Simon Harris
Wicklow · Fine Gael · Ireland
“There are more than 10,000 routes and thousands of buses involved and the number of students using the services is not a million miles away from 200,000. The current terms of the scheme are going to continue to apply for the 2026-27 school year.”
“I thank Deputy McDonald for raising what is genuinely an important issue. I do take the point that when we talk about this in the abstract or from a process point of view in here, that for people watching this is their real lived experience.”
“There number of children who have been supported by means of the school transport scheme, as Deputy Fitzmaurice knows and has alluded to, has grown significantly in recent years. Since 2018, the number increased from 120,000 in 2018 to more than 181,000 now. Included in that figure are 24,000 pupils with special educational needs.”
“I knew the Deputy would have to mention the GAA, especially with Galway and Limerick playing at the weekend. I wish everybody involved the best of luck. We are very committed to the school transport scheme. If the Deputy wants to see our commitment, he should look to our budget.”
“An ageing population, increasing healthcare needs, the transition to net zero and the need for continued investment in housing, energy and infrastructure will place a significant demand on public resources.”
“There is also a legitimacy to the point the Deputy made about how it is a legitimate form of transport for some people. We see this working in other European countries. We see it in our nearest neighbours. I do not want to get the regime wrong, but I think they have registration at the point of purchase that allows people to track this.”
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“Gardaí are very busy so are there better ways to do that. There are challenges, and rightful ones, about making sure we have very robust procedures for getting a first-time passport for a child because we need to get child protection right. Then there is the point the Deputy made about when is a passport considered a first-time passport for an adult as well. Let me take that point away, examine it and give it some consideration. We are in a reasonably good space here and I thank all of the staff who worked to make that a reality.”
“I thank Deputy McCarthy. I will check with the Passport Office if it plans to look further at that. There is always a passport reform process under way. We have seen a number of reforms. We have come a very long way from the Covid backlog and all the challenges then to now having a system that is very efficient. It is a good example of public service reform and also of digitisation. I meet so many of my constituents, and I remember this from getting my own passport, who say you take the picture on your phone while standing in your kitchen, send it off online and you are often shocked at how quickly the passport arrives in the post. That is not to say there cannot be improvements. I hear stories from colleagues about how the process interacts with the gardaí who are witnessing the forms.”
“We will review this if we need to step up a bit. We can do that but at the moment, all of the projections are that staffing and demand are aligned. We need to continue to keep a very close eye on that.”
“I will double-check that I am correct but my understanding is that of the 858 staff, approximately 133 are temporary clerical officers. I will double-check the split between temporary and permanent staff. I thought the Deputy might have a particular interest in Cork so I checked and found that 117 staff are working in the Passport Office in Cork. It is not possible to have any more staff in Cork because the building is now full. However, the second bit of good news I have for the Deputy is that there are plans to move the passport service in Cork to a new building. I believe that will be ready next year, which will give us an opportunity to further expand our footprint and staffing numbers in Cork as there is need and demand for that. From budgetary and staffing points of view, I am satisfied we are in a good place.”
“Having recently visited the largest passport office in Balbriggan and seen the work being done there by staff who are responding to customer queries, managing huge volumes of documents and processing applications from start to finish, I say "thank you" to them for the work they are doing. I am satisfied that the current level of staffing is appropriate to meet demand for this critical citizen service. I encourage people, as we all should, to please check their passport because that can help with meeting the demand. We can always try to help people in difficult situations. It is much easier if people check their passport, and they will be much less likely to get in trouble with the family as well. You do not want to be the one who tells them they cannot go on their summer holidays.”
“Ensuring that the passport service has enough staff to respond to demand is a key priority for my Department and is kept under constant review. The passport service undertakes advance workforce planning based on the forecasted demand for passports and my Department’s management board approves this staffing plan annually. As a result of this extensive planning process, the passport service is well resourced to meet forecasted demand for 2025. There are currently 858 staff working in the passport service, which represents 98% of the approved staffing target. This includes 133 temporary clerical officers who have joined the passport service since November 2024. We now have the highest number of sanctioned staff ever in our passport service.”
