Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Brady for bringing forward this Bill. I have no hesitation in supporting it. I welcome the Palestinian ambassador. The Bill is extremely important. In a sense, it is symbolic but also builds on and gives meaning to words, rather than having the empty words the Government and other countries have used. It seeks to play restrictions on the NTMA and how it uses the assets of the ISIF, in particular regarding undertakings in companies that appear on the UN database of companies. The database was produced on 12 February 2020, over three years ago, on foot of an independent fact-finding mission established by the UN Human Rights Council to investigate the human rights implications of Israeli settlements in the occupied territories. On that list we have investments in our name using our money in nine companies, which is completely unacceptable.

I am very conscious that yesterday was the 75th anniversary of the Nakba catastrophe and the violent evictions of Palestinians from their homes. In that time - it is important to say it slowly - more than 750,000 Palestinians were forcibly removed from their homes. Some 531 Palestinian villages were completely destroyed. I say that while being conscious of the international and national commentary. The UN Security Council, in its presidential statement on 20 February, reiterated that continuing Israeli settlement activities are dangerously impeding the viability of the two-state solution based on the 1967 lines.

The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs said recently that Ireland's position on Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory is crystal clear and that "The continued establishment and expansion of settlements is a violation of international law and is unacceptable." Referring to the UN Security Council meeting last December, he stated "Ireland ... led a joint press statement by a number of states demanding that Israel immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory" and so on. Yet, when six human rights organisations are declared terrorist organisations, a number of which are funded by taxpayers' money, we do nothing. We do absolutely nothing regarding the Amnesty report that clearly set out that Israel is operating an apartheid regime.

Let us make our words mean something and, at the very least, agree with this and not have what I would call a pregnancy motion, whereby we put something off for nine months and see what happens. At the very least, the Minister of State needs to tell us how many motions have been passed in the House by way of the pregnancy motion and never acted on.

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