Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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853. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to outline the steps he will take to contribute to making the recommendations of a recent report (details supplied); if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the same report states such changes are essential not only to alleviate the current hardship but also to reduce the likelihood of a new escalation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26187/16]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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The report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, referred to by the Deputy, underlines the message I have consistently expressed that the current calm in Gaza, welcome as it is, is deceptive. Unless the underlying issues are addressed, a renewal of destructive conflict there is almost inevitable.

All sides recognise this, and all appear to wish to avoid a new conflict, but there has been no real progress since 2014 in reaching a genuine solution which could end both the Israeli blockade of Gaza and attacks from Gaza on Israel. Unfortunately none of the parties involved, for differing reasons, seem ready at this moment to try again to reach a more permanent understanding.

The EU has consistently called for an end to the restrictions on Gaza, and has encouraged the efforts to achieve reconciliation on the Palestinian side. Repeated agreements to take this forward have unfortunately consistently foundered in implementation at local level.

Ireland’s assistance for Gaza reconstruction, which I pledged at the Cairo conference in October 2014, has been fully discharged, and I have urged all other donors to fulfil their pledges. However, it is fair to recall that some donors may, like Ireland, have pledged a contribution over a certain timespan. And many Ministers at Cairo made clear that their willingness to contribute depended on progress in reaching agreement to ensure this conflict did not recur. Sadly, that has not happened.