Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome members of the Irish Deaf Society in the Visitors Gallery and commend the Ceann Comhairle on arranging, for the first time, to make a sign language interpreter available in the Dáil for the occasion. This is a welcome and notable occasion for the deaf community.

I condemn the ongoing attacks on civilians in Gaza and send my sympathies to the families of all the deceased. The reports on an air strike on four young boys playing football on a beach in Gaza have been appalling. While Israel has a right to defend itself, its response is totally disproportionate to attacks from Gaza. It has also shut down all access to Gaza where more than 210 people have died, many of whom are civilians, including women and children. Gaza is also running out of medical supplies and its people are in dire straits. While the five-hour ceasefire is welcome, it is too little. The Government should immediately invite in the Israeli ambassador and express its concerns in a clear and forthright manner.

Moving on, my question to the Tánaiste relates to the establishment of a commemoration centre at 14 to 17 Moore Street in advance of the centenary events marking the Easter Rising.

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