That does not clarify my question.

Is the Minister saying precisely goods alone?

That is not a clear answer.

No, it is not.

Confirming an affirmative is not the same as denying a negative.

That is a change in the policy.

Uncontested.

I commend the staff in the Passport Office. They are often extremely busy and do an important job. Sometimes they have to produce passports under difficult circumstances and at very short notice. We have all here probably added to their burden at times, dealing with urgent cases. It is early in the year yet but I am sure the office will get busy. Will the Tánaiste ensure there is sufficient staff in the Passport Office to deal with demand during the busy summer period?

I echo that. The sooner people check, the less likely there are to be difficulties. In most instances, the passport service works quite well. It can be very efficient at times, with a significant improvement in recent years, especially for renewals. People are often impressed at the speed at which the passport arrives. This is a huge credit to the staff and the development that has gone in there in recent times. The issue is that, when problems arise, they can be devastating. Sometimes they can arise in the context…

I thank the Tánaiste. Most of the instances we deal with - I am sure it is the same throughout the House - relate to people who submit an application but receive notification from the Passport Office that something is not right or, very often, that the person who provided a signature on a consent form is not contactable. Typically, that is a garda. This can be an issue. We have Garda stations that are open 24-7 but we also have many Garda stations that are only open for certain office hours and the landline is answ…

We touched on this briefly. It is a grave situation. The Israeli Prime Minister is threatening to end the ceasefire and reopen a conflict that has claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people. Hamas is threatening not to release hostages. Both threats are to be condemned. It is a very worrying situation. My question relates to the West Bank. I invite the Minister’s commentary in relation to that because off the back of the ceasefire there was almost a sense that the world was looking the other way. Much has bee…

The sanctions that have been there are necessary but it is vitally important the EU as a whole politically raises its concerns. I urge the Minister in his role to encourage the EU to make strong statements against what has been happening in the West Bank since 30 January. UNRWA no longer has any contact with the Israeli authorities because of their ban. It has made it impossible for UNRWA - a UN agency, lest we forget - to raise concerns about civilian suffering in the Palestinian territory which is putting the liv…

I agree with that. I welcome that meeting in relation to the association agreement which is something we have been raising here for the past two years or more. I will return to the debate we had earlier to make the point that for a long time the issue has been the challenge in trying to hold Israel to the norms of international law. It has acted with impunity and because of that has breached international law further. The settlements are contrary to international law. The International Court of Justice, ICJ, made a…

It is a change of substance.

I think Deputy Martin Daly is first. Is that how it works?

This is an area that will require a great deal of careful consideration. I understand the point the Tánaiste made that pronouncements and policy are not always the same thing with this Administration. Nonetheless, preparation will be crucial. There are two elements to it. It is important we are clear-sighted without being defeatist. There are undoubtedly vulnerabilities. Notwithstanding that, there is no need to be alarmist without having seen any actions. Clearly, we need to do what we can, primarily at a European…

I move: That Dáil Éireann: notes that: — the advisory opinion rendered by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on 19th July, 2024, regarding the legal consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem in response to United Nations General Assembly Resolution 77/247 of 30th December, 2022; — the ICJ found that states have a duty to "abstain from entering into economic or trade dealings with Israel concerning the Occupied Palestinian Ter…

On a point of order-----

May I make an important point of order?

On a point of order, that paragraph was removed and is not in the motion before the House. There might have been an earlier draft in which an error was made. That has been rectified and we are not debating the motion the Minister is referencing. That error has been removed. It is not before the House.