Eric Byrne (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 87: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in regard to Palestine, if he is in a position to work with the Agricultural Project, Green Palestine for Rural Development, through the auspices of Irish Aid. [25723/11]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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Through the Irish Aid programme of overseas development assistance, the Government provides significant funding assistance to the Palestinian people.

In 2010, Irish Aid provided €9 million to address humanitarian and development needs, provide emergency assistance to the most vulnerable Palestinians, and support the Palestinian Authority in public service delivery. We also provide funding to both Palestinian and Israeli civil society organisations focusing on human rights issues. Ireland is also a strong supporter of the UN agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), which provides vital social services, including health and education, to five million Palestinian refugees. Work is now underway within Irish Aid, in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, to finalise a new strategy for our programme of support to the Palestinian people. This strategy will reinforce the priority Ireland attaches to meeting the needs of the most vulnerable Palestinians and will involve a particular focus on education, an area which will be vital in assisting individual Palestinians and Palestinian society as a whole to achieve their potential.

While the Government does not at present provide direct funding through Irish Aid to the agricultural sector in Palestine, Irish funding to both the Palestinian Authority and UNRWA indirectly supports the implementation of Palestinian policies on rural development and food security, as set out in the Palestinian Authority's National Development Plan 2011-2013.