Yes, and this is important. The Ceann Comhairle has ruled several questions on the North-South interconnector out of order because the Department now claims that those questions do not fall under the remit of the Minister, despite the fact that similar questions have been previously answered by the Minister and his predecessors, and now-----

I just want clarification on this. The response indicated that there was one meeting and one briefing. Is the Minister of State saying that there were others or that was the only information he had? Were they the only briefings or meetings that were held by either the Minister of State or the Minister?

Okay, but with due respect, the Minister has not been in office for decades. The Minister has been in office for four years. Either there were briefings and meetings that were too numerous to relay in a response to a parliamentary question, or there was a small number over that four-year period. If there was a small number, that information could be given to the House. The one thing I do know is that neither the Minister of State nor the Minister has actually engaged with any representatives of the communities affe…

That is precisely what is going to lead to conflict and delay. What I find staggering about the Green Party Ministers, supported by all accounts by their Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael counterparts, is that they seem completely oblivious to the realities on the ground. If EirGrid pursues its current trajectory the only thing to be delivered will be court cases, delays, frustration and the lack of whatever semblance of goodwill it is still possible to achieve. Has the Minister asked EirGrid precisely how many landowners …

What is the timeframe in which the Government intends to submit a declaration to intervene in the case of South Africa v . Israel taken under the Genocide Convention at the International Court of Justice? In his remarks will he also confirm to the House that Ireland, along with other states, intends to recognise the state of Palestine on 21 May, as reported?

I am sure the Tánaiste agrees that it is impossible to imagine what parents, children, men and women in Rafah are going through right now, considering all they have come through in the past seven months. In many instances, they have been moved up to six times already and are living in a situation that can only be described as depraved, and now they have the anxiety of wondering when the next barrage will come. I set that out because, while I am sure they are not listening to Oireachtas debates or debates in multila…

It is welcome that the Government has made this commitment. The point is, in some ways, down to the timeframe. It is also down to the substance of the intervention, when Ireland makes it. We want it to be as strong as possible. The ICJ has made it clear in previous rulings that there is no specific timeframe in which a state can intervene. In other words, a state can intervene at any stage.

Legally, there is no need in this instance, for example, to wait until the substantive submission by South Africa is filed.

That is a matter of fact and ruling by the ICJ. I again welcome that Ireland, along with other states, has indicated it plans to recognise the state of Palestine on 21 May. I welcome that although I contend it is far beyond the time it should have happened. It would be useful if the Minister would confirm that is the case.

The recognition on 21 May. We also must recognise that a Palestinian state today is unviable precisely because Israel has made it unviable. A further incursion and invasion into Rafah will make not only a Palestinian state but any prospect of a lasting peace settlement virtually impossible to contemplate. Does the Minister agree there is a need for the international community and states such as Ireland to take meaningful action to ensure Israel pays a political price for what it is currently doing?

I commend the staff in the Passport Office, who have been going through probably the busiest two or three years the office has ever faced. I think everybody in this House has at some stage added to their burden in terms of dealing with urgent cases in particular. Will the Tánaiste ensure there are sufficient staff within the Passport Office to deal with demand during the busy summer period? Will he consider a mechanism that will allow urgent passport applications to receive an urgent appointment in order to secure …

I have said a number of times that when the passport service works well, it works very well. That is the experience for many people. I know a lot of people who have applied, particularly for passport renewals, who have actually been surprised at the speed at which their passport has arrived in their letterboxes. That is an absolute credit and testament to the staff and the operation that is in place. The issue is that when problems arise they can be devastating. They can result in families missing holidays that hav…

The urgent passport service is the gap within the services. It is primarily for first-time applicants. I am not talking about people who apply on 1 May and wish to travel on 20 May. In most instances we deal with, these are people who submitted their applications late last year or in the very early weeks of this year. They subsequently received notification from the Passport Office that something was not right, such as a photo not being perfect, the person who provided a signature on a consent form not being contac…

I would appreciate more clarity on the timeframe for recognition. Last night, several media outlets reported 21 May as the date being set. They did not make that up; they got it from the Tánaiste's office. There is nowhere else from which they could have got it. In essence, it is confirmation that Ireland is working with other states to come to the point of recognition. That will be a welcome position. I really hope it happens. One of the reasons so many of us have been frustrated with the delay in coming to the po…

We know that Ireland has worked with Ursula von der Leyen on a number of issues, particularly Brexit, in which regard she and her Commission have been commended. However, does the Tánaiste accept that, through her actions in respect of what Israel has done, she has not only undermined her own position, but also the credibility of everyone in the EU who ever wants to act as an advocate for peace, justice and international rule? She has never apologised or sought to atone for those actions. Does the Tánaiste accept t…

This is not a time when we can engage in the usual political bartering for positions. I say this regardless of whether Ursula von der Leyen has been perfectly politically correct in everything else she has done. She has not, by the way. I have acknowledged that there are areas in which Ursula von der Leyen was of substantial assistance to Ireland, but on the humanitarian issue that will globally define the credibility and status of states and international organisations for generations to come, she has severely dam…

If it will provide any consolation to the Tánaiste, I will of course acknowledge that Europe has huge expenditure of humanitarian aid. Some states within the EU are much better than others and there is not a universal approach but I also acknowledge that the EU has funded very important projects in Palestine. It has funded schools, hospitals, healthcare centres, youth clubs and women's centres. In all instances it has watched as Israel has gone in and destroyed those very buildings which Europe has paid for. Europe…

The Minister was asked three questions and he has not answered any of them.

This is too serious for the Minister's messing.

I do not mind the Minister playing politics but on this issue, he should not.