Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Smyth, to the House.

Barry Ward (Fine Gael)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach as ucht an ábhair seo a roghnú mar cheann de na nithe i dtosach suíonna. The Minister of State is very welcome to the House.

The issue I am raising today relates to Irish Aid activities. I wish to put on record my praise for the manner in which Irish Aid operates. Ireland has a model of humanitarian aid and relief that has been copied by other countries around the world. It is something that comes without strings attached. One of the things that works particularly well is that when Irish Aid selects a programme - the reality is that because of limited resources we pick particular programmes in particular countries around the world, which is to be welcomed - it focuses on that and focuses on getting results rather than requiring the country receiving the aid, as happens with other countries, to buy products from our companies or whatever it may be. I am immensely proud of the way Irish Aid works and we can see the results for the work done by Irish Aid.

One of the areas identified by Irish Aid for particular focus is the occupied Palestinian territories - the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza. Undoubtedly, what has been happening in Gaza has had an effect on Irish Aid activities there. I know there is very close co-operation between Irish Aid and the UN Relief and Works Agency. We have given €68 million to UNRWA since 2005, working to help nearly 6 million Palestinian refugees in that region.

One of the focuses of that is education. That has been very progressive. We have done a lot of really good work. This year alone, I believe Irish Aid has allocated €29 million to the occupied Palestinian territories. Part of that focus, of course, is education. That has been one of the areas Irish Aid has identified to work on with Palestinians in order that they have opportunities and a place to go.

The reality for most people living in the occupied Palestinian territories, particularly in Gaza, is that they are subject to constant human rights abuses and breaches of international law. One of the issues that Irish Aid has identified there is the illegal seizure of land and demolition of homes. These are huge problems. It is disruptive, as well as being illegal.

I was in Gaza in 2005 post disengagement, after the Israelis settlements there were demolished and the Israeli settlers were removed from the Gaza Strip. At the same time, the Israel Defense Forces were flying in over Gaza City what are known as sonic bombs where they fly in fighter jets at supersonic speeds at a low altitude creating a sonic boom over a highly populated area. It is collective punishment. It is a war crime and it is against the law in no uncertain terms. That is not unusual for people living in that area.

Obviously in recent times that situation has escalated beyond any recognition. The destruction that has been wreaked on Gaza City in the northern end of the Gaza Strip and spreading increasingly farther south has meant that projects funded by Irish Aid have been destroyed. In education, for example, one of the things Irish Aid has done is build schools and invest in physical infrastructure in the Gaza Strip to support Palestinians living there. Many of those projects have now been completely destroyed. My question for the Minister of State this morning is: what are we going to do about it?

Obviously, Ireland is a small, militarily non-aligned country. We are probably not Israel's favourite country at the moment, judging by the way its representatives have interacted with us in the media, as well as diplomatically. The illegal actions of Israel at the moment - assuming they are illegal as I believe they are - have resulted in the destruction of projects funded by Irish taxpayers' money. What are we going to do about that? Are we going to take legal action against Israel for the destruction of our projects? What are we going to do to bring to Israel's door the fact that its illegal actions have destroyed projects paid for by Irish taxpayers?

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I endorse the Senator's praise of Irish Aid. I saw its fantastic work at first hand in Africa earlier this year.

Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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I am appalled by the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the scale of civilian casualties with more than 18,000 people killed and approximately 1.9 million people or 85% of the population displaced. The Government utterly condemned the heinous attacks by Hamas on 7 October, which saw 1,200 Israelis brutally killed. The Government continues to call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, for an increase in humanitarian access and for the protection of civilians. Hostages held by Hamas in Gaza must also be released immediately and unconditionally.

I welcome the outcome of the vote in the UN General Assembly on the situation in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. Ireland was in a group of 17 EU member states to vote in favour. It is encouraging to see such overwhelming support among the international community for this resolution.I am grateful to UN Secretary-General Guterres for his leadership throughout this crisis. The Taoiseach is attending a meeting of EU leaders today where this is one of the issues to be discussed. He will call on EU leaders to insist on an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.

