Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)

Within the European Union, we can change. We were effective on UNRWA, for example. When there was a big move on to take funding away from UNRWA, we intervened, doubled down and increased our funding significantly. We said at the Foreign Affairs Council that other countries should not go along with the herd and withdraw their funding. There have been changes in the response of the European Union to the funding of UNRWA and the Palestinian Authority. The European Union remains the biggest donor in the world to the Palestinian Authority at the moment. We cannot forget that.

It is very challenging and frustrating because we have a very clear view but not everybody looks at it through the prism that we do. Bringing other countries with us is a huge journey in respect of this horrific war and event. We also work with the United Nations. We have been very active - not words - in the International Criminal Court and International Court of Justice on a number of fronts. We have been active on the genocide convention in terms of a very well composed legal argument around the criteria for judging a genocide. We invited the court to consider access to humanitarian aid, conduits to humanitarian aid, intention and so on. Those are actions. I know Deputies on the other side of the House are anxious to say these are fine words but there is no action. These are sustained and pragmatic actions that are within our power and that do and can have an impact. We will continue to do that on a number of issues. The recognition of the Palestinian state was an act, not just fine words, which provoked a significant response and opposition from the Israeli Government and others who support it.

Aontaím leis an méid a dúirt an Teachta Ó Muineacháin faoi Gaza, agus an brú filleadh atá ar chosmhuintir Gaza de dheasca an chogaidh uafásaigh atá ann faoi láthair. I gcomhthéacs Tuaisceart na hÉireann, bhí cainteanna suimiúla againn leis an Uachtarán Trump, go háirithe faoin slí ina rabhamar in ann próiseas síochána a chur i bhfeidhm. Deputy Moynihan referred to trade issues. The fundamental issue of the interconnection of supply chains between the US and European Union was discussed. This is not a simple matter. Modern supply chains are very complex. A barrier cannot simply be put up because that can affect the manufacture of goods, the raw materials that are imported to enable companies to produce products and so on. The legacy Act was another issue we discussed with congressional leaders, as well as trade and Northern Ireland.

Deputy Malcolm Byrne referred to recent decisions in respect of Harvard. It is surprising the degree to which education has been targeted, in particular higher education. The initiative announced by the Minister, Deputy Lawless, to attract international scholars and research from the US to Ireland is good. In the past we have attracted some significant scholars and research teams to Ireland. They, in turn, produce products and ideas that feed into industry and help to create jobs in our economy.

Deputy Ó Cearúil raised a number of issues. I have discussed the tariff and trade issues. I hope that with serious negotiation we can get a deal that will benefit European consumers and citizens as well as consumers in the United States.

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