Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise the rights of the Palestinian people, in particular their plight, given the recent formation of a new far-right government in Israel and the actions it has taken to date, many of which expressly break international law. We are seeing appalling reports about the killing of civilians, the incarceration of children, the destruction of homes, the expansion of illegal settlements and the segregation of society. All of these developments contravene the rights of the Palestinian people.

I welcome the statement from the Tánaiste last week. While in Brussels for a meeting with EU foreign ministers, he called on Israeli authorities to pay compensation for the destruction of EU-funded buildings in occupied Palestine. That is a very important call. It is more than 18 months since the Dáil voted to condemn the de facto annexation of Palestinian land. In light of that vote, will the Government agree to take on the occupied territories Bill to ensure that Ireland shows very strong support for an end to illegal settlements and stands up for the rights of Palestinians?

See this speech in context