Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I commend the Social Democrats on using the last Private Members' business of this Dáil term to introduce yet another motion on the rights of the Palestinian people and the requirement on Ireland to show international leadership in responding to what has been an ongoing, systematic and decades-long flagrant violation of international law, international humanitarian law and the UN Charter.

The Tánaiste and other Government representatives always take great pains to outline the appreciation that is expressed to them by representatives of the Palestinian people. That speaks more to the silence and complicity of much of the rest of the western world than it gives a reason for us to clap ourselves on the back. Ireland has done more than many other states. Those other states should be absolutely ashamed of themselves.

Let us consider precisely what Ireland has done. We have called for a ceasefire. In other words, we called on Hamas and Israel to stop slaughtering innocent people. Ireland has called on Israel to stop the indiscriminate bombardment of civilian areas. That should not be a big deal. Ireland formally recognised the State of Palestine. Ten years after this House called for such a move, that should not be such a big deal. In fact, all it does is recognise international law and binding international agreements.

It is apparently a big deal that Ireland did not threaten to cut off funds to UNRWA. That is basic compassion and common sense. The suggestion is that in some way, that should allow us to be absolved from taking the steps that are required, namely, measures that will bring an end to the slaughter. What will bring an end to the slaughter is the same thing that brings an end to apartheid and repressive and oppressive regimes anywhere else in the world, that is, international pressure. It was international pressure that brought an end to the apartheid regime in South Africa and ensured that the peace process in Ireland took hold and has largely kept hold. It will only be through international pressure that Israel will finally be brought to the point whereby it ends the apartheid, occupation, annexation and ongoing destruction of the Palestinian people.

What should sanction look like? What we would all like to see is an internationally agreed set of sanctions imposed upon the Israeli regime. That is what should happen. In the absence of that, we would like to see an EU-wide set of sanctions imposed upon the Israeli regime. For reasons that are incomprehensible to anybody with an ounce of humanity, neither of those things have happened.

What can a state like Ireland do? We should do whatever is within our gift. What is within our gift? The occupied territories Bill was passed by this House in 2019 but it has been frustrated every step of the way. At least at one stage Fine Gael was upfront in its opposition to the Bill. In fact, it was so upfront that it quickly managed to get Fianna Fáil and the Green Party to remove it as a manifesto pledge and ensure that it did not form part of the programme for Government. When public pressure came to bear, it then came up with EU law as a rationale. That was not an issue when Fianna Fáil first moved the Bill in this House. Latterly, constitutional issues have been raised. The Bill should have been passed this week. It is scandalous that it was not.

There is no constitutional or EU-based rationale not to enact Sinn Féin's Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill, which would simply prevent the ongoing expenditure of Irish taxpayers' money on companies that profit from Israeli settlements. We should end the export of all products and services with military applications to Israel - full stop. We should not allow companies based in Ireland to export any dual-use item that could have a military use by the Israel Defense Forces. It is simple. We should end the illegal arms trafficking through sovereign Irish airspace and hold the companies that are accountable criminally responsible. They are things that could and should have been done by the parties in government but they failed to do any of them. What that says to me is that neither Fianna Fáil nor Fine Gael can be trusted to do the right thing.

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