Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)

We have an obligation to prevent genocide and not to be complicit in genocide. It is our job to do something. It is particularly our job as a country that was colonised. That is exactly what has happened with Israel's colonisation of Gaza and, more widely, Palestine. As a republic and an independent sovereign state, we have a duty to take action.

Doctors Without Borders has described the area as "a mass grave of Palestinians and those coming to their assistance". I challenge all of us to stand up and stop the genocide that is taking place in our name because we are complicit. We are allowing the use of Shannon. We are doing nothing about planes coming through Shannon before going to punish and murder Palestinians. We are doing nothing to progress the occupied territories Bill. We are increasing our export of dual-use goods and so on. We are trading with Israel as part of the EU bloc. The Taoiseach stands here and takes pride in the fact we have done something. I have praised him in the past for standing up and recognising Palestine but I no longer praise him. Genocide is going on in our name.

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