Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)

If the Government is serious and sincere, it will back our Bill and stand with Palestine. If you are really serious, Tánaiste, about recognising and respecting the convictions of the people of Ireland, if you are serious about doing everything as you say within your reach, and if you are serious about ending the clear barbarism that we watch every day in Gaza and indeed in the West Bank, you will back our Bill and of course you will also pass the occupied territories Bill. Ireland's history speaks powerfully to us and it demands that we speak out. It demands that we act in defence of Palestine and in defence of refugee populations that have been brutalised not for weeks or for months but for decades. That barbarity has now escalated to genocide itself. The Irish Central Bank should not and cannot be facilitating that genocide through the sale of Israeli war bonds. I challenge every Member of this House and every person of conscience to stand with the Palestinians and against genocide, and to back our legislation when it comes to the House next week.

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