Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Democracy is not working when it comes to Israel and the problem is the possible effects of that on the ground. The organisations that have been designated as terrorist organisations have been directly affected. They have been raided, ransacked and forcibly closed, with their equipment confiscated.

How long more are we going to wait before we do something about that designation? It has to be lifted. How long more is the Government going to wait before it gives a response to the Amnesty report that said Israel operates an apartheid system? When are we going to get the considered opinion from the Minister and the Department on our official reaction to that? We were told in June of this year that it was being considered. There has been no substantive response. Correspondence of 21 June states that, with regard to the recommendations and conclusions of the Amnesty report, Ireland will continue to engage with these to influence our approach. If they are not weasel words, Minister. There is an Amnesty report with damning conclusions and findings. What is our official, considered response given the lapse of time since the report's publication?

See this speech in context