Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

When the Taoiseach spoke to President Biden yesterday, did he ask him to stop the export of arms that are responsible for the genocide in Palestine? Did he ask him to take action on that? The previous Taoiseach wrote to von der Leyen back in February about the EU-Israel agreement; nothing has happened since. He wrote directly to von der Leyen and there has been no response. Yet this Government will vote for von der Leyen. I understand that Fianna Fáil has a little more sense and might not support her election. However, Fine Gael will support von der Leyen, who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Netanyahu who, along with his government, is now the subject of the International Criminal Court inquiry into a plausible case of genocide. There is an arrest warrant sought for Netanyahu, among other people, and we are still waiting on whether it will be granted.

Von der Leyen stood shoulder-to-shoulder with him. She has expressed no regret about that while arms from Europe, including from her own country of Germany and France, America and other countries are responsible for the genocide that is happening while we sit here and calmly and coolly talk. Talk is over; it is time to take action. The various Bills that are going through the Oireachtas, including one since 2018 from Senator Black, have not been followed. The Taoiseach said the framework for regulating the export of dual-use goods is robust and rigorous. I really tremble if that is merely as robust and rigorous as the inspection of planes going on in Shannon.

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