John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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119. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to provide an update on the way the Government is assisting the Gaza paediatric care initiative in carrying out its vital work in providing healthcare to the children of Gaza; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5323/25]

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I would like to acknowledge the important role played by the Irish organisation, The Gaza Paediatric Care Initiative (GPCI), in cooperation with the Irish Red Cross (IRC), on the recent arrival for treatment in Ireland of 8 children, and their family members from Gaza. With the assistance of the Government, they were evacuated from Gaza to Ireland, via Egypt, under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.

The cooperation between the Department of Foreign Affairs and a number of other Government Departments, led by the Department of Health and the HSE, and involving GPCI and the IRC, was central to ensuring that the medical evacuation succeeded, with a focus on care and support for the children involved. The Department of Health and the HSE will continue to lead on any further medevac operations and will bring all actors together again in the response.

We welcome the long-awaited agreement on a hostage release and ceasefire deal for Gaza. This has led to an immediate increase in the volume of critically needed humanitarian assistance entering Gaza. However, the scale of need remains enormous.

Ireland has provided over €83 million in support of the Palestinian people since the beginning of 2023. Of this, more than €71 million has been provided in assistance since October 2023. This includes €58 million in core support to UNRWA, including €20 million announced last week for 2025, as well as the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the World Food Programme and others.

Many aid agencies are increasing their immediate assistance and beginning the process of planning longer term interventions. Ireland has provided €5.8 million in funding to the UN OCHA Occupied Territory Humanitarian Fund since 2023 to support its funding of NGOs and local partners across Palestine. By channeling funds through the Humanitarian Fund Ireland can ensure a coordinated response, at speed, to those organisations on the ground best placed to assist people most in need.

The capacity to address the enormous needs in Gaza is, of course, dependent on a continued, sustained ceasefire. We urge all concerned to ensure that the ceasefire deal is fully implemented, in all its phases, and that it leads to a political process which gives hope for long term peace based on a two-State solution.