Harris tells Macron that EU must do more to bring about ceasefire in Middle East

Taoiseach also meets Irish paralympic athletes in Paris ahead of games

An Taoiseach Simon Harris with athletes during a visit to the Paralympic Village in advance of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. Picture: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

The European Union must do more to maximise the pressure to bring about a ceasefire in the Middle East, the Taoiseach told Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday.

Simon Harris met the French president for bilateral talks at the Élysée Palace in Paris where Mr Macron assured that he is "working intensively" with his European partners to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza.

It is hard to find words to capture the scale of the humanitarian crisis in Palestine, Mr Harris said as he called the refusals by Israel to allow food aid into Gaza "unconscionable and shameful".

Ireland's position in relation to Gaza is "crystal clear", according to Mr Harris who denied that recent reports of Israeli flights carrying munitions through Irish airspace muddies Ireland's stance. Responding to the reports from The Ditch, Mr Harris said that the Department of Transport is engaging with the carrier in question and will seek to establish the facts.

"What I have been informed consistently is that no applications have been sought for consent, if you like, for such transport to take place in Irish airspace," Mr Harris said, adding that he is keeping in contact with the ministers for transport and defence on the matter.

Action plan

The meeting with Mr Macron, which was described as substantial, the two leaders also discussed the EU Council agenda ahead of the autumn meetings and agreed to begin work on an action plan between the two countries to be put in place for next year.

The Taoiseach congratulated Mr Macron on the success of the Olympic Games which saw Ireland take home seven medals. 

An Taoiseach Simon Harris TD takes a selfie with Ireland athletes, from left, Dearbhaile Brady, Ellen Keane and Greta Streimikyte.

Mr Harris was speaking following a reception held for the Irish Paralympians at the Irish Embassy.

He joked that there will not be much work done in Ireland during the Paralympics as people will be glued to their screens.

"Please know that every single one of us in Ireland will be cheering you on with the Strepsils at the ready, shouting until we are hoarse as we want the very best for you," Mr Harris told the team.

When meeting any Paralympian, Mr Harris said we are not only meeting an athlete at the top of their game but also "people who embody resilience, endurance, hope and positivity in a way many of us can only imagine".

The Taoiseach met with the Team Ireland athletes during a tour of the revamped Olympic village and thanked them for the joy and pride they bring to the country.

"We live in a world which is often full of darkness and every time we turn on a news bulletin, it is necessarily gloomy at times," he said before telling the gathered Paralympians "you have brought great happiness, great hope and great pride to our country".