I ask the Minister for an update on the evacuation of Irish citizens in Sudan and other measures that are in place to ensure the safety and protection of our citizens.

I thank the Minister for that response. I commend everybody in his Department and in our Defence Forces who have been proactive in supporting our citizens in Sudan. I also join the Minister in thanking our European neighbours for their assistance. The obvious question that arises is how we can be better positioned in the time ahead, in instances like this, to be able to contribute to such multilateral efforts to evacuate citizens, when required. Although this crosses Departments, there has been reference to the fac…

I meant to ask this question as my first follow up. The Tánaiste mentioned that 116 Irish citizens have been evacuated. My understanding was that the original figure was around 200. Does the Tánaiste have a figure as to how many Irish citizens are in Sudan seeking evacuation? Will he give an update on the steps that are being taken and the timeframe for that? It is accepted that with missions such as this, there will always need to be a collaboration with EU and in some instances non-EU states. However, there is al…

Very briefly then, will the Tánaiste report on his recent engagements with the British Government? I focus particularly on the so-called legacy Bill legislation.

It relates to engagements with the British Government. In the limited time he is apparently going to have, I ask the Tánaiste to reflect on his engagements in respect of the legacy Bill.

Many families and workers are continuing to struggle as a result of rising costs. Among those suffering most are those families who have no option but to use their car to get to work or bring their children to school or other activities. There has been some reduction in petrol and diesel in recent weeks but they are still 27% higher in cost than they were in December 2020. Bizarrely, the Government's stated intention is actually to increase the costs further in next month's carbon tax hikes. Will the Taoiseach revi…

The Government is restoring the charges next month.

The consultative forum on international security policy appears to be the exact opposite to consultation. The chair, who has been picked by Government and not ratified, will oversee four public hearings and then from a response to a parliamentary question it appears it will be charged with preparing a report. That is the exact opposite to the ethos and principle that underpinned the citizens' assembly to which the Government had committed. A response to a parliamentary question from the Leas-Cheann Comhairle to the…

And leaks.

It is predicted that we will see a surplus of €10 billion this year, €16 billion next year and as much as €21 billion in 2026. Obviously, Sinn Féin and everyone must appreciate the volatility of our corporation tax receipts, which outlines the need for careful management of the public finances; however, even if we leave corporate tax receipts aside, we can still expect to see surpluses of more than €4 billion in the years to come. That makes it clear that the State has additional capacity to address crises in housi…

Events in Sudan since the Taoiseach’s return from the European Council represent a tragedy for the people of Sudan, first and foremost. I am sure the Taoiseach will join me in welcoming the announcement of a 72-hour ceasefire. It would be appropriate to commend and thank all those who have been involved in bringing a sizeable number of Irish citizens in Sudan to safety already. I understand there is still in excess of 100 citizens still to be evacuated. I would appreciate it if the Taoiseach could provide an update…

I am sharing time with Deputy Cronin. The ongoing humanitarian crisis in Libya arising from an horrific civil war demands an international humanitarian response. It is welcome that since the ceasefire of October 2020, there has been a reduction in the number of internally displaced persons, of 58% between the date of that agreement and August of last year. Events in Sudan over the past ten days, as well as our own experiences reflected this week as we mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, undersco…

It is hard to fathom that since July of last year we have seen six increases in ECB interest borrowing rates from 0% to 3.5%. Knowing, as we all do, that this represents hundreds if not thousands of euro worth of additional pressure on already hard-pressed families and workers, it is hard to fathom why Government has not done a single thing to support people. In fact, the increases in mortgage payments for many families go way beyond countering any supports that they have received by means of other cost-of-living m…

Says the man who announced €1 billion in spending this week for developers.

The current and worsening situation with regard to the plight of the Palestinian people has been mentioned a number of times. The programme for Government committed to recognising "the State of Palestine as part of a lasting settlement of the conflict, or in advance of that, when we believe doing so will progress efforts to reach a two-state solution or protect the integrity of Palestinian territory”. The last portion of the commitment is particularly important because the Israeli Government is systematically going…

When will the Government recognise the state of Palestine? Can the Minister of State outline what particular efforts are being made at an EU level by the Government in this regard?

Buy the actual homes.

Irish citizens in Sudan have been encouraged to register with the embassy in Kenya, which is accredited to Sudan. Can the Minister of State give us a report on the estimated number of citizens who have registered, particularly in Khartoum? Could he outline what steps are being taken to ensure their safety and well-being at this time?

The current and worsening situation with regard to the plight of the Palestinian people has been mentioned a number of times. The programme for Government committed to recognising "the State of Palestine as part of a lasting settlement of the conflict, or in advance of that, when we believe doing so will progress efforts to reach a two-state solution or protect the integrity of Palestinian territory”. The last portion of the commitment is particularly important because the Israeli Government is systematically going…

When will the Government recognise the state of Palestine? Can the Minister of State outline what particular efforts are being made at an EU level by the Government in this regard?