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

As my colleague, Deputy Adams, and the Taoiseach have pointed out, Europe is facing its most major refugee crisis since the Second World War. The matter will be the primary issue at the European Council meeting. Will the Taoiseach ensure any national spending on the refugee crisis by EU members states is excluded from debt and deficit calculations? I ask the Taoiseach to bring this positive message to the table. While I welcome that the Government has agreed to accept 4,000 refugees, I am concerned about the lack of accurate detail and information surrounding the relocation. A cohort of 520 will arrive in Ireland already classified as refugees. However, the other 3,500 will come to Ireland under the Irish refugee protection programme and will instead seek refugee status when they arrive. Will they be forced into the disgraceful direct provision system or a similar programme with a different name? This is everyone's concern. Given that direct provision has failed many people, we do not want people to go through the process.

Irish officials are expected to travel to Italy later this month to help select the first intake of almost 2,500 people due to arrive under the EU resettlement programmes. Most are likely to be Syrian, Iraqi and Eritrean nationals. How will they be selected? What are the criteria? I am also very concerned about the possibility of expelling refugees who arrive in the EU if they have arrived from what the EU is now calling safe third countries. This could see refugees sent back to Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon where they face inhumane conditions, crippling poverty and possible human rights violations. People have referred to the positive role our Naval Service is playing and I join in the praise and urge that Ireland continue these life-saving missions. While the weather will become worse over the winter, the conflict in Syria continues to become more violent and brutal, which means more people will risk their lives to reach what they perceive as safety in Europe.

I have received breaking news that the EU is planning to fast-track the deportation of refugees fleeing Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and others if their asylum applications have failed. Leaks have suggested the proposals will include threats to withdraw aid, trade deals and visa arrangements if countries refuse to take back refugees. If there is substance to these leaks, it is a very significant step. The proposals also envisage EU states detaining thousands of people to prevent them from absconding to avoid deportation. We have this image in our heads. Is the Taoiseach aware of this and what is Ireland's position? I urge the Taoiseach to ensure Ireland strongly opposes this move which is wrong and will involve major potential human rights violations.

In recent days, renewed clashes have broken out in occupied east Jerusalem leaving several dead and tensions heightened to an unprecedented level. Will the Taoiseach raise this important issue at the European Council meeting? Every day we hear about another violation of Palestinian fundamental rights, another violent clash on a holy site or, increasingly, another fatality in the region. Over the weekend, three young Palestinians were killed, one of whom was a 13 year old boy still in his school uniform.

In the last week, over 500 Palestinians have been wounded, 200 of them with live bullets. This is the context for the ongoing illegal occupation of Palestine. The brutal repression, the intensification of illegal settlement and the collective punishment and humiliation of the Palestinian civil population are adding to the heightened tension. The illegal ban on Palestinians entering the old city of Jerusalem has to stop immediately, as does the blanket restriction on Palestinians, Christians and Muslims trying to access their holy sites in Jerusalem. People of all faiths must be free to worship unconditionally. The fig leaf of security should not be used to bar one from one's church. The downhill path of trying to present an occupation as a religious conflict is extremely dangerous and should be stopped at its heels.

Israeli religious discrimination, coupled with an alarming increase in Israeli settler violence, is made worse by the total impunity with which Israel acts. The international community cannot stand idly by as the occupying power and settler militias continue their violent crimes against the Palestinian people. The international community and the EU must act immediately and responsibly to insist on respect for international law without exception. Even though the state of Palestine has repeatedly appealed for international protection, the EU continues to provide Israel with favourable political agreements. I think that goes against the views of populations right across Europe and certainly against the view of the Irish people.

There are real fears that this latest violence will lead to a third intifada. I ask the Taoiseach to call on the EU to act urgently and decisively to alleviate the immense suffering of the Palestinian people. The labelling and banning of all illegal settlement goods is a positive step that Europe could introduce. The recognition of Palestine is another step that this country could take, bearing in mind that it is the collective view of this House, as agreed by Deputies of all parties and none. I suggest that this is something the Irish people would broadly support. There is huge support out there for this. I propose that the Irish Government take the next step by recognising the state of Palestine.

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