Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I am delighted the Minister for Justice and Equality met Irish troops in southern Lebanon. However, I asked the Taoiseach why the Minister spent one day with the troops and, as I understand it, then travelled to attend a conference of very strong supporters of Israeli policy in the luxury resort of Herzliya. Was the latter an official visit and was the Minister representing the Government at the conference in question? Why did he not travel 100 km further on and visit Gaza in order to express his solidarity with the people there who are living in the most squalid conditions as a result of the Israeli policy to impose a brutal blockade on them? Was it an official visit and was the Taoiseach aware of it? Was part of the purpose of the visit to allow the Minister to raise at the conference the Government's view that the blockade of Gaza should be lifted immediately?

I also add my voice to the urgent requests to the effect that the Taoiseach should raise with the British and American Governments the need for Marian Price to be released.

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