The programme for Government includes a pledge to recognise the state of Palestine. The Tánaiste referred earlier to the recognition by the President of the United States of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and his declared intention to establish the US embassy there. Israel's claim that Jerusalem is the complete and united capital of its country is in violation of international law. I remind the Tánaiste that this Sunday, 10 December, is the third anniversary of the Dáil unanimously passing a motion to recognise the state of Palestine, with east Jerusalem as its capital. We have had complete inaction on that motion. Will the Tánaiste give us a date for when the Government will move to recognise the state of Palestine?

We will move to do so when we consider it will helpful to do so.

It would be helpful to do so now.

That is the Deputy's interpretation.

It is a fair interpretation.

The Deputy must allow the Tánaiste to respond.

The programme for Government states our desire to recognise the state of Palestine in the context of a negotiated agreement.

That is our position. We want to see a two-state solution to the Middle East peace process whereby Palestinians have a state of their own-----

Yes.

-----and Israel's security concerns are addressed. We certainly would like to see the very difficult and sensitive issues of Jerusalem addressed in a way that is fair to both sides in that agreed settlement. That is why we are so uncomfortable with what happened yesterday because it recognises the ambitions of one side and not the other. I do not think we should be responding to what happened yesterday, and it would be seen as that, by formally recognising the state of Palestine. That potentially drives the two sides further apart.

It might balance things up a bit.

We are waiting for, and want to support, a new peace initiative that can get people around a negotiating table to get an outcome that both sides can live with.

That is waffle.

It is not waffle.

That is shameful waffle given what has happened.

The fact that the Deputy cannot accept the answer says a lot.

That is shameful waffle. The Tánaiste could do better than that.

The Deputy also does not know what is going on in the region.

The Tánaiste should not let himself be provoked.