Eoin Hayes (Dublin Bay South, Social Democrats)
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9. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade given the Governments recognition of the State of Palestine, its position on issues (details supplied). [17440/26]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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On 28 May 2024, the Government decided to formally recognise the State of Palestine as a sovereign, independent State, within the territory defined by the 1967 borders referenced in UN Security Council resolution 242 (1967).

Our recognition of Palestine was a concrete step, taken along with trusted international partners. Since then we have been working closely with Arab and Gulf partners, as well as partners in Europe and beyond to promote implementation of the two-State solution.

Ireland has consistently argued that the only just and sustainable solution, for both Palestinians and Israelis, is a two-State solution based on 1967 borders, with the State of Israel, and an independent, contiguous, sovereign, and viable State of Palestine, living side-by-side in peace and security and mutual recognition, with Jerusalem serving as the future capital of both states.

Ireland is actively working with the EU and other partners in the region and beyond to create an enabling environment for the Palestinian Authority. This includes regular discussions on democratic and political renewal. Tánaiste Simon Harris, in his then capacity as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, attended the first ever EU-Palestine High Level Dialogue in Luxembourg in April 2025. The Dialogue provided an opportunity for the EU to engage directly with Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa.

I was pleased to attend the inaugural meeting of the Palestine Donor Group last November in Brussels where I had the opportunity to meet with Prime Minister Mustafa and Palestinian Minister for Finance and Planning Estephan Salameh. At that meeting, I highlighted Ireland’s concerns about Israel’s attempts to suffocate the Palestinian economy and called on Israel to release withheld Palestinian tax clearance revenues to the Palestinian Authority and take all necessary measures to ensure that correspondent banking services between Israeli and Palestinian banks remain in place. Ireland has been clear that the progress the Palestinian Authority has made on reforms is being continually undermined by Israel.

An Taoiseach Micheál Martin met with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January. I also met with my Palestinian counterpart, Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian at the Munich Security Council in February and heard first-hand the serious impact that Israel’s withholding of Palestinian tax revenues is having on the Palestinian economy.

The Government is committed to supporting the Palestinian Authority, both politically and financially. Political and economic security in the West Bank is central to its stability and to the security of the wider region, as well as being an essential component to the viability of the two-State solution. Ireland has provided over €112 million in support of the people of Palestine since 2023.