Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I too wish Deputy Catherine Murphy well. She has spoken truth to power so many times. That has been really important. She has made a significant difference in all of her contributions, even before I came into this Dáil. I wish her very well and thank her for her work.

I thank the Social Democrats for bringing the motion forward this morning. I cannot believe that we are here at the end of this Dáil term. I have watched the progress of the occupied territories Bill since I was in the Seanad when it came to the table. It is disgraceful that it was okay for Fianna Fáil to support it that time, yet when it was in a position to be able to implement it, the party failed to do so and completely ignored it. I have seen doublespeak from the Government in all of that time on what is happening in Palestine, which is slaughter and genocide. The question that arises for me is what more is it going to take, and what exactly will be the tipping point for this to be prioritised. We again facilitated the provision of time to pass the Bill this week. There are many things broken in this country that need to be fixed, but there is nothing more important than the genocide - of men, women, children and babies, including unborn babies - that we are watching every day of the week in the State of Palestine, which is being allowed to continue.

We cannot say we did not know. In many wars in the past, people found out about them afterwards. We did not know at the time about many atrocious things that happened in this country. In that way, we got off the hook, but we cannot get off the hook in this regard. There are very specific things that need to be done. The occupied territories Bill must be implemented. I do not trust the Government to do it in the next term. When I look at the Government's record, it does not speak to me that it will happen. There is no urgency in that regard. Let us at least be honest about this.

The Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill was introduced by Deputy Brady of Sinn Féin. We have tried to get it through the finance committee for the past nine months.

There has been block after block on it and excuse after excuse as to why it cannot be done. The fact is that we are funding illegal activities. We are bankrolling the creation of homes in occupied territories. We are allowing it to happen and we are facilitating it to happen. It is so wrong on so many levels. At least be honest and come out and say we are doing nothing about this and will not do anything about it, without the excuses of money messages and one excuse after the other. In the finance committee, even to get an answer, we had to say that we were not going to pass any more legislation on it. There is so much disingenuous behaviour around this. It is absolutely disgusting.

We also have to stop the facilitation of the sale of Israeli bonds by the Central Bank. Again it is like, will have a look at this, we will have a look at it. Jesus. When are we going to stop looking at this and when are we going to start doing what is needed. Irish taxpayers' hard-earned money is contributing to an EU fund and the EU budget that is heavily subsidising arms manufacturers in the EU to create the munitions to go out and slaughter the Palestinians. This is what we are doing. Senator Alice Mary Higgins, myself and others have questioned this time and again and there are no answers. We are told that this cannot be done or this amendment has to be done. We have tens of thousands of very able civil servants. If the Government will was there to do these things then it would be happening. This is even before we look at the way Shannon Airport is used to support genocide. Ireland is doing all of these things while at the same time the Government is clapping itself on the back and saying we have done this and we have done that. I know what it is: they are afraid. They are afraid to do it. I say stand up and have courage and do the right thing here.

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