Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 455: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has had, or plans to have, any contact with the new Palestinian Authority; and if the Government plans to increase aid to Palestine. [10745/05]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The Government is in regular and ongoing contact with the Palestinian Authority through diplomatic channels. The Taoiseach telephoned President Mahmoud Abbas to congratulate him on his success in the elections. In the course of this call, he assured President Abbas of Ireland's continuing support for efforts to bring an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I have also written to my own counterpart, the newly appointed Palestinian Foreign Minister, Nasser Al-Kidwa, congratulating him on his appointment and looking forward to an early meeting. I had hoped to meet personally with President Abbas, Foreign Minister Al-Kidwa and other key Palestinian figures this month during a visit to the region but my recent appointment by the Secretary General of the United Nations as envoy on UN reform meant that my visit to the region must be temporarily deferred. However, I was fortunate to be able to meet the Palestinian Minister for Communications, Sabri Saidam, at the Euromed ICT ministerial meeting in Dundalk earlier this week.

Irish aid in Palestine is applied in the sectors of education, health, local government, human rights and emergency humanitarian assistance. A new three-year programme of assistance for the period 2005 to 2007 began in January 2005. Under this programme, funding amounting to over €10 million will be allocated to Palestine. In addition to this programme, funding is also allocated to key Irish NGO's via the multi-annual programme scheme, MAPS, and the fellowship programme.