Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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7. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the steps he will take to advocate for the immediate release of Palestinian customs income currently being withheld from the Palestinian Authority by Israel; the action he has taken to support the Palestinian banking system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52951/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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There is strong consensus at EU and international level that Israel must release revenues withheld from the Palestinian Authority.

The estimated USD$2 billion deficit in Palestinian Authority financing is driven largely by Israel’s action in Gaza and the West Bank and Israel’s continued withholding of Palestinian Authority tax receipts, which are now estimated to be close to USD$3 billion. Israel has not transferred any of the tax revenue to the Palestinian Authority since April 2025.

In June 2024, the European Council stressed that actions weakening the Palestinian Authority must stop and called on Israel to release withheld clearance revenues and to take the necessary measures to ensure that correspondent banking services between Israeli and Palestinian banks remain in place.

In its statement at the EU-Israel Association Council in February, the EU also stressed the importance of the full implementation and updating of the Paris Protocol, including regarding full, timely, predictable and transparent transfer of tax and customs revenues.

In my meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa in the margins of the Munich Security Conference in February, we discussed the urgency of this issue.

Ireland has joined the Emergency Coalition for the Financial Sustainability of the Palestinian Authority, a coalition established in response to the urgent and unprecedented financial crisis confronting the Palestinian Authority. Its immediate purpose is to stabilise the Palestinian Authority’s finances and preserve its ability to govern, provide essential services, and maintain security, all of which are indispensable to regional stability and to preserving the two-State solution. Along with the Foreign Ministers of the Coalition, I called for Israel to immediately release all Palestinian clearance revenues and cease any measures that obstruct or weaken the Palestinian Authority or risk its collapse.

Ireland welcomed the EU’s payments to the Palestinian Authority of €172 million in 2025 and continues to call for additional emergency funding for the Palestinian Authority at least equal to the EU’s vital €400 million in additional support in 2024.

Ireland has also provided over €95 million in support of the people of Palestine since January 2023. This includes €58 million to UNRWA of which €20 million was provided in February 2025. Over €83 million of Ireland’s support has been provided since October 2023. Over €29 million has been provided as far in 2025 for the people of Palestine.

Ireland is actively working with the EU and other partners in the region and beyond to create an enabling environment for a revitalised Palestinian Authority. I was pleased to attend the first ever EU-Palestine High Level Dialogue in Luxembourg in April, which provided an opportunity for the EU to engage directly with Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa. At the meeting, I welcomed the programme of reform being undertaken by the Palestinian Authority and commended progress made to date in what is an extremely challenging environment.

The Middle East was a central focus of my agenda at UN High Level Week in New York in September. In my remarks at the Global Alliance for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of Two-State Solution, I underlined Ireland’s support to the Palestinian Authority and our intention to sign a Memorandum of Cooperation with Palestine.