There are citizens in Israel who do not agree with what the Israeli Government is doing. Imposing a blanket ban in the way the Deputy is suggesting, in a way we have not imposed with Russia or any other country, is imposing a blanket ban. It is also an EU competency and that is why we are advocating for the suspension of the EU-Israel trade association agreement at an EU level. Separately, the occupied territories Bill is specific to the occupied territories. This has already been made very clear in international l…

-----that the second stage of the peace agreement is not progressing because our efforts are focused on all the other conflicts that are happening. I and this Government are, at every step of the way, making sure our focus remains on this while trying to build a consensus as I have just outlined.

On the EU-Israel Association Agreement, before the last meeting I wrote directly to the High Representative, Kaja Kallas, to ask that this issue be put on the agenda. I engaged with other colleagues who also signed that letter, Spain and Slovenia in particular. While the vote was specifically was on the sanction of violent settlers. I advocated again in the Council meeting with all our colleagues that this would be put to a vote. It was not put to a vote at the last meeting. I have advocated that it be put to a vot…

I am sorry but-----

I have spoken to many people. We do not impose it in any other sanctions regime because-----

-----there will be unintended consequences for citizens who do not agree with the actions being taken by Israel, Netanyahu or any of those members of the IDF who have breached international law.

I will work to build that consensus at a European level. I assure Deputies that those who were on the flotilla and who are on their way to the airport will be met by our officials to make sure they are safe and supported.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 10, 31 and 51 together. I thank the Deputy for this question. The trade forum has become a vital form of engagement between Government, Departments and Ministers but also important key trading stakeholders during a very uncertain and challenging time for international trade. The information and, importantly, the real-time feedback received from the members is extremely valuable. The Tánaiste established this last year during his time in this role. The intention was to make sure that…

My focus and priority this week have been ensuring the safety of our citizens who have been on board the flotilla. I am pleased to say that they are now on buses on the way to the airport and that our officials are on their way to the airport, if they are not already there, to assist and support them. We have been strong in condemning the actions of the Israeli Government. As I said earlier, the way in which we can respond effectively and send a very clear message to the Israeli Government that this is not acceptab…

I engaged directly with colleagues at the most recent Council meeting. We have raised this matter directly with the chair of the Foreign Affairs Council. Since then, I have been advocating and working with colleagues to try to make sure this comes to a vote at the next Council meeting.

I thank Deputy Doherty. If I can, I will take the opportunity to inform the House exactly what the current situation is with the 14 Irish citizens who have been detained. The Government has been very clear in condemning the actions of the Israeli Government and the illegal detention and detainment of our citizens and many others in international waters. The behaviour this week by an Israeli Minister has been completely appalling. My priority and that of the Government has been to make sure that our citizens are saf…

-----but we made a decision last year that we needed to respond directly and that is what we have done. The fuel allowance, which supports over 400,000 people who are directly and most impacted by the increases in the cost of fuel, has been extended so a further 50,000 households have benefitted from that payment, and it has been extended by four weeks to take into consideration the situation that people are in. That is not to say that we will not do more. We have another budget coming up and acknowledge the stress…

Does the Deputy not understand that in the past month and a half alone, the Government has provided €750 million directly to homeowners, to people who get into their cars every day and go to work and to businesses that transport food and all of the commodities around the country and bring our children to school? That €750 million has not come nowhere. That is from our taxpayers, our Exchequer and this Government. That decision was taken, and it is not on its own. It is on top of the direct supports that we have pro…

The Deputy is talking about €178 million. Some €750 million has been provided in the past month and a half alone. That is on top of the additional fuel allowance that we have provided, and on top of the retrofitting-----

-----that is taking place because the best thing we can do for people is to make sure that their overall energy bills come down-----

-----and we have a target of 74,000 homes that we want to retrofit this year. That is on top of the hundreds of thousands of people who have had their homes retrofitted and who are now seeing an overall and long-term reduction in the costs of their energy bills. If we look at the ESRI report published in April, it said that the most effective supports-----

-----are those targeting the least well off and that is exactly what we are doing. We are targeting those who need our help the most with-----

-----with €750 million in the past month and a half.

I thank the Deputy. I fully agree with him and everybody in this House, in that I am equally appalled by the actions of the Israeli Government in the detention of our citizens and many others in international waters but in particular the footage we saw yesterday that clearly shows that people were not treated with basic human dignity or respect. As I said to the Deputy's colleague earlier, if this is the way that European citizens are being treated, we can only imagine the way in which many other citizens have been…

I thank Deputy Nash. The commitments I have made here do not depend on each other. If we do not reach a consensus on a European level, that will not prevent me and the Government from brining forward the occupied territories Bill legislation and enacting it. Any legislation needs to be brought to Government beforehand, so I am not going to get into the details of it but I have been very clear. I have had engagement with the Attorney General to look at the overall legalities of what is being proposed and what is bei…