In his discussions today with Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, in Brussels, Irish Prime Minister, Simon Harris, is set to announce Ireland’s aim to officially acknowledge Palestine as a state. It has been reported by government insiders that Ireland favours pursuing this action collectively with several nations, instead of independently.
Countries such as Ireland, Spain, Belgium, Slovenia, and Malta, which are all part of the European Union, are preparing to discuss this issue in the upcoming European Council meeting in April and also within the subsequent foreign affairs ministers’ gathering.
These sources have expressed a widespread resolve towards this cause linked with the peace initiative. They urge that definitive plan related to the recognition of Palestine be presented. The European Union has decided, in principle, to recognise Palestine when it’s officially formed as per the two-state resolution dictated by the Oslo Accord, crafted thirty years ago. This would facilitated two individual states within the same borders, which would be the same as those that existed before Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza during the Six-Day War in 1967.
Besides finalising minister reshuffle at a cabinet meeting, initiating discussions with Rishi Sunak and Volodymyr Zelenskiy and prepping for his maiden international tour as Taoiseach, his official appointment day was characterised by his critique by the opposition for declining to answer queries in the Dáil.
The chaos in Gaza is also anticipated to be a significant topic in his discussion with Ms Vonder Leyen, as well as in his conversations with Charles Michel, President of the European Council, and the heads of six EU nations, such as Poland’s Donald Tusk in a convention in Warsaw later in the day.
Simon Harris, the latest Taoiseach, led the Cabinet meeting wherein it was approved that three Fine Gael TD backbenchers, Alan Dillon, Emer Higgins, and Colm Burke, would be upgraded to junior ministers.
The decision to establish a fresh Cabinet committee centred on Children, Education, and Disability – an area which Mr Harris is determined to prioritise, and potentially a committee on Ukraine, likely to cover areas of Migration, Integration and Ukraine, was also agreed.
Sinn Féin leader, Mary Lou McDonald, rebuked Mr Harris for failing to appear and be absent on his official initial day as Taoiseach since no Leaders’ Questions were on the Dáil agenda.
Hildegarde Naughton, the Government Chief Whip, stated that due to commitments, including calls with British Prime Minister Sunak, Deputy First Ministers of Northern Ireland, and Ukrainian president Zelenskiy, Mr Harris was unable to take on the Leaders’ Questions. A representative for Mr Harris stood up for him, highlighting his commitment by detailing his schedule, which included an early start in office at 7:50 am, attending crucial pre-cabinet meetings and cabinet appointments of junior ministers, as well as preparing for imminent discussions with Mr Zelenskiy and Brussels meetings with Ms von der Leyen and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola. Furthermore, the representative emphasised the importance Ireland places on recognising the Palestinian State, stating that it is of immense priority for the Irish people and will be a key issue during Mr Harris’s meeting with Ms von der Leyen.
On Wednesday afternoon, Mr Harris revealed the new State Ministers. Mayo TD Mr Dillion was appointed as junior housing minister, in charge of local government and planning. In addition, Ms Higgins, a representative from Dublin Mid-West, is now Minister of State for Enterprise, succeeding Neale Richmond of Dublin Rathdown who was recently given a junior minister role in the Department of Finance. Cork North Central representative, Mr Burke, has been given the position of the Minister of State with the remit for Public Health, Well Being and the National Drugs Strategy.
Veteran TD Michael Ring stated on Midwest Radio that he turned down junior minister roles offered to him by Mr Harris, citing uncertain election plans and lack of spending power in the offered roles as his reasons. When confronted about Mr Ring’s statement, a representative for Mr Harris claimed that he was not aware of the conversations that had taken place between the Taoiseach and his parliamentary party members.
Mr Harris apparently expressed satisfaction with his appointed team, stating that every one of them has proven their merit. At a Fine Gael parliamentary party meeting, he stressed to the TDs and Senators the party’s potential to triumph in the next general election and play a significant role in shaping the upcoming government.