Tom Brabazon (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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82. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the steps being taken at an EU level regarding the reconstruction of Gaza. [66463/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I welcome the ceasefire and hostage release agreement, which is a significant achievement and offers a moment of hope.

In this first phase, preserving the ceasefire agreement and ensuring humanitarian aid enters into and throughout Gaza at scale is a central focus of my engagement with my international counterparts, including EU colleagues. At the Foreign Affairs Council last Thursday, I called on Israel to remove the continuing impediments to aid and to facilitate an immediate scale-up of aid access by the UN and its agencies, including UNRWA.

In October, Ireland announced an additional €6 million in humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza to fund urgent food, medical care and other vital services. Ten trucks carrying essential supplies of food, supported by Irish Aid, arrived in Gaza in recent weeks for distribution to people who urgently need it.

While my focus is on the humanitarian response, Gaza has enormous recovery and reconstruction needs. Ireland has consistently stressed that Palestinian ownership must be a guiding principle in this process, and that the right of Palestinians to remain on their own land is upheld. Governance of Gaza must involve the Palestinian Authority. In this regard, I was pleased to attend the inaugural meeting of the Palestine Donor Group last Thursday, convened by the European Commission, where I had the opportunity to meet with Palestinian Prime Minister Mustafa and to hear from the Palestinian Authority on progress made on its Reform Agenda. I welcomed the progress made to date, including the measures to strengthen the rule of law and judicial system, and to tackle corruption. These reforms are commendable, particularly considering the significant number of obstacles the Palestinian Authority is facing.

The EU is committed to support all efforts to stabilise the region, including transitional governance, recovery and reconstruction. Ireland will work closely towards these aims with the EU in the period ahead.