Like previous speakers, I would like to express my condolences with the family of Kim Damti and also to condemn the actions of Hamas in the targeting of civilians. I have absolutely no hesitation in doing that. However, when we do that, we must also condemn Israel and its actions. There is no way out of that. Their language and the language of the Israeli Defense Minister is simply appalling. The Tánaiste mentioned the Old Testament, and the Israeli Defense Minister talks about the Palestinians as "human animals and we will act accordingly". That is totally unacceptable.

In my short minute, I cannot go into the background to this. However, I congratulate the Tánaiste and the Government on their leadership in relation to going against Hungary and the Commissioner there, and showing leadership in relation to keeping up the humanitarian assistance, but we need to do a lot more than that. Gaza is an open prison.

As I speak here, I am conscious that the Red Cross has said the hospitals will be turned into graveyards. We are talking about thousands dead in Israel and Palestine.

I want our voice to be heard. The Government has made a very good start. This war has to stop. Israel, like Hamas, has to be called out. We need to be a voice for peace and to stop this horrific slaughter.

I appreciate the Deputy raising the issue. We are a voice for peace. We will be a voice for peace. We have maintained contact with all of the states involved and all of the interlocutors involved in the Middle East process.

I am only weeks out of the Middle East, having been there for three days. I did not anticipate the horrors of what was to follow although we were fairly depressed coming out in the absence of any political momentum and in what was clearly a deteriorating situation. In our view, there has to be a political track developed to once and for all try and resolve these issues. There has to be a determined effort by significant major powers, both in Europe and elsewhere, to get this on a sustainable political path because the implications are horrific on the citizens of Israel, Gaza and the West Bank, but also all the neighbouring countries face huge challenges as a result of the violence that is unfolding right now.

I welcome the budgetary decision to introduce again the €1,000 reduction in the student contribution fee for higher education students. This has been introduced again as a part of the cost-of-living package. Last year, students studying outside our jurisdiction, be it in Northern Ireland, Britain or elsewhere, were wrongly denied this payment and, similarly, were denied the rent tax credit as well. Whatever obstacles exist to ensuring those two benefits are applied to all students from the State should be removed without delay. It is well within the capacity of Government, if the will is there, to ensure some bit of fairness for those students who in many cases did not obtain places here on the courses of their choice and are studying elsewhere. The Exchequer is, quite rightly, supporting some major capital projects in Northern Ireland, and presumably within proper Government financial procedures. If we are serious about student mobility, our administrative systems must adapt and change and ensure a level playing field for all students. Families here, regardless of their children's study location, have similar cost-of-living pressures.

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. Coming from the Border area, the Deputy has been a particularly vociferous and articulate advocate on behalf of students who are in Northern Ireland and, indeed, as he said, elsewhere. I will talk to the relevant Ministers in respect of this to see what can be done.

Given the appalling vista that now opens up in the Middle East and the continuous conflict between all sides, I ask the Tánaiste if it might now be an opportunity - a tragic opportunity but one nonetheless - for Ireland to make a particular case to the international community, through the United Nations, the EU and wherever, to set up a permanent structure in situ in the Middle East to which all sides could go with their grievances as they occur because the lack of such a structure now leaves nothing except the hard men who dictate what happens. Hamas has now brought on the Palestinian people an appalling vista as well. Similarly, the things that have gone on on the other side as well will continue unless there is a structure of that nature with a permanent emphasis on bringing peace to the area.

I omitted to say earlier that during United Nations General Assembly week, the European Union took an initiative on the Middle East. Dr. Koopmans, its special envoy, with the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Mr. Josep Borrell, convened a meeting of EU member states and Arab member states to identify the benefits that might flow if a settlement was arrived at.

This was the beginning of a new effort by the EU to try to deal with the intractability of the Middle East issue, not realising what was about to happen. I meant to mention this to Deputy Cairns earlier because it illustrates the degree to which the EU, and Josep Borrell in particular, remains engaged. Being open to stakeholders is a constant for the EU.