“I thank Deputy McCarthy for the question. The passport service is experiencing a high level of demand for passports as our citizens prepare for upcoming summer travel plans. Thanks to operational and staffing plans implemented by my Department, I am pleased to say that the passport service is successfully responding to the current level of demand, and we have issued over 440,000 passports and passport cards to date this year. All turnaround times are at their target level and there is no backlog. This time of year is particularly busy for the customer service hub based in Balbriggan. I was out there recently meeting staff, and I am pleased to say that agents in the hub are responding to almost 2,400 phone and webchat queries per day, which is an extraordinary number.”
“The Deputy is right, though, as regards controlling what we can control. On market diversification, the Minister, Deputy Burke, and I will bring forward a new plan on that issue within the next month but I got Government approval to progress the ratification of CETA, the trade agreement with Canada, this week as an example of market diversification. In July, the Minister, Deputy Burke, will also bring forward a competitiveness plan as to how we support small and medium enterprises.”
“First, on what the countertariff measures might look like, it is open to consultation until 10 June. The Government will make its views known. It is also open to every sector and person to make a submission, and we are encouraging people to do that. What we saw the last time we engaged on this was that we actually made some progress in removing some items from the list of retaliatory measures that were of particular concern to our economy, farmers and drinks industry. Pharma is an area of major concern. I met with all the pharma companies recently through the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association. Similarly, I met the medtech and aircraft leasing industries recently. At our Government trade forum, we are diving into different sectors of the economy at each meeting as well.”
“If we get into a situation where tariffs become the norm, that would be extraordinarily worrying. Even 10% tariffs on certain sectors of our economy and other economies in the European Union would have a real and very negative impact. We are working on this around the clock. We need to keep on pushing for a negotiated solution. We will work with the Opposition and keep it briefed, as we have done, as these negotiations progress.”
“I think the Deputy is right and I also hope that is what it is. I learned a long time ago not to respond to every Truth Social post or every tweet. We need to be calm and substantive in our engagement here. I welcome that President von der Leyen and President Trump spoke on the phone the other evening. That provided more of a window of space for engagement. I welcome that engagement. I also note the federal court ruling in the US that some of the tariffs imposed by the US Administration exceed President Trump's authority and that the US Administration is now appealing this ruling, so much uncertainty remains. A number of points remain unclear but what is very clear is that the European Union and Ireland will continue to do everything possible to reach a negotiated, mutually beneficial agreement with the US. The Deputy is right, though.”
“In addition to the list of proposed rebalancing measures, the Commission published a much shorter list of EU goods exported to the US, and public consultation is currently open for comment until 10 June. Since this dispute began, I have been in frequent communication with Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič and I recently met with the Commissioner and fellow trade ministers at an EU Trade Council meeting in Brussels on 15 May. My officials and I are also engaging with business stakeholders to understand potential impacts, including through the Government trade forum, which I chair. We will continue to convey these to the European Commission and urge stakeholders to participate in the EU’s public consultation directly. Our message is clear: the EU is ready to move forward. We urge the US to engage rapidly and to reach a fair and timely solution.”
“This is a sensible and measured approach. It should be remembered that to date, the EU has not imposed any tariffs on the US while EU and Irish exporters are subjected today to 10% tariffs on exports. We have shown extraordinary restraint in the face of great provocation. We must also be upfront in that there are still risks of further sectoral tariffs, including due to the section 232 investigations on pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and now aircraft and aircraft parts. On 8 May, the European Commission published its draft list of proposed rebalancing measures against the US. The list concerns imports from the US to the EU worth around €95 billion. It covers a broad range of industrial and agricultural products.”
“Ireland’s consistent position remains that we need substantive, calm, measured and comprehensive dialogue with the United States. I am pleased to say this is also the position of the European Union, which has shared a constructive proposal for scoping out a negotiation between the two sides. At the same time, we understand the need for the EU to undertake further internal preparations in case negotiations are unsuccessful. This often gets misrepresented. The European Union does not want to see tariffs or trade barriers. In many areas, we are offering zero for zero in terms of tariffs but we would be pretty darn foolish to go into negotiations without negotiating from a position of strength. We have to have a backup plan and do preparatory work if the United States continues to wish to harm our economic interests.”
“I acknowledge that the Commission is endeavouring to make the agreement better, but I am also not convinced that the additional legal instrument provides the necessary legally binding assurances that Ireland has insisted upon since way back when. It is for that reason we continue to oppose the agreement. We have always been willing to work and engage. There have been some improvements but does it meet the threshold of the legally binding assurances we need? It does not.”
