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

I appreciate what has been said. At the virtual meeting of 16 EU defence ministers, there was unanimity in condemning the violation of international humanitarian law by the IDF in firing on peacekeepers. At the Foreign Affairs Council earlier in the week, it took 48 hours to get agreement on a statement because of one country objecting to some language, which we found very distressing and unacceptable. I made that point at the council, that there can be no equivocation or any caveats regarding any attacks or firing on UN positions, but the 16 contributing member states of the EU are at one in terms of ensuring that peacekeepers, and saying to the IDF and Hezbollah, that peacekeepers cannot come into harm's way.

I acknowledge what Deputy Ó Murchú has said in respect of the mandate. This mandate has been imperfect for quite some time. Hezbollah has fired 10,000 rockets into northern Israel, which resulted in its evacuation. In fact, when that mandate was reduced more than two years ago, hostility was created for peacekeepers in Hezbollah-controlled areas. Denial of access of movement began to happen. It was in one such circumstance that the killing of Private Seán Rooney occurred, who behaved very gallantly. He drove his colleagues out of harm's way and, unfortunately, he made the ultimate sacrifice in saving his colleagues. I acknowledge that and I am very conscious of it in the current context.

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