Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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123. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide an update on his engagement with the Middle East peace talks; if he condemns the announcement by Israel that it plans to build new settlements in East Jerusalem; the actions he has taken as a result of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48995/13]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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146. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which the Middle East peace process is proceeding in satisfactory fashion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49541/13]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 123 and 146 together.

The Israeli and Palestinian sides are negotiating directly, with the United States as the only outside observer. The role of Ireland and our EU partners is therefore to support and encourage both parties in their engagement together, and work on how EU policies can help this, including by addressing issues which are damaging to prospects for peace.

The talks have been proceeding in regular session, and the parties have endured domestic criticism to enter them and have remained engaged. These are positive signs. Last week, however, the Palestinian negotiating team offered their resignations to President Abbas, stating that Israel was not engaging seriously, and no real negotiations were talking place. This is clearly very worrying, and resonates with concerns which we had ourselves.

But there is simply no point in generating headlines and pressure about this process. The parties are wisely and commendably saying as little as possible about this in public, and we need to do the same.

I will of course be discussing the position, and whether the EU can do anything to help, with my EU colleagues, and indeed with any relevant actors, in the period ahead.

Continuous settlement announcements by Israel have clearly been damaging to the confidence which is the only basis for any talks process such as this. The announcement of new settlement projects last week, later suspended, was startling in both its size and locations, and clearly damaging.

However that announcement related to a preliminary stage in the planning process, not to actual building, and has now been suspended. I am more concerned in many ways with actual ongoing construction, and with the continuing waves of evictions and demolitions which are part and parcel of the settlement process. I made clear this concern in a statement I issued on 1 November relating to plans for a further 1,500 settlement units in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.