Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)

I welcome the words of concern and support and the consular assistance being provided. Respectfully, I asked what are you going to do, not what are you going to say. This is a microcosm of the Government's position on Palestine in general whereby it is able to correctly say that what is happening is a genocide but the action does not necessarily follow. It is welcome that the matter is going to be raised at diplomatic levels and so on, but what are you going to do? There are Irish citizens who, as the Minister agrees, are doing their best to try to address and stop a humanitarian catastrophe and to bring baby formula and baby food to people in Gaza. They are in danger as a consequence. The Italian Government is sending two naval ships and the Spanish Government is sending one. I am not asking our Government to send a naval ship. Will it agree to send an observer who will not attempt to enter Gaza? The legal observer boat will stop before Gazan waters. Will the Government send an observer who will be present on a legal observer boat and who will be a witnesses and direct line of contact with it?

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