“We are continuing to engage. I had a meeting with my Italian counterpart, Antonio Tajani, a while ago on this. I intend to seek to speak to him again on it because I read some commentary in a report I got back from Italy recently about some broader discussion in Italy on it. I have not heard directly from the minister on it, so I do not wish to misrepresent Italy's position. In fairness to the European Commission, it is a statement of fact to say that the new legal instrument is trying to make improvements. That is true. The new deal makes the Paris Agreement an essential element. There is a new deal around concrete commitments to tackle deforestation. There are commitments on trade, women's empowerment and the development of a sustainable supply chain.”
“As the Deputy mentioned, this is when a blocking minority would come in because it would then require qualified majority voting. In the interim, relevant Departments will continue their detailed analysis of the agreement. We will continue to work with like-minded countries and make our points to the European Commission about the concerns we have. It is expected that the Commission will present the final agreement package, combining the 2019 agreement and the additional legal instrument, in late quarter 2 or early quarter 3 of this year.”
“Our opposition to the agreement is as strong as France's and, potentially, Poland's will be. Let me reflect on whether and when we will formally join that group and revert to the Deputy, but I have been clear in my conversations with the French Government about our opposition. I do not see any sign of the French Government's position changing on that. Technically, the agreement is undergoing what they call "legal scrubbing" at the moment. It will then be translated into all official EU languages. There is some uncertainty over what form the final Commission proposal to member states will take. It could either be a mixed agreement, which would require unanimous member state approval, or it could be a split agreement with the trade elements applied on an interim basis.”
“I specifically had a meeting with the French foreign minister, Mr. Jean-Noël Barrot, on 14 April that was exclusively on the topic of the Mercosur agreement where we both reiterated our opposition. This engagement is ongoing.”
“Since the Commission announced the conclusion of negotiations, officials from my Department and other Departments, including the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, have been working together to carefully analyse the text of the additional legal instrument addressing sustainability commitments. I wish to assure the Deputy that my officials and I have continued to engage at EU level at every opportunity with the European Commission - I had a meeting directly with the trade Commissioner, Maroš Šefčovič, on this - and counterparts in EU member states, including like-minded countries. We discussed this recently at a Foreign Affairs Council trade meeting. We did this to voice our concerns with the agreement and to interrogate the outcome of negotiations.”
“Our position is and remains that which was clearly outlined in the programme for Government, which states that the Government will work "with like-minded EU countries to stand up for Irish farmers and defend our interests in opposing the current Mercosur trade deal.". In our trade negotiations, we have always been guided by standing up for and defending the interests of Irish farmers while also trying to secure enhanced market access opportunities for them and Irish agrifood exports.”
“We all get that, and recent developments in the global trading environment have highlighted even more so the importance of market diversification, including an expanded set of EU free trade agreements that support more opportunities for exports and investment, help support jobs and growth at home, maintain strict EU standards on food safety, animal and plant health, and support better environmental and human rights standards around the world. However, we have always been clear that such agreements have to defend our must vulnerable sectors and that farmers' livelihoods must not be undermined through weak or ineffective environmental standards in other countries.”
“I thank Deputy Whitmore for raising this issue. I share her view and her awareness in terms of the anxiety and concern that there is from farmers, climate activists and many people about this Mercosur free trade agreement. I believe we all share the view that free, fair and open trade is something that we in this country support. It is something that we have done well from economically and beyond that. It is an important part of our economic model.”
“In fairness to my officials, they only got the formal Government decision on Tuesday. They now have to draft the Bill. As the Deputy can imagine, they are working away on the general scheme. I have spoken to the Chair of the committee. It will be for him and the committee to decide what they wish to do in terms of how they wish to schedule it. There is a lot of cross-party unity of purpose in terms of a Bill. As I said to Frances Black, I hope one of the outcomes of this Bill is that it genuinely inspires other parliaments and governments to table similar legislation.”
“Every day, the Government looks at what more we can do and is happy to always constructively look at that with the Opposition. I, too, do not want to revisit that debate other than to say the Minister for Finance outlined the Government's position based on legal realities and on the legislation not achieving what we believed Sinn Féin thought the legislation would achieve. However, there is a hell of a lot we actually agree on as regards Gaza. I know that it sometimes does not suit people politically to agree, but this issue it is so important that we have to lean into what we actually agree on and what we can get done. The Deputy asked a direct question on the occupied Palestinian territories Bill. I cannot give him a date in June but I can tell him it will go to the foreign affairs committee as early in June as possible.”
