Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

In relation to Deputy Danny Healy-Rae calling for peace, it is good that we all stand together and call for peace, but we need actions. One of the most specific actions that we could take is to inspect the aeroplanes in Shannon, which we are not doing. It beggars belief that we are taking on trust what President Biden is telling us. In relation to the ceasefire, the same Biden Administration has expressed concern about an unintended consequence of the pause being that it would allow journalists broader access to Gaza and the opportunity to further illuminate the devastation there and turn public opinion on Israel. That is Biden.

I thank People Before Profit for bringing the motion. It is a very comprehensive and rational motion and it sets out actions. We have a four-day ceasefire coming when we need a permanent ceasefire. This country needs to take an active role in that and produce a permanent peace plan with the people of Gaza at the centre of it. To get this four-day humanitarian pause we have had the deaths of 14,100 Palestinians, including 5,600 children and 3,550 women. Every hour in Gaza, 15 people are killed, six of whom are children. It takes a very courageous army to do that - to kill that number of children and to bomb houses and hospitals. That is a very courageous army.

In the occupied West Bank, parallel with Gaza, 219 people, including 50 children, have been killed in the time since 7 October, and more than 2,700 have been injured. All the facts are available from the UN and others.

Along with the war and all the ingredients of genocide there is dehumanisation. This has been going on in our name and is simply appalling and unacceptable. Parallel with this, we have the language of dehumanisation which I will not repeat. However, I will repeat what is being said in our media. People being released by Hamas - which is very welcome - are referred to as "mothers" and "children", but when Palestinian people are referred to they are called "women" and "minors".

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