clear in relation to that. Mistakes have been made. Condemnation is not enough. There needs to be clear action. It has been the position of this country and one other member state, Spain, since the month of March, that the association agreement should be reviewed. We saw yesterday that there is now growing support for that position.

These things do not happen by accident. They happen through the diplomatic and political efforts of this country and we will keep that up. We intend to continue to engage. We are taking practical actions every day whether it is delivering humanitarian aid, whether it is engaging with Palestinian counterparts, whether it is talking to people in the region, whether it is the Tánaiste attending the meeting of Arab and EU states yesterday and whether it is working with Norway and Spain to recognise the State of Palestine.

I do not believe in expelling ambassadors because I believe you keep the lines open even with countries you vehemently disagree with. However, I take grave offence to how our ambassador was treated in Tel Aviv. It is not right to parade ambassadors in front of television cameras and video them while they watch horrific films. We would never do that to an ambassador in this country.

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