Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)

After the longest blockade yet, Israel is starving the population in Gaza. Israel brazenly continues its airstrikes and full-scale ground offensive, advancing its openly stated imperial imperative of the total occupation of the Gaza Strip, regardless of the human cost. Yet, our Government still places zero sanctions. Ireland, a State with a proud history of principled neutrality and human rights, is instead enabling this destruction. We are literally fuelling the war machine. We are selling bonds that finance the war machine. We are exporting parts that become components of the war machine. We are a privileged trading partner and there is no question that it makes us complicit in genocide.

It is against this shameful backdrop that the May Day three and Operation Sound the Siren from Palestine Action Éire took matters into their own hands. Fed up with Government inaction and hollow statements, they attempted to inspect military aircraft landed at Shannon Airport for weapons being carried illegally through Irish airspace. They did this because the Government refuses to enforce its own laws.

Ní cóir go mbeadh ar mhná na hÉireann teacht chuige seo. Níl muintir na hÉireann ag iarraidh go n-úsáidfear ár n-aerspás chun airm a iompar le haghaidh coireanna in aghaidh na daonnachta. Ar feadh blianta anois, tá daoine ag máirseáil, ag síniú achainí agus ag cur brú ar ár gcuid ionadaithe poiblí ach fós níl tada tar éis tarlú. Níl sé ceart go dtiteann an t-ualach ar roinnt saoránach cróga chun seasamh suas le haghaidh luachanna na hÉireann. Teastaíonn gníomhartha ón Rialtas ar son thoil mhuintir na hÉireann anois seachas amárach ná an mhí seo chugainn.

Why should it come to this? The Irish people have made themselves clear. We do not want our skies used to ferry munitions for crimes against humanity. It should not fall to a few brave citizens to take personal risks in order to uphold our values and our laws. The Government needs to act now; not tomorrow, not next month.

See this speech in context