Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy is right. We will absolutely continue to speak out in relation to this at an EU level and at every possible forum we have because we have seen more instances of settler violence in recent weeks. While I have welcomed the fact that the EU has adopted successive rounds of sanctions against violent Israeli settlers, it is really important that further listings are considered and that further action is taken. It is also important that at an EU level we finally see happening something for which Ireland has been calling for a long time and that there is a meeting in regard to the EU-Israel Association Agreement. I am pleased to say that that meeting will take place this month in Brussels. I expect to be in attendance at it. In March there will be engagement between the European Union and Palestine. It is important that we have those two engagements because Ireland continues to do all we can, or at least continues to debate here what we can do at a bilateral level and at a national level. However, working at a European level on this issue is vital too.

See this speech in context