Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

I say this very respectfully: I am very open to hearing suggestions from across this House and from all parliaments about what actions they believe the Government should be taking that we are not. In recent days people suggested that we join the Spanish ship, for example. I do not say this to be in any way disrespectful to Spain, with whom we are working very closely, but last night the Spanish ship withdrew and Spanish citizens were detained. They have not been treated any differently, better or afforded any degree of greater protection than Irish citizens.

I am concerned that the European Union has made absolutely zero comment to the very best of my knowledge, unless it has happened in the past few minutes when hundreds of European Union citizens are detained. I want to pursue that matter directly with the High Representative, Kaja Kallas, today. I have sought a call with her. I have been in contact with her too. It is really important that the European Union makes it known to Israel that we expect the rights of European citizens, including Irish citizens, to be respected.

I have been in touch with Deputy Heneghan. I spoke to him either yesterday or the day before. I will continue to keep in contact with him. We cannot lose sight of the reason all of these people are on the flotilla, which is there is a humanitarian catastrophe and a genocide. The best way for Israel to stop the flotilla is to end the genocide. The best way to end the genocide is to agree to a peace plan. I have heard the peace plan represented as President Trump's peace plan. I was in the United Nations, meeting with Arab leaders and Arab nations who worked extraordinarily hard on that peace plan. It is a plan that has been endorsed by many countries in the region. I hope that all parties, Israel and Hamas, now accept a peace process, end this horrific genocide and release the hostages.

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