Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan is expected to recommend early recognition of the Palestinian state following a visit to the region early in the new year.

Mr Flanagan said yesterday that Ireland was moving towards recognition in an effort to promote a peace settlement in the Middle East.

He was speaking in the aftermath of a decision by the Dáil and Seanad last week to support motions calling for the recognition of the Palestinian state.

Mr Flanagan said yesterday the objective of the Government was to meet the need to promote a peaceful settlement and to build the future of the Palestinian state.

“Recognition of Palestine may be one element of this approach as it has been suggested that a move towards recognition will help to jump-start a process that has stalled,” he said.

He added that achieving and recognising a Palestinian state had always been the Government’s objective, and everything it did on the Middle East was directed towards that aim.

“While successive Governments have always seen recognition coming as part of an agreed peace, I have made clear that I have absolutely no difficulty in principle with the idea of early recognition, if I believe it can contribute to achieving a settlement of the conflict,” he said.