Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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3. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will instruct his Department to work with an organisation (details supplied) on an order to deliver aid to Gaza in light of the dire humanitarian crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3728/25]

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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Ireland has provided over €62 million in support of the Palestinian people since the beginning of 2023. Of this, more than €50 million has been provided in assistance since October 2023. This includes €38 million in core support to UNRWA, as well as the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the World Food Programme and others. Ireland’s support also includes the recent arrival in Ireland of eight patients as part of a medical evacuation and delivery of over 116 tonnes of relief supplies through Ireland’s rapid response initiative. The Government will be providing significant additional humanitarian assistance in the near future, as the situation develops, and will decide on the most effective channels in the light of the circumstances on the ground.

Our assistance to date has included direct support to Irish NGOs under Ireland’s Civil Society Partnership for A Better World (ICSP), and indirectly to NGOs working in Gaza, through our funding to the UN OCHA Humanitarian Fund. The ICSP is the Government's five-year funding scheme which partners with the ten major Irish civil society organisations with the capacity to deliver long-term development and humanitarian programmes overseas. The current scheme runs from 2023 to 2027.

Since 2023, over €2.5 million has been allocated to Irish NGOs working on long-term development programmes in the Occupied Territory and Israel. The bulk of this has been provided to Christian Aid Ireland and to Trócaire, for work on peacebuilding and human rights initiatives with a focus on women, girls and on other vulnerable groups. Plan International Ireland and Oxfam, with ICSP funding, also provide emergency support to the people of Gaza in the form of food and first aid kits, and safe drinking water for impacted communities.

The Department will consider proposals for the delivery of assistance from other organisations and agencies. However, given the complexity of the situation in Gaza, the organisation mentioned might consider having their volunteers offer their services to aid agencies which have already been working in Gaza and have the necessary support structures and specialist training programmes in place. Many of these agencies are currently increasing their immediate assistance and beginning the process of planning longer-term interventions. The UN has also detailed the key partners it is using to address humanitarian needs in its Flash Appeal for Palestine 2025.