Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

That is absolutely the case. I do not mean to be pedantic, but as I said yesterday, there has in the past been an emergency special session of the UN General Assembly on this issue. If it is reconvened and becomes the vehicle by which we can bring forward the resolution discussed yesterday in the House or another mechanism is required, we are all open to working on this and the outcome is the same.

I appreciate what the Deputy has said. I do not view Gaza as a partisan issue because we all want to get to the same place of a two-state solution, an end to the genocide, accountability for the war crimes that have been committed, the release of the hostages and the flow of humanitarian aid. To be honest, we need some of the big countries to move. I know from my engagement with my European counterparts that their populations are concerned, as Irish people are. I hope that, in the build-up to the UN special conference next month, some of the big European nations - and I have noticed a change in their tone and comments in recent days - take a step forward and recognise the State of Palestine. We should not underestimate the importance that would have on the global stage. I call on those countries, as I am sure the Deputy would, too, to join us in recognising the State of Palestine.

See this speech in context