The Taoiseach has said that the Republic of Ireland football team's games against Israel in the UEFA Nations' League should go ahead, and the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) made the correct decision to announce that the fixtures would be fulfilled.
Ireland have been drawn against Kosovo, Israel and Austria and in Group B3.
The two games between Ireland and Israel are to take place next September and October.
The away fixture will take place on 27 September, while the return leg in Dublin is scheduled for 4 October.
The FAI said in a statement yesterday that it intends to fulfill the fixtures.
Last year, the FAI voted to submit a motion to UEFA to ban Israel from European competitions.
Watch: Neutral venue for Ireland v Israel should be considered - Social Democrats TD
The FAI are yet to confirm if the October game will take place in Dublin or at a neutral venue, a decision that does not have to be finalised until 120 days before the game takes place.
Speaking in Cork, Micheál Martin said a decision on where the away leg of the fixture should take place was a matter for the football authorities.
He said that security authorities in Ireland would make an assessment on safety for the home leg in good time before the fixture takes place to ensure that it could take place "in a secure environment".
"It should go ahead, and I think the FAI has taken the correct decision to fulfil the fixture," Mr Martin told RTÉ News.
"We hope Ireland does well in the competition. There is a rejuvenation of a nation, a journey ahead for that Irish team. They have been doing very well so far, and we wish them well."
Mr Martin said there was no official boycott of Israel in Ireland and he said the focus now was on peace in the Middle East.
He said he was pleased that the Rafah Crossing is open, but he would like to see it open "more broadly". The Taoiseach also said more humanitarian aid needs to be going into Gaza.
Meanwhile, Tánaiste Simon Harris has said that commentary surrounding Ireland's Nations League fixtures with Israel should not distract from the upcoming World Cup playoffs.
"While the FAI has made their decision clear in relation to Israel's participation, UEFA has ultimately made its decision," he said.
Mr Harris said that RTÉ should broadcast the games against Israel.
"I think the State broadcaster has a role to play in ensuring that the people of Ireland can see their soccer team playing in international competitions," he said.
'Israel should not be in competition,' says TD
A Sinn Féin TD has criticised the FAI for confirming the Republic of Ireland will fulfil its UEFA Nations fixture with Israel, saying the football association only has morals "on paper".
Louth TD Joanna Byrne, who is also co-chairperson of League of Ireland club Drogheda United, said she was "extremely angry and dismayed" by the FAI's decision.
She said: "In November, the FAI voted to submit a motion to UEFA to ban Israel from its European club and international competitions. That was the correct moral and principled position to take.
"Therefore, I am extremely angry and dismayed that the FAI have confirmed they will play against Israel," Ms Byrne said.
"It appears that their morals, and principled position, was only on paper - not in actions where it counts.
"Israel should not be in this competition."
Social Democrats Spokesperson on Sport Sinéad Gibney said that UEFA "must read the room" and ban Israel from taking part in its competitions.
Ms Gibney said European football's governing body should be held responsible for the situation.
"Our national team players, elite athletes at the pinnacle of their career, have been put in a very difficult position after they were drawn in the same group as Israel," she said.
"We must respect their voices first and foremost. Ultimately, it is the players who step on the pitch and they must be central to the decision making process.
"As it stands, the FAI has stated it does intend to play these games but if that changes, and it boycotts, any financial penalty must be paid by the Government.
"It is international sports bodies like UEFA who should be held responsible for this situation. Israel should not be permitted to play in UEFA competitions, just as Russia was banned for its illegal invasion of Ukraine."
Labour's Spokesperson on Sport Rob O'Donoghue said any decision taken by the FAI in relation to playing the Israeli fixture should be taken "carefully and transparently".
"Crucially, we need to hear from the players themselves. They are the ones being asked to represent the country in this context and their views matter.
"If individual players feel unable to take part, they should be respected and supported."
"Ireland has a long tradition of standing up for human rights and international law, and that should inform how this situation is approached," he added.
A spokesperson for the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport said that the Government and Sport Ireland had no role in determining or supporting the FAI fixtures such as the Israel game.
They added: "National governing bodies of sport and international sporting federations, including the Football Association of Ireland (FAI), are independent, autonomous bodies responsible for the governance of their own sports, including the organisation of sporting fixtures."
Meanwhile, the SIPTU trade union has called for the FAI to pull out of the upcoming UEFA Nations League games against Israel this Autumn, saying there are "serious safety concerns" around the games.
In a statement, SIPTU's deputy general secretary Greg Ennis said that as a result of what he believes are significant safety concerns around the fixtures, the FAI should withdraw from the two games.
"A match between Ireland and Israel is not only a serious political and moral issue, but also has safety implications for workers and players which the FAI must consider," he said.
"Our members believe that such a concern, and the duty of care the FAI must show for its staff, must also rule out this fixture."
RTÉ has said that if the Republic of Ireland and Israel matches go ahead, they will be broadcast in line with the organisation's "contractual obligations and commitment to supporting Ireland's national teams".
The broadcaster said that decisions in relation to participation by Ireland's national soccer team in a tournament are the "responsibility of the appropriate official national sporting body". It said that decisions made regarding the broadcast of the games "are dependent on such decisions".
RTÉ said that this is different to the decision not to broadcast this year's Eurovision Song Contest.
The singing competition is run by the European Broadcasting Union and the selection process for the contest is operated by national public service broadcasters. The decision over whether or not a country takes part in the contest lies with the broadcaster.
RTÉ has said that the "decision regarding Ireland's participation in any football match is one for the FAI, not RTÉ."
Additional reporting Fiachra Ó Cionnaith
