Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

First, in terms of the declaration of intervention, we would be making it under Article 63. States do not join one side or another in filing an intervention in the case. Rather, they submit a statement that sets out their interpretation of one or more provisions of whatever convention is at issue before the court. This declaration of intervention must then be deemed admissible by the court in order for the intervention to proceed. Waiting until South Africa has filed its memorial will ensure we have a good understanding of what provisions of the Genocide Convention South Africa intends to rely on which we can then, in turn, address. This will make it more likely that the court will deem Ireland's intervention admissible. Arguing in respect of the commission of genocide would not be our role. Rather, we would be explaining to the court how we consider the Genocide Convention should be applied in this case. We are breaching new ground here in terms of broadening the definition upon which genocide can be judged by the court. The threshold was set very high originally by many of the contracting parties, some of which had been involved in wars and wanted the threshold to be deliberately high. We have watched the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and the prevention and impeding of aid going in and so on and we believe there are grounds now for making a submission on that basis. We are doing this in a very informed way.

On the question of recognition, I made it clear in the House that we are working with like-minded European countries and have been doing so for quite some time. The Deputy is familiar with me articulating that position in the House. We have worked with Spain, in particular, and with others. We have worked with Spain regarding a specific date. Other countries have yet to indicate whether will do it in a co-ordinated manner. There are some talks still under way in that respect. Certainly, we have made it clear in the House that this is something that will happen in a relatively short timeframe.

In the context of the Arab peace initiative, I have met representatives of the Arab contact group. We are familiar with what is in that initiative and we believe this is an important moment in terms of sending a signal to the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian population more generally that we recognise a Palestinian state and that we recognise its right to self-determination. The Government will revert to the Dáil in due course in respect of a specific decision on that.

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