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

The Taoiseach and various Deputies stated that the Government continues to raise with European counterparts the horrendous situation in Gaza. There was a time at the start of the conflict when Ireland stood out because of our rhetoric and because the rhetoric of others was so poor. As the horrendous annihilation of the people of Gaza progresses, however, words without action become increasingly less meaningful.

UNWRA states that it has become excruciating to deliver supplies to Gaza and that deteriorating conditions will impact efforts to counter the high famine risk. The Lancet indicated earlier this week that 186,000 people have been killed since the beginning of the conflict or will likely die as a consequence of the annihilation by the Israeli state of the people of Gaza. Still, we continue to offer words. I appreciate the difficulty of the international context whereby so many are willing to bend down rather than stand up when it is difficult to do so, but saying that we are continuing to raise matters has little meaning.

Ursula von der Leyen has been mentioned several times in the past month and there have been efforts by senior Ministers, the Tánaiste and the Taoiseach to convince Irish MEPs elected on a platform of not voting for her to come in under the cloak and vote for her anyway, despite promises made to the Irish people.

Often lost in the debate and not mentioned yet today is the fact that in May a case was taken to the International Criminal Court against Ursula von der Leyen for failure to prevent genocide. A legal brief was submitted to the prosecutor requesting the opening of an investigation against her for complicity in war crimes and genocide against the Palestinians. The evidence of the case is telling. The Taoiseach last week stated that it was not just Fine Gael politicians but all European leaders rallying around Ursula von der Leyen. He challenged us to offer arguments as to why they should not do so. There is any number of international organisations taking a case against her to the ICC precisely because then Taoiseach, Deputy Varadkar, also head of Fine Gael at the time, and the Spanish Prime Minister both wrote to Ursula von der Leyen in May highlighting the conditions inflicted upon the people of Gaza by the State of Israel and questioning whether that was an infringement of the EU-Israel trade agreement.

According to international humanitarian law and the 1948 Genocide Convention, when you become aware of the potential for genocide, you are obligated to prevent it. I cannot for the life of me understand members of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil. They have full knowledge the Taoiseach wrote to President von der Leyen about violations of trade agreements and the response received was nothing. What an insult to the Irish State that we could write to the President of the European Commission asking about violations of a trade agreement and receive no response. Then we say we will vote for her and encourage our members to vote for her anyway. I have more respect for our Republic than that. More than that, I have more respect for the people of Gaza who are being obliterated while the EU remains complicit in their destruction through provision of weapons and of cover through its inability to act on basic morality.

I find it difficult that each time we make post- or pre-EU Council statements we have to focus on this genocide. Why would we not? The EU was ostensibly built on a peace movement but we turn away and avert our gaze when we see genocide happening and still say we will vote for Ursula von der Leyen for President because it would be good for Ireland. That same President did not have the grace to respond to the Taoiseach when he laid those claims at her door, bringing us to the point where the International Criminal Court is investigating complicity in war crimes and using that as evidence. We are supposed to unsee that fact. It is an insult to our Republic. I hold us to a higher standard than that.

What happened the children's hospital in Ukraine recently is grotesque. We should seek to give solidarity to the people of Ukraine who came here for protection. We should not cut their entitlements and force them out onto the street as we are doing.

See this speech in context