Ireland has announced an additional €3 million contribution to support vital public services in Palestine, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Helen McEntee confirmed. This funding will be channelled through an EU mechanism to ensure continued operation of essential services, including education and healthcare, amid a financial crisis confronting the Palestinian Authority. The contribution forms part of Ireland’s role in the Emergency Coalition for the Financial Sustainability of the Palestinian Authority, established at the UN High-Level Week in 2025.
The Palestinian Authority’s ability to maintain public services is under threat due to Israel’s ongoing refusal to transfer tax revenues, which jeopardizes the delivery of services relied upon by millions of people. Minister McEntee emphasized that the funding is critical for safeguarding lives, supporting stability, and sustaining essential reforms within the Palestinian Authority, especially as the humanitarian situation in Gaza worsens and conditions in the West Bank deteriorate due to expanded Israeli controls, settlement growth, and settler violence.
Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora, Neale Richmond, highlighted that Ireland has consistently called for Israel to release withheld tax revenues and maintain banking operations between Israeli and Palestinian banks. The €3 million funding aims to stabilize the provision of basic public services and demonstrate Ireland’s ongoing commitment to the Palestinian people, recognizing that economic stability is vital for peace and security in Palestine and the wider region.
This contribution is part of a broader €42 million financial commitment announced by Minister McEntee in January 2026, which complements over €114 million in total support provided by Ireland to Palestine since 2023, including €68 million to UNRWA. The funding is allocated via the EU PEGASE mechanism, which supports implementation of the Palestinian Authority’s Reform and Development Plan, reinforcing governance, public service delivery, and regional stability amid ongoing financial and political challenges.