“We have waited long enough for it to commence, now it needs to conclude in an efficient manner. I accept this is not the majority position in the European Union but our position is that the agreement should be suspended. In the meantime, we will go ahead with our own domestic legislation and I encourage other European member states to look at what we are doing and also consider banning trade from the occupied Palestinian territories.”
“The Deputy is right. It is offensive, to put it mildly, that it has taken this long to get to the point of reviewing the association agreement. It is as clear as day that the human rights clauses of the association agreement are being breached. I understand there needs to be a review to establish that, and I get that, but this is something that we called for in February 2024. I welcome the fact that there is now a clear majority of member states, big and small with different political governments in power, that have recognised this now and joined the Irish, Spanish and Dutch position on this. The fact that there are 17 member states shows how Europe is speaking up about how these atrocities need to end in a way other parts of the world are not. I want that review to be quick. I hope it can be. I expect it can be.”
“They must have impact. There must be a consequence to breaching the human rights clauses in the agreement. This is a position I have reiterated clearly, alongside my counterparts from Spain, Slovenia and Luxembourg, in a joint letter to the High Representative in advance of the Foreign Affairs Council meeting. We underlined in that letter the need for a review to be undertaken urgently. Based on this work, the High Representative, working with the Commission as a whole, should bring forward concrete proposals for appropriate measures. As I have made clear in the Dáil this week, it is Ireland's view that the operation of the association agreement should be suspended pending the outcome of a review of Israel's compliance.”
“However, we are now seeing agreement from a clear majority of member states on the need to exert more effective influence on Israel to reverse course, halt its military operations, to put it mildly, and to cease its obstruction of lifesaving aid. Such a step is about using the European Union's influence to effect positive change on the ground. As the House is aware, Ireland and Spain called for this step to be taken in February 2024. Since then, the situation has only become immeasurably worse with catastrophic consequences for the civilian population and a real risk of famine. It is my strong view that if Israel is deemed in breach of its obligations - and how can it not be? - such a finding must be followed by concrete action. The human rights clauses in these agreements are not just there for padding. They are not discretional extras.”
“I agree with the Deputy. Following a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council last Tuesday, the EU High Representative announced that the EU would finally conduct a review of Article 2 of the EU-Israel association agreement. This is an important decision that reflects the grave concerns held by member states regarding the situation in Gaza. We went from two countries - Ireland and Spain - calling for this to 17 countries at that meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council. The EU remains steadfast in its calls for the release of all hostages by Hamas, the urgent resumption of negotiations and, crucially, a free-flowing surge of humanitarian aid.”
“The UN conference will provide an important opportunity to advance discussions on concrete initiatives, which is an important phrase, towards implementing the two-state solution, such as the implementation of the Arab recovery and reconstruction plan for Gaza, which will include addressing the need for security arrangements on the ground that respect Palestinian sovereignty and take account of Israeli security needs. A lot has happened in recent days that has been drowned out because of the horrific actions of the Government of Israel. The Arab plan talks about a future for Gaza without Hamas. There is a considerable amount of work with which we could move forward if Israel were to stop its war crimes and let the aid in and the hostages out. We can then have an exciting discussion about recovery and reconstruction.”
“I thank the Deputy. He is correct that Ireland will be pleased to play a central role at that UN conference. We have been invited by France and Saudi Arabia to co-chair one of the working groups. With Türkiye, we will be co-chairing one of the eight working groups that form part of the conference. Final details of the work programmes for each working group are to be established in the coming days. Intensive work and close political co-ordination with European and Arab partners are continuing, including through a meeting of the Madrid group, of which Ireland is a part, last Sunday. That was a precursor to the UN meeting.”
“I know from my engagement with my European counterparts that their populations are concerned, as Irish people are. I hope that, in the build-up to the UN special conference next month, some of the big European nations - and I have noticed a change in their tone and comments in recent days - take a step forward and recognise the State of Palestine. We should not underestimate the importance that would have on the global stage. I call on those countries, as I am sure the Deputy would, too, to join us in recognising the State of Palestine.”
