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

For over 12 months now, we have watched on with horror as depravity was rained down upon the population of Gaza by the state of Israel. Throughout that time, many across the Opposition, including ourselves in the Social Democrats, have asked for action and consequence. We have been met solely with words.

Now, not only are we finding out that all the Government has offered is words but we have also blinded ourselves to what is occurring over our own airspace, where weapons of war have been transported through our airspace to rain hell down upon the population of Gaza and now southern Lebanon. It makes us complicit. The people are demanding - you will see it outside the gate later on - and have made further calls for the enactment of the occupied territories Bill. There has been renewed legal advice. We need a statement on this. We need Ministers to be held to account, to update the House on legal advice and tell us why they were so wrong when they stated with such confidence that no such aeroplanes carrying weapons are flying through our airspace. We demand it this week because the urgency of it matters.

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