Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State stated twice that Ireland and the Government are committed to using all the tools available to respond to this conflict. That is clearly not true because Ireland is not using all the tools at our disposal. We listed a number of actions the Government could be taking now that would send a very strong message to Israel that we do not condone what it is doing and would actually have consequences for Israel and its behaviour. The Government could suspend military trade with Israel, dual-use licences to Israel and the use of Irish airspace and airports for weapons transfers. The Government could impose trade, travel and diplomatic sanctions on Israel. These are all measures the Government could put in place but it is not doing so. Please do not tell us, as if we are all stupid, that the Government is doing everything it can within its remit and taking all the actions possible. It is not.

As a matter of interest, is the Oireachtas friends of Israel group still functioning and operational? Are there still six Fianna Fáil and three Fine Gael Members in that group? There is something simple and basic the Government could do. Has the Minister of State's party leader directed that those people should not be in that group? Has there been a call to disband that group? There should be no friends of Israel group in this House. Israel is committing genocide, and I will say it is genocide because it is genocide, even though the Minister of State, his party and the Government are afraid to use that term. It is genocide.

Children are being torn apart every day and we are standing by watching it. People in Ireland are absolutely disgusted by what is happening in Gaza. They want us to do something and take action. Strong words are not having the effect we need them to have. Israel is not listening. It is acting with complete impunity and giving two fingers to the rest of the world, and we are allowing it to do it. This Government is allowing it to do it.

People across this nation who watch television and social media every day are begging us to do something and that Ireland stand up. The Genocide Convention talks about preventing genocide, so there is a responsibility on every state to prevent genocide. It does not say they should take three years to do it and watch an entire nation being wiped out. That is exactly what we are doing and it is exactly what we are going to see.

By the time this Government gets through all its different measures, there will not be a child, adult or family left in Gaza. The Government is taking too long. It should use the leverage it has and take the actions it can take now. It should be brave and have the courage to do that because it is what the Irish people want. They want courage from their Government and they want to be able to say we did everything possible to stop this genocide. In ten years' time, the question that will be put to us is "What did you do?" Claiming we are doing things and expressing our outrage will not suffice. We need to use all our policy tools and measures, and the Government needs to do so now.

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