Carol Nolan (Offaly, Independent)
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190. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he or any of his officials received an invitation to attend the multinational Gaza summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, that took place on 13 October 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56825/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Both I and my officials interact with a wide variety of international partners on the Middle East which remains a major priority for this Government.

While Ireland was not invited to the meeting referenced by the Deputy, this Government is committed to working with a wide range of regional and other partners. Ireland is using its voice at the EU, at the UN and at other international bodies to pursue a sustainable, long-lasting peace for Israel and Palestine. President of the European Council, António Costa, attended the Summit on behalf of the European Union.

Ireland has been playing our part in working towards a sustainable peace between Israel and Palestine through the implementation of the two-State solution, where two democratic States, Israel and Palestine, live side-by-side in peace within secure and recognised borders, consistent with international law and relevant UN resolutions. In this regard, I welcomes the agreement on a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza. It is important now to continue to ensure that the first phase of the plan is implemented, while continuing work on the next phases.

At the EU level, the situation in Gaza and in the West Bank was at the centre of discussions at the Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg yesterday. My counterparts and I welcomed the agreement of the ceasefire and hostage release deal. We must now focus on preserving the ceasefire, and flooding Gaza with desperately needed humanitarian aid. The people of Gaza have endured unimaginable suffering. The scale of destruction and need is starkly evident. While in Luxembourg, I emphasised the importance of the EU as a vocal supporter of the two-State solution that unifies the Gaza Strip with the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority, as negotiations continue on further peace efforts.

Ireland was active in preparing the UN High-Level Conference on the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, which met in New York in July and again during UN High Level week in September. As co-chair of a working group of the conference, alongside Türkiye, Ireland was part of a core group of countries that negotiated the outcome document of the Conference, known as the New York Declaration. That document was endorsed by 142 UN Member States. Ireland is now part of a strong coalition of international partners ready to press ahead with securing and implementing the two-state solution.

Also during UN High Level Week, I attended a meeting of the Global Alliance for the Implementation of Two-State Solution, where I met with like-minded and regional partners. I announced at that meeting that Ireland will host a meeting of the Global Alliance in Dublin early in 2026, where we will share lessons from our own peace process in Northern Ireland.