Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

There are many issues I would like to raise, but I am raising Palestine and Lebanon. I am raising it because we are inundated with emails and the Government is completely out of touch with the concern on the ground. It has been over four months since we recognised Palestine. There will be no Palestine left to recognise. The Taoiseach is going over to America to meet Biden, who has clearly stated over and over that he stands shoulder to shoulder and hand in hand with Netanyahu, who is before the highest international court for plausible genocide. It has been almost a year of terror, genocidal behaviour and slaughter and over 40,000 people are dead. I appeal to the Government to make words mean something. We recognised Palestine but did nothing on the occupied territories Bill or the divestment Bill. On top of that, we are now sending over a Taoiseach to meet a man who is absolutely complicit in genocide, notwithstanding that he is the President of America. I am over my time so I will stop.

See this speech in context