Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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178. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the steps he has taken or will take to ensure that the Israeli authorities are contacted to express the opposition of the Houses of the Oireachtas to the continued use of administrative detention of Palestinian Legislative Council members who have been arrested and detained without being convicted of an offence in a manner which is in violation of all human rights standards and agreements under international law. [15391/18]

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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181. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if the detention of members of a group (details supplied) has been discussed at EU Foreign Affairs Council meetings; if so, the outcome of these discussions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15630/18]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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184. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his plans to intervene to highlight the arrest and continued detention of members of the Palestinian Legislative Council by the Israeli Government without a proper trial or conviction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15731/18]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 178, 181 and 184 together.

The 132 members of Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) were elected in 2006 for a four year mandate. The PLC has not held a regular session since 2007 and its mandate has since expired. I regret that it has not been possible to hold long overdue elections. I note that there are currently twelve members of the PLC currently held in Israeli jails with nine of these in administrative detention.

The continued use of administrative detention by Israel against Palestinian activists is a matter of concern. The subjects of these orders are given no indication of the allegations or concerns for which they are being detained.

Ireland has consistently made clear our view that administrative detention, if it exists at all, should only be an exceptional emergency measure. If there are genuine security concerns about individuals, they should be charged and tried under the law. Detained Palestinians should have the same protections and conditions that Israel affords its own citizens when detained.

Ireland has conveyed these views to the Israeli authorities both directly and through our interventions at UN level. In the most recent Universal Periodic Review of Israel, earlier this year, Ireland raised the issue of administrative detention, and made recommendations on the rights of detainees.

We have also worked to have the issue addressed in EU Council Conclusions. EU Missions in Palestine, including Ireland’s, have issued statements on the practice making clear that detainees have the right to be informed about the charges underlying any detention and must be granted access to legal assistance and be given a fair trial within a reasonable time or be released.

We will continue to make known our concerns on the practice to the Israeli authorities at all appropriate opportunities.