Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I, too, am delighted to speak on behalf of our group to condemn utterly and totally the actions of Hamas and what happened. We had our Stardust tragedy, involving all the young people who were in Dublin that night all of 40 years ago, and see the trauma that caused. People are still looking for justice for those 48 young people who were enjoying themselves. To cross a border, to break in, to shoot and maim, to take hostages, and to mutilate young people having a night's fun, is just one of the most vicious and pernicious crimes you could have. The reaction by Israel, as expected, has been ferocious, vicious and outrageous. War crimes have been committed.

I also condemn Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission. I support the President Higgins in correcting her and calling her to order. The EU has run away with itself since the war in Ukraine. We have tarnished our neutrality since that war, especially the Tánaiste. We have tarnished it greatly. We are respected all over the world. I, too, support our soldiers who are on peacekeeping duties in the region at the moment. I hope they get home safe. Some of our NGOs are there also, as are our diplomatic staff, trying to get people out of there and repatriated home to Ireland safely.

I heard the dad on radio last week who was crying and who said he was glad his daughter was dead rather than being mutilated and subjected to all kinds of horrific crimes. It is horrific. As others said, we have had great leaders who have got peace, such as Fr. Alec Reid, Martin Mansergh, John Hume, Martin McGuinness and many others. We have the way and we will show the way, but we should maintain our neutrality. We will be the voice, as a neutral county which suffered for 800 years. We had Bloody Sunday. We had Seán Hogan. Many others were shot. We know all about it but it was nothing on the scale of this. It is horrific and is even worse when religion and the name of religion are involved.

I call on every right-thinking person, and America as well, to behave themselves, not that America listens to us because its interventions are not helpful either. The Middle East is a powder keg at present. I have been to Lebanon and sat in places there. I know how dangerous it is. We need to have calm heads now, but we need to put maximum pressure on Israel to stop the barbarity and ensure that Hamas is exposed. It cannot use its own population as human shields, including women and children. That is an awful, barbaric terrorist act as well. We need to have our voice heard loud and clear.

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