Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 628: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will actively support at EU and UN level a Palestinian State based on the 1967 borders [1097/11]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The achievement of a Palestinian State on the current Occupied Territories has been an important objective of successive Irish Governments. This state must be based on the 1967 borders, and no alteration to those borders will be recognised unless it is the subject of mutual agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. This is also the policy of the EU. The Government works in a number of different ways to achieve this objective:

Firstly, I have been very active and engaged at EU, UN and national level to focus attention on the continuing conflict, and to support efforts to reach a comprehensive settlement of the issues. I have made a number of visits to the area and to the wider Middle East region, to learn first hand of the difficulties and encourage the parties to take the necessary steps to achieve peace.

Secondly, both through the EU and bilaterally through Irish Aid we have actively supported the capacity building efforts of the Palestinian Authority, as it works under the plan of Prime Minister Fayyad to prepare itself to exercise the responsibilities of statehood.

Thirdly, we work through Irish Aid to support efforts by UNRWA and other UN agencies, and both Israeli and Palestinian NGOs, to ameliorate the severe impact of the ongoing occupation on the lives of ordinary Palestinians, pending the final ending of the occupation and the achievement of a State of Palestine.