Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South-Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The sanctions that have been there are necessary but it is vitally important the EU as a whole politically raises its concerns. I urge the Minister in his role to encourage the EU to make strong statements against what has been happening in the West Bank since 30 January. UNRWA no longer has any contact with the Israeli authorities because of their ban. It has made it impossible for UNRWA - a UN agency, lest we forget - to raise concerns about civilian suffering in the Palestinian territory which is putting the lives of Palestinian refugees and UNRWA staff at risk. I welcome the increase in funding by the Irish Government. I said last week I do not have a problem recognising where the Government does the right thing. I said that last week. That does not mean that I will not say if I am dissatisfied with certain areas, but I have said it recently.

What is happening there at the minute where some 40,000 people have been evacuated in recent times and the scale of movement from the West Bank in the context of the violence is very considerable and is not properly getting the attention internationally that it ought to.

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