Noel Grealish (Galway West, Independent)

I assure the Senator that the Minister, Deputy O’Callaghan, remains extremely concerned about the situation in Gaza and the Government is committed to supporting international efforts to bring an end to this dreadful conflict. The Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration will continue to support its colleagues in the Departments of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Health in further medical evacuation operations.

On timelines surrounding the arrival of these people, visa applications from Palestine are received by the Embassy of Ireland in Tel Aviv, which processes certain visa applications under delegated sanction on behalf of the Department. The Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan's, officials in the visa division are in regular contact with the embassy regarding visa applications from residents of Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon. Both Departments work together to ensure visa applications for Palestinian nationals who meet the criteria to be granted a visa are processed as swiftly as possible. The embassy is actively engaging with applicants to gather the required documents to ensure the visa division of the Department has everything it needs to progress these applications.

The Minister assures the Palestinian community and their loved ones that officials in the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration will process their applications as swiftly as possible. While the Department cannot help directly with the evacuation of people from Gaza, colleagues in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade have, since the beginning of the crisis, supported and facilitated the travel of more than 200 people from Gaza to Ireland. They will continue to help as much as they can and the Department of justice will do all it can to assist them in their efforts.

I again express my sympathies to the people of Palestine on what is a very difficult situation.