Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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1242. To ask the Minister for Health the number of medical evacuations to Ireland of Palestinians in Gaza and in the West Bank to date; her plans for future evacuations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3080/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for her query in relation to the medical evacuation to Ireland of Palestinians.

I can advise the Deputy that as an EU Member State, Ireland responded to a request from the World Health Organisation (WHO) to assist in addressing the current health needs in Gaza. Government approval was secured in September 2024 for Ireland to evacuate up to 30 sick children from Gaza for treatment and care. The health needs are categorised under cancer, haemodialysis and patients with other severe medical conditions. Orthopaedic treatment is not included, and patients are selected subject to confirmation of available capacity in the HSE to treat.

Ireland has a strong tradition of providing humanitarian assistance including through the Department of Foreign Affairs Irish Aid humanitarian and development assistance programme and the HSE Global Health Programme.

The first group of Palestinian children to receive healthcare treatment in Ireland arrived in Dublin on 19 December 2024. This group consisted of eight children, eight carers and eleven siblings. The group travelled from Cairo to Dublin Airport on a medical transport plane provided by the Slovakian Government and were accompanied by three medical doctors from the Health Service Executive (HSE) and a translator.

My Department engaged with a number of Departments and Agencies for the successful evacuation including :

• Department of Justice in relation to visas for entry to Ireland, border control and registration for permission to stay in the State;
• The Department of Foreign Affairs, particularly the Irish Embassy in Egypt who facilitated the processing of Department of Justice visa applications for each patient and accompanying family members;
• HSE in relation to the selection of patients and provision of healthcare treatment services;
• Department of Social Protection in relation to registration and social protection payments to the parent or guardian;
• Irish Red Cross were contracted for provision of accommodation and ongoing case work support including translation services;
• Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage who communicated evacuation offers for patients, on behalf of Ireland, via the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM).