Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)

Today we are speaking about the Global Sumud Flotilla, a civilian led humanitarian mission currently en route to Gaza. The flotilla, made up of vessels from over 40 countries, is carrying medical supplies, food and essential aid to a population facing catastrophic conditions. This is not a political statement; this is a humanitarian one. The people involved are doctors, nurses and aid workers. Their cargo is not weapons, but rather antibiotics, baby formula, surgical kits, food and clean water. The goal is simple, namely, to alleviate suffering.

Since March, Gaza's borders have been closed to aid. Hospitals are overwhelmed. Disease is spreading and famine conditions are worsening. The flotilla represents a global effort to respond where traditional channels have failed. Last week, I listened to "Morning Ireland" where a doctor who had just returned from Gaza spoke about the distress he had endured. He had moved his family to another country to keep them safe and said he was one of the lucky ones. Despite having money, he could not buy food because there was none to buy. Another doctor who was interviewed on Irish radio described the dire medical shortages. He said they had no gauze, and were forced to squeeze out the blood from used gauze and reuse it. That is the level of desperation we are talking about.

Ireland has a unique perspective on famine. During the Great Irish Famine of the 1840s, over 1 million people died and another million emigrated. While food was available, it was not accessible to those who needed it most. Aid was slow, inconsistent and often politicised. The lessons of that time are clear. When people are starving, delay is deadly. We also remember Choctaw Nation who, in 1847, despite their own hardship, sent aid to Ireland. That active solidarity has never been forgotten today. We have an opportunity to reflect that same spirit.

The Global Sumud Flotilla is an echo of that kind of solidarity. It is a peaceful mission, grounded in humanitarian law and moral duty, yet it faces threats of interception, drone surveillance and obstruction. Some vessels have already been damaged and others have been forced to reroute, but the mission continues. All of us in the Independent Ireland party publicly support the humanitarian nature of the Global Sumud Flotilla. All of us in the Independent Ireland party call for safe and unhindered passage for all humanitarian aid vessels. All of us in the Independent Ireland party reaffirm Ireland's unwavering commitment to international humanitarian law and the protection of civilians in conflict zones.

This is not about taking sides. Rather, it is about standing for human dignity, medical neutrality and the principle that no child should die for lack of medicine or food. Ireland's neutrality has always been a platform for peace and humanitarian action. Let us use it now, not with silence but with support. We call for peace, not just a pause in fighting, but a meaningful and lasting peace, one that allows communities to rebuild, children to grow and hospitals to heal.

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