Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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172. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the steps that have been and will be taken to help address the deteriorating social, economic and political situation in Lebanon; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47695/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The situation in Lebanon is deeply worrying. The economic situation had been deteriorating for some time before the pandemic, the devastating explosions in Beirut on 4 August 2020 and the onset of war in Ukraine.  I have visited Lebanon on several occasions as Minister, most recently in May of this year, and have witnessed first-hand the scale of the challenges facing the country.

It is positive that parliamentary elections went ahead as scheduled in May. It is vital that Presidential elections are held to schedule, and that a government is formed as soon as possible in order to enact reform.

Ireland is committed to supporting Lebanon. Since 2014, we have provided over €36 million in direct humanitarian funding to Lebanon, including €3 million so far in 2022. The EU has moved quickly to respond to growing food insecurity in the country created by the war in Ukraine. It has allocated €25 million to Lebanon as part of a regional Food and Resilience Facility to ensure access to basic goods and services in the context of food insecurity caused by the war. It has also allocated an additional €20 million in humanitarian aid to Lebanon.

Since 1978, we have supported Lebanon through our troop contribution to UNIFIL. We believe it has been playing a vital role in the stability of the region as well as in Lebanon. Last year, during negotiations on the renewal of the UNIFIL mandate, Ireland successfully advocated for the inclusion of a provision enabling UNIFIL to provide targeted support to the Lebanese Armed Forces in the form of fuel, medical supplies, food, and logistical support on a temporary basis. Last month, UNIFIL’s mandate was extended, including a six-month extension of this non-lethal support.