Mr. ?amonn Meehan:

I thank the Chair. The day of the occupied territories Bill has come finally and the reason that I say that is as follows. The ICJ orders on the South Africa case on 26 January stated that Israel is plausibly committing a genocide in Gaza. That means for signatories of the genocide convention that they have to take all measures to prevent a genocide at the moment that they become aware of the risk of a genocide. The 2007 Bosnian genocide ruling by the ICJ stated that all states must act and must take all measures within their means, no matter how small a state they are and no matter how small those measures are. They have no choice in the matter. This is the basis of customary international law. The genocide convention is at the very top of the pyramid of customary international law. It is also part of EU law and it supersedes and takes precedence over EU law. The Irish Government does not any further or any longer have a leg to stand on by claiming that trade is an EU competence. It is no longer, on the basis of Ireland's responsibility under the genocide convention to prevent a genocide.