Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 31: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the steps Ireland and the EU are taking to ensure that medical and food aid and reconstruction materials enter and reach those who need them in Gaza. [21710/09]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 143: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the action taken at EU and UN level to improve the situation in the Middle East with particular reference to the alleviation of hardship, human rights abuses, starvation and oppression in Gaza; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21990/09]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 31 and 143 together.

There is no doubt that the current volume of aid passing into Gaza is insufficient. The UN continues to report on shortages of basic humanitarian supplies and the number of daily truckloads of goods permitted into Gaza actually declined in April by 20%. While Israel is now allowing in some previously blocked items, such as paper for school books, overall quantities of aid have decreased and remain at the same inadequate levels as before the Israeli offensive in December and January. As a result, the humanitarian situation remains very precarious and the reconstruction process has yet to get truly under way.

Fundamentally, the situation can only be reversed by an immediate and unconditional reopening of the Territory's crossings points for both humanitarian and commercial goods. This is a point that both I and EU colleagues have made repeatedly to the Israeli authorities. Earlier this month, the EU Presidency, the European Commission and High Representative Javier Solana sent a joint letter to the Israeli Foreign Minister calling again for the opening of the crossing points and the unimpeded provision and distribution of humanitarian assistance to Gaza.

While the humanitarian situation is deeply troubling, I am especially concerned by the lack of progress with regard to the reconstruction of the Territory. It is now over four months since the unilateral ceasefires were put in place yet much of Gaza still lies in ruins. Israeli restrictions on the entry of construction materials into Gaza have not only prevented the repair of damaged homes but also the rebuilding of shattered infrastructure. As a result, thousands of Palestinians made homeless by the conflict remain living in tents and temporary shelters while there are also ongoing crippling shortages of clean water and electricity.

The priority remains to focus our efforts not just on the serious humanitarian situation – as pressing as that may be – but also on the longer term economic recovery of Gaza as well as support for efforts to promote Palestinian reconciliation. People in Gaza must be offered an economic and political future. The EU is firmly committed to achieving this goal. It is already the largest donor to the Palestinian people and in 2009 the Commission alone will provide over €554 million in financial assistance. The EU has consistently called for the reopening of Gaza's borders to aid the recovery process and is also prepared to reactivate and possibly extend its assistance in the management of the Territory's borders. The EU will also continue to support the development of the broader Palestinian economy, addressing the needs of the West Bank as well as Gaza, since both territories constitute the pillars of a future Palestinian State.

At a national level, total Irish aid funding to the Palestinian people in 2008 amounted to over €8.6 million which included €3.8 million in core support to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), and €3 million for the Palestinian Authority, of which €1.5 million was for the purchase of fuel for the power plant in Gaza. Support was also provided to a range of civil society organisations for human rights and democratisation initiatives.

In 2009, while maintaining our core support for UNRWA, we have already provided an additional €1.5 million in special emergency funding to address the humanitarian consequences of the crisis in Gaza. Further funding allocations to the Palestinian people will be determined as the year progresses.