Irish Aid funding to the Palestinian people, including in both the West Bank and Gaza, amounted to over €61 million in the period 2021 to 2023. We provided almost €17 million in 2021, another €17 million in 2022 and €36 million in 2023 in support to the occupied Palestinian territory and support to Palestinian refugees through UNRWA. During this time, Ireland's programme of assistance focused on targeted interventions seeking to maintain the space for a two-state solution. Ireland is a long-standing and committed supporter of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees in the near east. UNRWA delivers essential services, including in education and health to a population of some 5.7 million registered Palestinian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank and Gaza. In March 2021, Ireland signed a memorandum of understanding with UNRWA pledging predictable funding of €6 million per year over the course of 2021 to 2023. In practice, Ireland has provided significantly more than €6 million per year to UNRWA. In response to developments, we have provided a total of €35 million to UNRWA for the three years 2021 to 2023. This year alone, we have provided €18 million, including €10 million in the aftermath of the Hamas attacks and the Israeli military operation in Gaza.

Ireland also supports the core humanitarian work by the UN in the occupied territory, which includes monitoring and reporting on the humanitarian situation, advocating for humanitarian access, the protection of humanitarian space and respect for international humanitarian law. Ireland also supports the occupied territories humanitarian fund, a pooled funding mechanism designed to allocate funds quickly for unexpected emergencies or unforeseen events. Ireland’s total funding to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Palestine since 2021 amounts to €6 million, of which €4.445 million was provided to assist in the response to the humanitarian emergency in Gaza in the aftermath of 7 October.

Education is a key focus of Ireland’s work in Palestine, and is crucial to Palestine’s long-term economic viability. In the past three years, Ireland has provided €9 million in total to a joint financing arrangement, JFA, which supports the Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Education in strengthening the quality and accessibility of the education system, improving capacity and providing equitable access to quality education for Palestinian children. The JFA is considered one of the most effective means of donor support in Palestine.

In the field of higher education, the Ireland-Palestine scholarship programme continued to run successfully from over the past three years. Over this time period, 60 fellows from the West Bank and Gaza were awarded fellowships to study on a master's programme in Ireland for one year, including 22 this year.

Ireland is committed to funding for the Palestinian people which addresses basic needs, supports international organisations and provides for a better future for all. Our commitment in current circumstances is more needed than ever before.

Barry Ward (Fine Gael)
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I join with the Minister of State in his condemnation of the Hamas attacks. They were so senseless, so selfish that they have sacrificed Palestinian children for the cause of Hamas. Nobody shies away from the criticism of Hamas in that regard. I watched the UN General Assembly the night before last and the vote that was presided over by Dennis Francis. I agree that it is good that the motion for a ceasefire has been passed. I am disappointed by how few European Union states saw fit to vote for it. I do not understand the rhetoric of Israel that says that somehow, Gazans would be safer if there were not a ceasefire, because they are entitled to be governed by people other than Hamas. While I agree with that aim, there is no way Gazans are safer without a ceasefire. That makes absolutely no sense at all.

I praise the Government's stance on this and I am disappointed by Israel's continuous use of rhetoric and spin on the issue, where I think their position is absolutely indefensible. However, the question has not been answered. What are we going to do about the fact that Irish taxpayers' money to the tune of €36 million this year, more than I even realised, has been destroyed and wasted by the Israel Defense Forces and their illegal actions in Gaza. What are we going to do about it?

Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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I think the focus at the moment is to achieve peace, to achieve first an immediate and lasting ceasefire and then second to provide humanitarian access into Gaza. Our focus at the moment is not on recovering lost sums of money, damaged property or interrupted projects, as distressing as that may be. The first priority has to be to achieve peace. I agree with the Senator. Although Israel, of course, like any country, has a right to defend itself, they have gone too far. They are at the point now, I think, where Israel is losing support around the world from its allies. We are in a situation where the wanton killing of women and children - the majority the people being killed are of course civilians, the vast majority. They are not all Hamas fighters. The vast majority of the civilians being killed are women and children. This is unconscionable and unbearable and it has to stop. As I have detailed in the answer, Ireland has been very much involved in providing funding for projects in Gaza. I know both the Tánaiste and the Minister, Deputy Coveney before him were personally very committed towards that work. I think that Irish people have a deep connection and sympathy with Palestinian people. Our first priority has to be to achieve peace and I know the Tánaiste, Deputy Micheál Martin, is working for that today with other European leaders.