14. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the current status of Ireland's advocacy at EU level for a durable ceasefire and humanitarian access in Gaza; and whether the Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Act 2026. remains on course for enactment. [69262/26]

31. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade given that Ireland has presidency of the EU, if she will do everything possible to end the conflict and genocide in Gaza. [69363/26]

44. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to provide an update on efforts to increase aid supplies crossing the border into Gaza. [69232/26]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 14, 31 and 44 together.

Ireland continues to use every opportunity at the EU level and internationally to stress our grave concerns about the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza, and ongoing Israeli operations in both Gaza and the West Bank. During Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the EU, we are working to maintain this focus at EU level. The situation in Gaza and the West Bank was discussed at the Informal Meeting of EU Foreign Ministers that I hosted in Wicklow last month. Ireland continues to press for appropriate EU action in response to egregious Israeli breaches of international law, human rights and democratic principles.

The situation in Palestine was a central focus of my engagement with EU and other international partners during High Level Week at the UN last week. Ireland participated in a number of events focused on Israel and Palestine, including the meeting jointly organised by France, the UK and Canada one year on from the New York Declaration. I attended the High-Level meeting of the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two State Solution, as well as a High Level event on International Humanitarian Law.

At the Global Alliance meeting, I reiterated Ireland's concern about the appalling situation for people in Gaza, who continue to endure intolerable hardships. The entire population of Gaza is confined to an overcrowded and insecure area comprising just one third of the territory, where they face a deepening health, food security and shelter crisis as winter approaches. Massive ongoing constraints on the flow of humanitarian aid are the result of Israeli-imposed import restrictions. I witnessed this first hand when I visited the Rafah Crossing in January. There remains an urgent need for Israel to immediately remove restrictions on aid access and facilitate essential supplies and services to reach people across the Gaza Strip. This is critical for immediate humanitarian needs, as well as to meet the huge challenge of recovery and reconstruction.

It is crucial that any such aid be provided, without interference, through the UN and its agencies, and other international institutions that are not associated with either party to the conflict. The work of the UN, in particular UNRWA, together with other humanitarian organisations and NGOs, is essential to confront the catastrophic humanitarian situation and to deliver life-saving assistance and essential services to the civilian population in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Gaza, and in the wider region.

Ireland has provided over €134 million in support to the people of Palestine since January 2023. This includes new funding of €42 million for 2026, of which over €31 million has been paid to date.

Ireland has provided €78 million in support to UNRWA specifically since January 2023, of which our 2026 commitment of €20 million was provided by June this year. Ireland has condemned Israeli legislation targeting UNRWA and also called for any deregistration of international NGOs to be halted. We are closely following the issue and have called for the reversal of this measure. Ireland has also raised this issue at EU level. We continue to encourage our fellow EU and UN Member States to increase their support to UNRWA, including at the UN last week.

Together with EU colleagues, we remain ready to work with the US and other international partners on the implementation of the Comprehensive Plan which was signed in October last year, with a Board of Peace carrying out its mission as a transitional administration, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2803 and other relevant UN resolutions. I have acknowledged the consistent efforts of the US, Egypt, Qatar and Türkiye with regard to implementation of the Comprehensive Plan. We continue to call on all parties to meet their obligations and deliver on the commitments in the Comprehensive Plan.

The Israeli Settlements (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Act 2026 came into effect on 15 September, fulfilling the Programme for Government commitment.

I welcome the recent announcement by the UK, France, Canada and others that they will also act on the issue of trade with Israeli settlements. As the first EU country to announce measures prohibiting trade with Israeli settlements, Ireland is proud to have led the way on this issue, closely followed by Spain.

Throughout our Presidency, Ireland will continue to reaffirm the EU’s commitment to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East based on the two-State solution that guarantees the right of both Israelis and Palestinians to self-determination and to live in peace and safety within secure borders.

And we will continue to use all the tools at our disposal – political, legal, diplomatic and humanitarian – to advocate for the rights of the Palestinian people, and for peace, accountability and an end to the Israeli government’s devastating policies in Gaza and the West Bank.