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

Deputy Barry has outlined how a state of the European Union is engaged in pretty unacceptable and brutal repression of those protesting against injustice. There is also an ally of the European Union with preferential trade arrangements, Israel, whose actions we should consider as we come to Easter weekend. Easter, of course, commemorates the persecution of the Israelites by the Roman Empire during the time of Jesus Christ. I am not particularly religious, but nonetheless I note that it commemorates the crucifixion of somebody who spoke up for a persecuted minority. Most people in Europe now give allegiance to that religion. As we speak, in the very same land, the modern day Israelites are the Palestinians.

This weekend, on Good Friday, there will be peaceful protests all over the land of Palestine. Members can see for themselves online. I suggest they read about the international co-ordination for the great return march. It is a protest that will involve all civil society groups and families who were dispossessed in 1948. All political parties in Palestine are supporting these protests, although they will not be visibly present because they want it to be a genuine grassroots protest. There is absolute commitment that there will be no violence. There will be totally peaceful sit-downs very close to the Gaza border and to the security line between the West Bank and Israel. This protest will run from Land Day, which is this Friday, until 15 May. The protestors are going to occupy the area of the security zone, and at some point they will peacefully approach the barriers, citing a United Nations resolution which gives refugees who have been dispossessed the right to return to their own country. They expect to be met with pretty brutal violence by the Israelis, who are already gearing up to attack the protests.

If that happens I think it is terribly important that we, the Taoiseach and the European Union speak up for the Palestinian people, who are simply seeking to assert their right under international law, the right to return.

The United Nations has just produced several reports detailing the continuing illegal expansion into east Jerusalem, Hebron and the Golan Heights. It has called for an end to this. There have been demolitions of houses and hundreds of young people have been jailed. Ahed Tamimi, a child, has spent eight months in prison. She joined hundreds of other children in administrative detention on having been arrested by the Israelis. Twelve elected representatives of the Palestinian Legislative Council are in prison on administrative detention, most without any charge. We have to speak out. This is the weekend to do it if we care about rights, opposing oppression and persecution and preventing the violence from which these peaceful protesters are very likely to suffer. I invite all those who are sympathetic to the Palestinian cause to a short Solidarity gathering outside the Dáil at 2.30 p.m. tomorrow in solidarity with the international march. I hope people will join that.

Today the Central Bank is likely to recommend the closing down of the Sandyford printing press where we print euro notes. If its recommendation is implemented, Ireland will no longer have independent capacity to print currency. I do not know what will happen to the euro. It will probably last, and might last a long time, but we know from the most recent crisis that not being able to print our own currency in the event of a serious problem with the euro is very retrograde. The representatives of the workers at the press pointed out an extraordinary fact, namely, that much State printing - security printing - is outsourced but could be done in Sandyford, thereby preventing the closure. Did the Government know Irish stamps are printed in Australia? I did not know. Could this work and some of the other security work be given to the Sandyford printing press rather than having 45 jobs go, robbing this State of the capacity to produce its own currency?

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