“That is absolutely the case. I do not mean to be pedantic, but as I said yesterday, there has in the past been an emergency special session of the UN General Assembly on this issue. If it is reconvened and becomes the vehicle by which we can bring forward the resolution discussed yesterday in the House or another mechanism is required, we are all open to working on this and the outcome is the same. I appreciate what the Deputy has said. I do not view Gaza as a partisan issue because we all want to get to the same place of a two-state solution, an end to the genocide, accountability for the war crimes that have been committed, the release of the hostages and the flow of humanitarian aid. To be honest, we need some of the big countries to move.”
“A shared priority with European and regional partners at this time is the UN high-level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution. The conference will take place in New York in June and will be co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia. The conference was mandated by way of a resolution adopted on 18 September 2024 at a reconvened tenth emergency special session of the UN General Assembly on Palestine. That will provide an opportunity for Ireland in person and at a very senior Government level to raise the issues we have discussed. We are already beginning to raise those issues. I had a meeting with my officials today. I will come back in on that point.”
“I have consistently condemned any arrangement for humanitarian assistance - I think that is at the heart of the Labour Party motion - that does not ensure access for the entire population. Recent days have seen a small amount - if you could even call it that - of aid being permitted to enter Gaza. It is completely out of proportion with the scale of humanitarian need, which continues to grow. Alongside that, it is linking humanitarian aid to political and military motivation, which you can never link to access to food and basic humanitarian aid. I, along with international partners, continue to apply pressure on this point and the motion in the House yesterday was helpful in that regard. Close co-ordination with like-minded partners is central to the work we are doing.”
“Exactly. I would add that I spoke very much in favour of that motion yesterday. I said I not only was not opposing it but also wanted to see it taken forward. I believed it a constructive addition to the discussion. Government and Opposition need to work more together on the common values we share and our desire to see an end to the genocide taking place in Gaza, perpetrated by the Israeli Government. Before coming to the Deputy’s question, I wish to take a moment to express my deep sadness at the shooting dead of two staff members of the Embassy of Israel in Washington on 21 May. I condemn this attack in the strongest possible terms and send my condolences to the families of those killed. When it comes to Gaza, I fully share the Deputy's deep concern at the appalling humanitarian situation.”
“These sanctions are clearly having an economic impact but given Russia's continuing aggression in Ukraine, we need to see further sanctions. The Commission and member states are now working on proposals for an 18th package and these proposals are expected to focus on reducing Russian revenue from the energy sector, as well as further measures to prevent Russia from accessing battlefield goods and technology.”
“The Deputy is right. We cannot walk away from supporting and standing by Ukraine. We all want peace. We all want to see the killing and the war end. We want to see the prisoners released. We saw some degree of a prisoner exchange recently. However, we do not want a peace that rewards aggression or that rips up the UN Charter. We do not want a "peace" that does not involve Ukraine. Therefore, the most important thing to do is keep the pressure up. That is why we have to support further sanctions against Russia. We welcomed the adoption of the 17th package of sanctions on 20 March. This package builds on significant bodies of sanctions the EU has put in place since the launch of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.”
“That is why the world cannot let up and why, I think, we will need further sanctions against Russia, including at EU level.”
“I very much welcome what the Deputy says because it reminds us of the fact there is only one aggressor here. It is Russia. It is Putin. There is a President of Ukraine and a President of Russia. The President, Government and people of Ukraine are willing and ready to accept an unconditional ceasefire for a period of time to provide space for proper talks and negotiations on a lasting, just, enduring peace. Russia talks about peace but there is always a caveat, hurdle or obstruction. All the time while talking about it, obstructing and refusing to accept an unconditional ceasefire, it continues to bomb civilian infrastructure and attack Ukraine, its civilians and its energy infrastructure. I have been in Kyiv and met people whose homes have been destroyed by Russian shelling. Russia talks about peace but it is never just yet.”
“On 6 May, the Ukrainian foreign minister joined the Global Ireland Summit virtually, where he provided an update on the latest developments and current needs and expressed appreciation for support offered by Ireland to Ukraine to date. Across these engagements, Ireland has underlined our commitment to working with Ukraine and our partners to achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting peace that protects Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity in line with the principles of the UN Charter, and provides the necessary security guarantees so that we do not see a return to Russian aggression in the future. Ireland has provided extensive political, humanitarian, non-lethal military and economic support to Ukraine since February 2022. This includes €138 million in humanitarian assistance and stabilisation supports.”
