Written answers

Wednesday, 15 January 2014

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Middle East Peace Process

Photo of Thomas PringleThomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent)
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16. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his plans to provide full diplomatic recognition to Palestine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1485/14]

Photo of Eamon GilmoreEamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Ireland has for many years supported the achievement of a fully sovereign state of Palestine as an essential element to the resolution of the Middle East conflict. Both nationally and in concert with our EU partners, we work for the realisation of this goal and to help build up the Palestinian institutions for statehood.

Ireland’s position has always been clear that full diplomatic recognition of an independent Palestinian State will take place in the context of a comprehensive peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians which, inter alia, formally provides for the establishment of a Palestinian State. That is also the policy of the EU.

In January 2011, Ireland upgraded the status of the Palestinian delegation in Ireland, in recognition of the continuing progress being made by the Palestinian Authority in building up the institutions of a future Palestinian State. A similar upgrade took place in a number of other EU countries. The Palestinian Representative Office in Ireland was re-titled as the Palestinian Mission, headed by an 'Ambassador – Head of Mission'. In November 2013 the new Palestinian Head of Mission, for the first time, presented his credentials directly to the President. Internationally, in 2012 Ireland led EU support for the admission of Palestine as an Observer State at the United Nations.

I very much hope to be able to extend full Irish recognition of a Palestinian State, as part of a two-state solution to the conflict.

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