Dáil debates

Wednesday, 2 July 2025

8:15 am

Photo of Donnchadh Ó LaoghaireDonnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South-Central, Sinn Fein)

Like most political representatives, one of the first things I do when I get up in the morning is to check the news headlines. It is a grim reality that on any given day for the past year and a half it is almost a certainty that we will wake up to fresh horrors from Gaza and Palestine. One could nearly set one's watch by it, it is that deplorably consistent in terms of the horrors we are seeing. Even today, I read that 40 have been killed overnight in Gaza.

The relentless nature of the conflict is almost without precedence in the past 20 or 30 years. It is very difficult to think of anything comparable. There has been slaughter upon slaughter. In the past few days, children have been killed simply for collecting aid for their families. I do not know how people manage to live their lives against this backdrop, and manage to do the basic things that any family would need to do on any given day in terms of collecting food, making sure there is water and looking after somebody who is sick amid the chaos, rubble, carnage, slaughter and risk of death on a daily basis.

I have put on the record in the past, and will do so again, my revulsion at the events of 7 October and the killing of innocent people. I deplore the taking of hostages and they need to be released. However, what has happened since then, in terms of proportionality, is that we are witnessing a genocide. I welcome the fact the Government has begun to use that language. It is strong language and should not be used lightly, but as it is absolutely valid in this instance. It is important that the people in Palestine and the Israeli Government hears western governments using such language. Israel needs to understand that it is completely beyond the Pale. Breaking international law does not even begin to cover it. It is breaking every kind of moral compass that one can imagine. That is the situation we are in.

One of the primary issues is the weaponisation and deprivation of aid. There is plenty of food and medical care surrounding the Gaza Strip at this moment in time, but it is prevented from entering Gaza by a government that is determined to use food and aid as a weapon of war against a defenceless civilian population. There is a difference between what happened under the aegis of UNRWA and the sort of puppet organisation that is currently providing aid, the chaos that ensues and the targeting of civilians on the back of that. Historically, by any legal or international standard aid should be beyond and above the fray, but that does not seem to be the case this moment in time.

It is vitally important that the Government and other western governments continue to raise their voices. There are developments at this moment in time. It is important the Government is vocal on the two-state solution conference that is forthcoming. There is a proposal for a reconstruction conference hosted by Egypt. Reconstruction is a long way from where we are at the moment. We all hope for a ceasefire.

I know there is some talk about that at this moment but, as ever, things develop at the rate of hours and hope on the horizon can, unfortunately, be quickly extinguished. We hope for a ceasefire but it is important that we not simply frame what is happening in Gaza in the context of a humanitarian situation. We also need a political solution and it needs to be hinged on the two-state solution, something that is under severe pressure.

I have spoken for longer than intended, but I will take this opportunity to thank our peacekeepers in Lebanon for their service. They are there under very difficult circumstances.

To comment briefly on what is happening in Iran, it is very clear that what is required is dialogue, diplomacy and de-escalation. The attacks by Israel on Iran were reckless and dangerous and risked destabilising the entire region. To be clear, the region and the wider world do not need more nuclear weapons. Ireland has led the way on this historically, and we do not want to see Iran possess nuclear weapons. Avoiding this requires a negotiated settlement of the kind that existed in the past and can exist again. We urge dialogue and de-escalation.

We will have discussion on the occupied territories Bill but, in my view, there is no legal obstacle to the issue of services. There is a noble desire on the part of Irish people to assist and show solidarity. There are issues regarding solidarity trips to Ireland with visas, such as the Ireland GAA trip and the Lajee Center cultural association. I will correspond directly with the Minister to ensure they can be facilitated.

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