Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)

That is okay. I just wish to be fair to the other speakers. I know it is difficult for the Chair.

I have attended many protests, as all my colleagues have done. There was a time when I was most uncomfortable with the chant "Israel is a terrorist state" because I am an absolute democrat. I have no such reluctance now and I am ashamed that I was not comfortable with that chant because Israel is a terrorist state. It is out of control, it is a rogue state and it has got that far because it has done everything with impunity from the big powers that be, including Europe, America and many other countries. We have just learned that a delegation from 22 EU countries overlooking a refugee camp in the West Bank has been shot at. We are told that the delegation "deviated" from the route. The only deviant here is Israel. It has deviated from international law.

The speeches the backbenchers made today were absolutely wonderful. I was near tears with the passion. I wish they had made those speeches earlier, when we were appealing to the Government to stop Israel from acting with impunity. Today we are looking at 14,000 children about to die in the next 48 hours. What words will we now use? We have set the lowest bar in telling ourselves we are very good. We let troops through Shannon. Ireland's exports of dual-use goods to Israel increased sevenfold in 2023. We are trading with Israel and we have failed to enact the occupied territories Bill. We learn now that tomorrow, in the face of 14,000 children about to die, a memo will go to the Government. Shame and embarrassment come to mind but, most of all, let us act and show leadership.

See this speech in context