Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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342. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to media reports that the EU Ambassadors to Palestine 2016 annual report said that the number of illegal Israeli settlers moving to occupied East Jerusalem is growing by 3% a year and that it blamed Israel for violence in occupied East Jerusalem; if his attention has been further drawn to the fact that the report stated that EU countries should impose immigration regulations or visa bans on known violent settlers and those calling for violence; and his views on imposing these sanctions against illegal Israeli settlers. [5607/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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Ireland contributed to the compilation of the report in question, and the developments and observations contained in it underpin the continued emphasis we have placed on settlement and other issues affecting the lives of Palestinians in East Jerusalem and elsewhere. The purpose of these reports is to act as a basis for policy discussion within the EU, and in general it is not helpful to discuss their details publicly. I cannot comment on specific elements reported in the media, but the factual details are to be found in other publicly available sources. I would have no difficulty examining a proposal to place travel sanctions on known individuals promoting violent acts, if this was both practicable and helpful. There is however no suggestion in the report of extending such measures to all settlers, and I would not propose such a measure.