Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Socialist Party)
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776. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will bring forward the formal recognition of the state of Palestine by Ireland, in view of the recognition of the state of Palestine by the Holy See recently, and a number of other States. [20091/15]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Following on from the resolutions passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas last year, I am continuing to reflect actively and carefully on what early recognition of Palestine could mean for Palestine, for the peace process and for Ireland’s influence on this critical issue.

Discussions with other EU Foreign Ministers, which took place in Brussels on 18 May and will continue next month in Luxembourg, will inform my reflection. In my contribution to the discussion at last week’s Foreign Affairs Council, I underlined that the Peace Process itself is at standstill and that we know that events on the ground are rapidly closing the window on a possible two-state solution. I understand that the Holy See has used the title ‘State of Palestine’ since the adoption by the UN General Assembly of the Resolution by which Palestine became a Non-member Observer State of the UN in 2012.