Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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266. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the resignation of a person (details supplied) from the UN due to its failure to accept two ESCWA reports describing an apartheid regime being applied in Israel; if his attention has further been drawn to these reports; his views on these reports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14999/17]

Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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271. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on the recent resignation of a person (details supplied) following the withdrawal of a report on current developments in the occupied territories of Palestine; his position and the measures he is taking on the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15120/17]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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272. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the resignation of a person (details supplied) in the United Nations; his plans to raise the reasons given by this person for their resignation at EU or UN level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15121/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 266, 271 and 272 together.

I am aware of the resignation of the former UN Under-Secretary General and Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) Executive Secretary, Rima Khalaf, and also of the report commissioned and published by the ESCWA member states on 15 March. I understand also that another ESCWA report was withdrawn last month on the instruction of the UN Secretary General.

I cannot comment on the content of the report, which has been withdrawn on the order of Secretary General Guterres. Similarly, I do not wish to comment on Ms Khalaf’s resignation without being fully sighted on the circumstances surrounding her decision.

It is relevant also to note that the majority of the eighteen ESCWA member states do not recognise the State of Israel.

Nonetheless, there are issues of enormous concern in the continued Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory, and a clear need for these to be discussed in an open and impartial manner.

I have argued consistently and repeatedly at EU and UN level that there needs to be a greater focus on the actions and developments in the occupied Palestinian territory which are unjust and which undermine the possibility of reaching a peace agreement. Ireland has focused in particular on settlement expansion, and on related issues demolitions, evictions and expropriations, but also on a broader range of concerns such as the treatment of Palestinian children by the Israeli security forces, restrictions on the provision of humanitarian assistance to populations in need, and restriction of access to water supplies. We have made known our concerns regarding discriminatory practices resulting from the occupation.

A specific recent concern is the legislation passed by the Knesset in February, which aims to retrospectively legalise Jewish settlement outposts built on privately-owned Palestinian land.

Ireland, and the international community, remains committed to trying to achieve a two state solution to this conflict between neighbours. The two state solution has been supported by public opinion and by responsible leaders in both Israeli and Palestinian society for many years, based on clear reasoning, and analysis of the various options and alternatives. A two state outcome remains better than any other model that has been considered.

Ireland will continue to support the two state solution, which can deliver peace, equality, security, freedom and justice for both the Israeli and Palestinian peoples.