Pádraig Rice (Cork South-Central, Social Democrats)

What is happening in Gaza right now is horrific and unjust. Israel's actions are disturbing, disgusting and criminal. We are witnessing an evil that is difficult to comprehend. While Israel is blocking the provision of aid and while food is being withheld, Gaza is on the brink of famine. We cannot continue business as normal when Israel is allowing children to starve. As a TD, my job is to be a messenger of the people. The message from the people could not be clearer. The people want the Government to do more, to speak louder, and to shout stop. Most importantly, the people want the Government to act. Every day I receive endless emails from people who are desperate and hopeless in the face of what they see as Government inaction.

Today I have five calls for the Government and five actions the Government can take. The first is to enact the occupied territories Bill. This must be done urgently and before the summer recess in July. The legislation must cover goods and services. There is no time to be wasted here. The Bill was first introduced in this House in 2018. We have been waiting years so act on that now. Second, we must continue to apply pressure at EU level for the full suspension of the EU-Israel association agreement for the violation of human rights clauses. A review alone is not enough. Third, we must end the use of Shannon Airport by the US military and stop the flow of weapons through Irish airspace. Ireland's official neutrality is meaningless while we facilitate military operations. Fourth, the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, IHRA, definition of antisemitism must be removed from the programme for Government. We have to be clear that criticism of Israel is not antisemitism. Finally, which is the business of today's debate, we must enact legislation to stop the Central Bank facilitating the sale of Israel war bonds and have sanctions on Israel. We have to stand up against Israeli brutality. There is no justification for genocide. Equally, there is no justification for inaction in the face of genocide. Ireland must do more, the EU must do more, and the whole world must do more. This has to stop, Israel has to stop, and we have to make them stop. On behalf of the people I represent in Cork South-Central, I call on the Government to do more.

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