Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

When the Tánaiste says he met the Israeli ambassador, was that a prearranged meeting or did he summon the ambassador? There is a distinction there that he might clarify. Was the ambassador summoned to relay a protest on behalf of the Irish Government? If that was the case, it is welcome because we should uphold standards. One thing that undermines the very nature of these international institutions is hypocrisy. The Tánaiste rightfully summoned the Russian ambassador to the Department of Foreign Affairs in order to protest the death of Alexei Navalny precisely because he sought to expose corruption. He was targeted by the Russian state of Vladimir Putin because of that. Some 97 journalists have been killed in Gaza since 7 October to stop them from telling the truth about the horrors that are happening there. The Irish State has stood out. I do not believe for a second that anybody has a monopoly on compassion or interest in the situation in the Middle East. We could go further and act unilaterally if necessary by summoning the ambassador, relaying a protest and beginning that process by which we outline our protest, which I believe should lead to us opening our own proceedings at the International Court of Justice, ICJ. That action all starts with a protest.

See this speech in context