Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)

It is really hard to find the right words to say about Gaza now. Week after week, month after month, we have seen the most awful and horrific actions and destruction happening in Gaza and it is just getting worse and worse. To try to reduce it to a three-minute speaking slot is impossible. How can we honour those dead and how can we express our outrage at what is happening on the floor of this Chamber in such a short space of time? What can we say when we see children being murdered indiscriminately, when we see children starving while there is food sitting in trucks a short distance away from them and when we see them crying over the dead bodies of their families and loved ones? When we see them on television now, their eyes just look dead. There is just nothing behind those children's eyes any more because they have seen nothing but horror for over a year. What can we do, here in Ireland, that can really reflect the absolute horrors of what they see and the actions we need to put in place? They are watching their towns, villages, whole families being destroyed. I do not know how anyone, any nation, any country, any people would ever, ever get over that level of destruction and trauma.

Ireland has said a lot more than other countries on this issue and there was a time when words were really important. I want to acknowledge that but there is so much more that we can say and absolutely so much more that we can and should do. My constituents want to see sanctions on Israel. They want to see actual accountability for Israel. My constituents are also the constituents of the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and he will be well aware that they want to see action. They want to see Ireland stopping the overflights. They want to see the occupied territories Bill enacted and they want to see that happen very quickly. I welcome the moves we have seen from the Tánaiste in that regard but what I want to see is that Bill passed before recess. I know I speak for my colleagues in the Social Democrats when I say that if that is not possible then we need to use the summer recess to make sure that the Bill is passed and in place by the autumn. We cannot retreat to our constituency offices over the summer period while a genocide is happening in Gaza, when we know we could be in here achieving something that is quite strong in relation to trade and services that would send a message not just to Israel but to all other countries in the world that we all have a responsibility to do something here. We all must do our absolute best.

I hope the Minister of State takes that back to the Tánaiste. We should all work together over the summer recess to make sure that happens as soon as possible.

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