Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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123. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has met the Palestinian ambassador recently; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4043/19]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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124. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has met or spoken with the Israeli ambassador recently; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4044/19]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 123 and 124 together.

I met the Ambassador of Israel at the National Holocaust Memorial Day Commemoration on Sunday, 27 January. I have also spoken to the Ambassador of Israel on the phone on a number of occasions, to receive his Government's views in relation to the Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill, and to convey my own.

I have met and spoken with the Palestinian Ambassador on a number of occasions, but have not had an opportunity to do so again since the beginning of the year.

Both the Israeli and Palestinian missions in Ireland are of course normally and routinely in contact with officials of my Department.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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125. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has met the EU ambassadors as a group with regard to Brexit recently; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4045/19]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I last met with the EU Ambassadors as a group at a lunch in the Bulgarian Embassy in June 2018. I frequently meet individual ambassadors.

Officials from my department are in regular contact with the EU Ambassadors, both individually and as a group, including at monthly briefings organised by the Embassy of the Member State holding the EU Presidency. In addition, a senior official briefs Embassies prior to every meeting of the General Affairs Council and General Affairs Council (Article 50). Official-level briefings are also organised from time to time for non-EU Ambassadors.

The Taoiseach, my cabinet colleagues and I take every opportunity to engage with EU partners to advance Ireland’s interests in the Article 50 process. I discuss Brexit collectively with my EU27 counterparts on a regular basis at the General Affairs Council (Article 50). Officials at the Permanent Representation in Brussels as well as in our Embassies are in regular contact with their EU counterparts.

In all of these contacts, I am struck by the continued solidarity and unity of our EU partners with Ireland on the issue of the backstop, and I am grateful for their continued public and private expressions of support.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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126. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has met with or spoken to the British Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, Mr. Stephen Barclay recently; if they discussed the most recent comments by Mr. Barclay on the extension of Article 50; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4046/19]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Brexit is a priority issue for this Government and the Taoiseach, my cabinet colleagues and I have taken every opportunity to engage with EU partners and the UK to advance Ireland’s priorities.

I have not yet had the opportunity to meet with UK Secretary of State for Exiting the EU, Stephen Barclay, though I have spoken with him by phone following his appointment late last year.

I maintain frequent contact with UK Ministers. Over the course of the last several months, I have met with Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, Dominic Raab during his time as UK Secretary of State for Exiting the EU, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Karen Bradley and David Lidington, the UK Minister of the Cabinet Office, with whom I remain in regular contact.

With regards to the extension of Article 50, the EU can only consider this following a formal request from the UK. The EU would need to carefully consider a request, and the basis on which it was made. However, Ireland would be open to such a request, as, I believe would EU partners, if it would contribute to reaching a resolution.

Ultimately, what we need from the UK is clarity on how it proposes to move forward.