“This followed an informal meeting of the council in Lviv on 9 May, as well as a ministerial meeting of the core group for the establishment of a special tribunal to ensure that those responsible for Russia’s aggression face justice. The Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, attended these meetings as a further signal of the Government’s steadfast support for Ukraine. In April, the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, visited Odesa to open an underground school shelter co-funded by Ireland and then travelled on to Kyiv for meetings with Ukrainian interlocutors focused on Ireland's commitment to supporting Ukraine, including on its EU accession path.”
“I thank the Deputy. Ireland’s support for the Government and people of Ukraine is steadfast. This remains a key focus of my Department’s engagements with Ukrainian interlocutors at political level; with the Ukrainian Embassy in Dublin through the Irish Embassy in Kyiv; and at EU and international level, where I continue to raise Ukraine as a matter of priority. The Ukrainian foreign minister regularly joins the monthly meetings of the Foreign Affairs Council to provide an update on the situation in his country. On 20 May, the council discussed how the EU could step up its military support for Ukraine, play a constructive role in any potential peace process and contribute to security guarantees as part of a peace agreement.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. It is absolutely true that everybody deserves to be safe in his or her home and community. I join the Deputy in praising the community workers and local gardaí for the excellent work they do in the area. I will talk directly to the Minister for Justice about the King's Island area and the need for more support and resourcing for the Garda. I will ask the Minister to come back to the Deputy directly.”
“It is instances such as this that highlight the need for the benefit. I understand that the staff involved cover a wide range of specialist areas. They include data scientists and analysts, AI engineers, software engineers and product managers. These are highly skilled people with highly skilled roles. I know the Minister, Deputy Burke, will be working hard with our enterprise agencies to identify new job opportunities for those staff members. The mid-west has, as the Deputy knows, a significant ecosystem in this area. The focus now will be on trying to identify new opportunities for the region and the workers. I will ask the Minister, Deputy Burke, and the IDA to keep in close contact with the Deputy. Specifically on the issue the Deputy raised in respect of Revenue, I will ask the Minister, Deputy Burke, to come back to him.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. My thoughts, like his, are in the first instance with the employees impacted. This decision was flagged by the company in March but yesterday it was confirmed to staff that the decision to close its Irish site will proceed. I understand this is part of the company reviewing its global structure. It has been implementing cost-cutting measures over the past year, which have included the closure and downsizing of other facilities this year and last. I am told that the closure of operations at Castletroy will happen over the next number of months. I assure the Deputy that the Government and our agencies will be on hand to support workers. In terms of immediate supports, the new pay-related benefit will be available to workers.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. He is absolutely correct. He knows better than I do that there is increasing demand for school places in the Newcastle-Rathcoole school planning area due to new residential development. So far, the response of the Department and Government has included the establishment of Coláiste Pobal Fóla in Citywest in August 2020 and the expansion of Holy Family Community School in Rathcoole. I understand that new large-scale post-primary school projects are going to site this year for both of those schools, which will accommodate over 2,000 pupils. The Deputy's challenge to the Government relates to future protections and demand. I understand that the Department regularly meets representatives of South Dublin County Council on the issue and will keep the need for a school in Newcastle under review.”
“On international peacekeeping day, I am happy to do as the Deputy asked and confirm that I secured Cabinet approval this week to renew our mandate at UNIFIL for another 12 months. On the killing of Private Sean Rooney, we absolutely will continue to raise the issue at every opportunity. His family needs justice. There needs to be accountability. That must happen and the Lebanese authorities must bring it about.”
“I thank the Deputy. There is a particular poignancy when she raises this issue because I am conscious that she served with distinction as part of our peacekeeping mission. I thank her for her service. I join with her on what is the International Day of UN Peacekeepers in celebrating the vital role that our peacekeepers play across the world. It is now more crucial than ever before, at a time when the global security environment has never been more volatile or uncertain. I particularly think today about the Irish peacekeepers deployed in southern Lebanon as part of the UNIFIL mission. They are not just promoters of peace but also work every day to support communities, instil hope and make a positive difference to people's lives. I was delighted and honoured to visit them in recent weeks.”