I think we have legislated for this in terms of more proactive undertakings. In many instances, it is about NCSE approval, planning, etc., in conjunction with the Department. Our objective is that every child needing a place will get a place. This means, then, that we must plan for this provision and ensure it happens, and this is what we have been doing over the last two to three years. I ask the Deputy again if he could submit the case to the Minister, if there is-----

That is what I mean. There can be an area-based response if there is a problem in the area.

What did the Department say?

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach agus le Baill an Tí as ucht an deis seo labhairt leo faoin ábhar ríthábhachtach seo. I thank the Cathaoirleach and Members for affording me the opportunity to bring this very important matter to the House. They will recall that last April we discussed the report of the independent review group established to examine dignity and equality issues in the Defence Forces. The contents of the report were shocking and stark. The group's analysis and assessment of the current culture …

I move amendment No. 2: A. To insert the following after "ongoing bombardment of Gaza by Israel;": "reiterates its unequivocal condemnation of the brutal terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel on 7th October, 2023"; B. to delete "call on Israel to immediately implement fully" and substitute "reiterate its call on Israel to immediately implement fully"; C. to delete "file a declaration of intention to intervene in this case with the ICJ;" and substitute the following: "urgently consider filing a declaration of interven…

I am extremely concerned by the horrific violence that we have witnessed in the West Bank, which has drastically increased since 7 October 2023. The UN has reported that approximately 358 Palestinian people have been killed in the West Bank since the outbreak of the conflict in Gaza, including eight people killed in attacks by violent settlers. This marks the highest number of Palestinians killed in one year since the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs began keeping a record in 2005 in the West …

I certainly can. As I said in my reply, what is happening in the West Bank is unacceptable. I was there in September. The Palestinian Authority has made it very clear that it is pursuing a non-violent path towards a Palestinian state yet Israel continues to undermine the Palestinian Authority. The Israeli Government strategy is impossible to comprehend. There is no justification for administrative detention, the level of arrests of children and young people, the wanton killing of young people and the support of ele…

Whatever the merits of the Control of Economic Activities (Occupied Territories) Bill, it will not affect the situation on the ground. There is no point in-----

We have to work more immediately in terms of pressure on Israel and pressurise it in more immediate ways internationally to get it to stop doing what it is doing. That is where our focus is. There has to be an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. We are part of the West Bank Protection Consortium, which has sought compensation of close to €1.3 million in respect of confiscated or demolished assets since 2015. This consortium is made up of a number of donor countries that contribute to Palestine and the West Bank and are se…

They are not responding to these issues.

In the immediate aftermath of the 7 October Hamas attack on Israel my Department established a cross-departmental task force to assess the impact of the attack on Irish citizens, troops and diplomatic staff in the region. The task force, which continues to meet, is comprised of senior officials from across the Department including ambassadors posted in the Middle East. In co-operation with the Department of Defence, hostile environment awareness training was carried out online for all staff in Israel and the occupi…

That is my understanding.

I absolutely agree with the Deputy, in the sense that Ireland is heavily engaged on the ground, both through our troops in Lebanon and our representative office in Ramallah. We have an embassy in Tel Aviv. We have embassies in Egypt and Jordan. We have people on the ground who engage. There are two ways to approach this. You can go off and be isolationist and attack everybody. That is fine. It is legitimate to do that but not engage. Successive Irish governments have always historically chosen to engage, to try to …

For many years, the issue of sanctions has been at EU level because of the collective weight of the EU in any given situation. We obviously weigh up the impact of sanctions to make sure they can be effective in changing policy, or in articulating our opposition to bad acts such as Russia's invasion of Ukraine. What is positive is that now under active discussion is the idea of sanctions against violent Israeli settlers in the West Bank. I would not have thought that possible six months ago. Ireland has strongly pus…

Overall assistance to Ukraine pledged by the European Union and its member states to date amounts to approximately €85 billion, including financial, humanitarian, emergency, budgetary and military support. Discussions are ongoing at European Union level on a Commission proposal for a €50 billion Ukraine facility to cover the period 2024 to 2027. If agreed, this package will allow Ukraine to continue to pay wages and pensions, maintain essential public services, ensure macroeconomic stability and restore critical in…

I agree with the Deputy's assessment. For a number of months frustration has been building up over Hungary's position in respect of Ukraine. Hungary had originally identified some issues with Ukraine relating to the listing of one of its main banks. That was solved, or at least we thought it was resolved, when the agency involved delisted the bank and then there was a demand over its subsidiaries. An issue was raised over the treatment of minority Hungarian children in schools in Ukraine. There have also been talks…

I am not in disagreement with what the Deputy said. In addition, the aid package under the EPF has been held up because of Hungarian objection, which I think is serious in terms of the signal it sends because it strengthens Russia. Hungary has dependencies on Russia. One can draw conclusions from those dependencies. Are those dependencies influencing its position? It will vigorously deny that but nonetheless one has to consider that scenario because of its dependencies. I also take issue with the approach Hungary h…

I am not fully au fait with what is going on there. I think there is a bit of grandstanding. It was clear that Slovakia was going to support Ukraine but maybe in different formats than it did before. That was an interesting contribution to be fair. It is not at this stage obstructionist or stopping anything that is happening.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 and 86 together. The Northern Ireland Executive was collapsed in February 2022, nearly two years ago. It is now more than 20 months since the ensuing Northern Ireland Assembly elections and the strand one institutions have yet to be stood up. Since assuming my current role, the restoration of the assembly and the Executive and, with them, the North-South Ministerial Council, has been one of my top priorities. To this end, I have engaged with the Secretary of State on more than a …

I concur with what the Deputy said in respect of threats against Jeffrey Donaldson, the leader of the DUP. Those threats are absolutely reprehensible and unacceptable. Whatever one's views, I have been very consistent on the need to restore the Executive and the assembly, in line with Deputy Burke's comments. I have been assured by Jeffrey Donaldson that he also wants the Executive restored. He has made that point to me consistently since the collapse. From reading reports and so on, I am aware that there are chall…