Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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During the St Patrick's Day Programme in Japan, I met with my counterpart Minister Ayuko Kato at her office on Friday 15th March last. Ms Kato is the Minister for Child Policy, Youth Empowerment, Declining Birthrate and Gender Equality. During the meeting, we discussed the similar wide ranging reforms to Early Education and Childcare which our respective Governments are pursuing, in which much greater state investment has been prioritised for the sector. The policies adopted in Ireland recently are of interest to the Japanese government as they consider measures to incentivise families to have more children.

I also used the opportunity of a meeting with a cabinet-level minister to re-iterate the Government of Ireland's strong support for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and of the importance of maintaining support for UNRWA at present, a body which Japan has been a major supporter of in the past.