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

The latest news I have heard back from the court through my officials is that the court wants to get on with it. It does not want any more political pronouncements or people saying they are going to join. The court just wants to get on with it and get the resources. We also need to be careful of the whataboutery concerning the Middle East and Ukraine. One of the key issues that has not been resolved in Ukraine is the setting up of special court to deal with the war of aggression. There are different legal templates as to how one could best do that. It has not been all plain sailing in respect of Ukraine either, in terms of the accountability of Russia. There is huge aggression and war crimes are being committed in Ukraine, but Ukraine did not invade Russia. In our view, Russia made a false allegation of genocide against Ukraine as a justification for invading Donetsk and the Donbass region. The Ukrainians refuted the charge and they are in the ICJ refuting the Russian allegation of genocide. It is not the case, as some alleged in the Dáil, that Ukraine had made an allegation of genocide and we joined immediately. That is not the case. It took us five months to intervene in the case, along with other countries, to support Ukraine's refutation of the Russian allegation. I do not disagree with the Deputy on the need for accountability. At the moment the ICC has a case underway in respect of war crimes up to, and including, genocidal acts. The ICJ has a case in respect of the legality of Israel's occupation of Palestine. We have already submitted a robust legal submission and the Attorney General will be participating orally in the case, on behalf of the State this month