Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Tánaiste for bringing some clarity to the situation. Again, I was working off reports from the region. As the Tánaiste mentioned, a statement from the public defender who visited the prison and witnessed this said that the practice had been going on for a number of months, a fact that was verified during official visits and was not denied by the Israeli prison service. It is a fact that human rights organisations estimate that up to 700 Palestinian children, some as young as 12 years of age or even younger, have been subject to Israeli military detention each year and 74% of those children experience physical violence during their arrest, transfer or interrogation. That is unacceptable and needs to stop.

Israel remains the only nation to automatically and systematically prosecute children in military courts. Perhaps there are other countries of which the Tánaiste is aware. These are courts where a basic and fundamental fair trial, which must be guaranteed, is lacking. It cannot continue. Can the Tánaiste raise this with his European colleagues and at all levels? The ongoing treatment of children is unacceptable in any civilised society and needs to stop.

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