-----is of a long duration, but we have been very clear in respect of action.

We gave it a nine-month timed amendment.

I beg your pardon?

The Deputy asked me a question so I will respond. It is nine months, so it is within that period. Certainly, we will have to come back to the Oireachtas with clear responses then at that stage.

I also join in welcoming President Stefanchuk. We met in Strasbourg, I think, last year and in other locations. I salute his commitment and the extraordinary diplomatic work he and his colleagues have been undertaking. The Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, has been everywhere lobbying and advocating for the Ukrainian people against what is a terrible, immoral and illegal war and invasion. I propose to take Questions Nos. 7, 13 and 32 together. I travelled to New York from 16 to 20 September for a series of…

I again pay tribute to our team at the UN, including Ambassador Mythen. I do not often mention particular civil servants, but I refer to John Gilroy, who was there in 2015 at the formulation of the SDGs and during the working up of that document. He was there again this time in regard to the rebooting and re-energising of the SDGs. This reflects respect within the UN system for Ireland and our values in respect of world hunger, in particular, given our own historical experiences. We, that is the world, are off trac…

There are two points to make. First, on climate finance, we have given a commitment that by 2025, we will be making an annual contribution of €225 million, which was a commitment I gave at COP26. The target is to reach that sum within that timeline. As a country, we have given a commitment. The Government formally took a decision on it. We need to see it realised. On the broader issue, as the Minister of State, Deputy Fleming, referenced, the most effective way to contribute is through UN emergency funding. Ireland…

I propose to take Questions Nos. 9, 43 and 57 together. I dealt with this issue earlier in reply to a question from Deputy Carthy. However, I will give the reply to this group of questions for the benefit of Deputies. I meet regularly with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Chris Heaton-Harris, to discuss issues relating to Northern Ireland. Most recently, I met with him at the Northern Ireland Investment Summit on 13 September in Belfast, and at the British-Irish Association on 2 September in Oxford. At …

I thank all the Deputies for their remarks. I do not agree with Deputy Tóibín's assertions, which are more in the realm of sloganeering, polemic and propaganda than a serious discussion of the issue. We have been very clear as a Government. I support what Deputy Brendan Smith said in that this relates to all actors in Northern Ireland who perpetrated atrocities. Deputy Tóibín supported a party at a given time that committed the most appalling atrocities on people. The Deputy did, and through the Chair, I will not t…

I have outlined to the House the steps that I intend to take in relation to this. The only person attempting to shatter the unity of purpose in this House is the Deputy himself in the language he has chosen to use and with the assertions he has made around the bona fides of the Irish Government. We have been very committed. I belong to a political party that did its fair share in achieving peace on this island through the Good Friday Agreement.

We managed to persuade people like your good self not to endorse violence on a continuous basis and which caused so much damage, destruction and loss of life. The Deputy asked for unity of purpose. I have outlined it to the House. I understand where people are coming from here. I have made it very clear to the British Government that we reject the unilateral approach in respect to the legacy Act and what it represents.

We do not operate or run the British Government or the British parliamentary system-----

-----that is a process in itself. We have raised this at international level with considerable impact and effect, as I outlined earlier in replies to Deputy Carthy and others.

I could give the Deputy the verbal version but in short, I met with the President of the Palestinian National Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, in Ramallah as part of my visit to the occupied Palestinian territory. During my meeting with the President, we discussed a number of issues including possible future elections in the occupied Palestinian territory, international recognition, our strong bilateral relations, the prospects for peace negotiations, and the two-state solution. I underlined the importance for Ireland of …

President Abbas's response was that because the Israeli Government refuses to facilitate the holding of elections in East Jerusalem - which is a critical issue for the Palestinian National Authority - they therefore cannot proceed with elections. He referenced the current level of aggression within the occupied territories. Fundamentally it rests on East Jerusalem being enabled to be part of any electoral process. We believe there is a need to push because 17 years is a long time without elections. There is a view …

We have discussed with other European member states the prospect of recognising a Palestinian state. There is an argument for endeavouring to get critical mass to have impact. There is also a timing issue. There is a judgment call in terms of whether it advances the situation in respect of the rights and quality of life of Palestinians in real terms.

It is an issue we keep under constant review at Government level. I fully understand where the Deputy is coming from in respect of the question and the manner in which he has tabled it. Coming back from the visit, there is deep concern across the region now as to how this situation is developing in a negative trajectory. It is very worrying and quite depressing in respect of the humanitarian consequences. The scenario the Deputy outlined has implications as well. If you were to abandon, and if Israel were to abando…

I propose to take Questions Nos. 16 and 26 together. I thank Deputy Ó Murchú for tabling his question. It is deeply disappointing that almost 18 months on from the last assembly elections, Northern Ireland's political institutions remain blocked, and as a result the North-South Ministerial Council is also prevented from fulfilling the responsibilities mandated to it by the Good Friday Agreement. It is past time that the democratically elected representatives of Northern Ireland were allowed to take up their respons…

First of all, there has been much speculation as to timings and approaches. To be honest, the Windsor agreement was a genuine response to the issues unionism raised in respect of the operation of the protocol. In my view, some of the issues that were resolved through the Windsor Framework were issues that unionism legitimately raised. Indeed, other parties in the North were quite okay with those issues being raised in terms of the smooth and seamless operation of trade between Northern Ireland and Great Britain, bu…

I am very clear that we need the restoration of the Executive and the Assembly as quickly as possible, in the best interests of the people of Northern Ireland and as a validation of democracy. In any normal society or situation, when people go to the ballot box and vote in an election, it is followed by the convening of a parliament and the formation of a government. We have made our position very clear on the legacy Bill. We are not waiting an undue length of time. There is a very set time which gives us significa…