Colm Burke (Cork North-Central, Fine Gael)
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77. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to provide an update on the level of humanitarian support to Gaza in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38282/25]

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland has provided over €88 million in support to the people of Palestine since January 2023. In 2025, Ireland has provided €22 million and we will be providing a further €4 million in the coming weeks. This includes €20 million in core funding to UNRWA, bringing Ireland’s support to UNRWA to €58 million since the beginning of 2023.

We have been steadfast in our political support for UNRWA at UN and EU level, and we joined EU Member States’ in a demarche to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs to raise concerns regarding humanitarian access and legislation impeding UNRWA. We have been clear that there is no realistic alternative to UNRWA, that it is the backbone of the humanitarian response in Gaza, and the main provider of education, health and social services in Gaza.

Ireland has also provided humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza through other agencies including the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) with a focus on shelter, health, water, protection, and education. We have also provided support to the World Health Organization's response in Gaza and have provided significant core funding to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) who are supporting 3 of the five hospitals still functioning in Gaza and a Red Cross field hospital in Rafah.

The Government has repeatedly called on Israel to fully lift its blockade of humanitarian and commercial supplies for Gaza, and allow the immediate, unimpeded resumption of humanitarian aid, in line with humanitarian principles. The current limitations on the volume and distribution of humanitarian aid are causing untold levels of suffering, especially for the children of Gaza. We share the UN’s serious concerns that the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is not operating in accordance with humanitarian principles and is not distributing vitally needed assistance effectively or on the basis of need. it is unconscionable that people are being killed while attempting to access humanitarian assistance.