Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will answer the question the Deputy has tabled and I will then deal with the specifics of his further questions.

Sanctions are a tool of the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy and part of a comprehensive approach to the pursuit of EU foreign policy objectives, along with political dialogue and other complementary efforts and instruments. Ireland actively pushed for agreement at EU level on sanctions against violent settlers in the West Bank in addition to further sanctions on Hamas. I welcome the recent adoption of these sanctions and will continue to make the case for targeted sanctions on individuals and entities under the EU global human rights sanctions regime where there is evidence of consistent violations of human rights.

In respect of the case initiated by South Africa against Israel under the genocide convention at the International Court of Justice, I welcome in particular the order for additional provisional measures made by the court on 28 March requiring Israel to ensure the unhindered provision at scale of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance, in recognition of the dire situation unfolding in Gaza. It is for the ICJ itself to decide whether its orders have been respected by the parties in any given case. I expect that the court will consider compliance with its provisional measures orders during the merits phase of this case, and that this consideration will be reflected in its final ruling in due course.

As I have confirmed previously, although the Deputy may not have been present, Ireland is continuing to work on its intervention in respect of this case. I have said that we will intervene. We are going to file an intervention under Article 63 of the genocide convention. It will be focused on broadening the definitions and parameters by which this issue can be considered, and we are working on the humanitarian dimension and the prevention of aid going into Gaza in particular.

South Africa has been given until October to file its substantive case - what is termed the memorial - and it will do that in October. We will file our intervention and we are already working on it. Obviously, we want to see the substantive case from South Africa as well, which is exactly the situation that applied with regard to Ukraine.

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