Galway Bay fm newsroom - A Galway TD is urging the government to officially recognise the state of Palestine.
It's after a Dáil vote in 2014 saw unanimous consensus among TDs on the issue.
Galway West Deputy Catherine Connolly has asked Tánaiste and Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney to explain why Ireland has yet to officially recognise the state of Palestine.
She says the government should explain why, over three years on from the passing of a Dáil motion, no formal recognition has been made.
In response to a written question submitted by the Independent deputy, Tánaiste Simon Coveney says the government is committed to recognising the State of Palestine as part of a lasting settlement of the conflict.
He says Ireland, along with its EU partners, supports the achievement of a two state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that meets Israeli and Palestinian security needs, and Palestinian aspirations for statehood and sovereignty.
Minister Coveney says successive Irish Governments have seen recognition of Palestine coming as part of an overall peace agreement.
However, he claims he has not yet concluded that immediate recognition by Ireland would be a helpful step.
