Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

I know that Deputy Collins is one of the people who suggested, with Independent Ireland, that we should have a debate on the all-party flotilla motion this week. It proved to be very constructive in being able to tease through some of the issues. That was raised at the Business Committee.

I agree with the Deputy in relation to famine. There is something in our DNA and in our gut in this country. Through our history of an Gorta Mór we know what that is like. It is in the DNA of the people in this country and that is why we feel particularly repulsed in Ireland when we see famine conditions. It is now not just our words, the Deputy's words or my words. It is now an international finding of fact that there is famine in Gaza. The most disgusting and despicable thing is that the famine is happening when, as the Deputy alluded to, there is food nearby. I heard from a UN agency last week that children are having amputations without anaesthetics. It is hard to say that, let alone think about it. There are amputations without anaesthesics because Israel will not let the medicines and anaesthetics into Gaza. Mary Robinson, our former President, told me at the UN last week that she had visited the Rafah crossing and seen warehouse loads of food, a lot of it funded by the Irish taxpayer and other European taxpayers, and the only reason it cannot get in is Netanyahu.

Yes, we will not stand idly by and we have used our voice at the UN and the EU. We have also invested in the UNRWA and the World Food Programme with additional funding. They are getting trickles, nowhere near enough, with that additional funding to try to get food into a starving people. While the flotilla had a relatively small amount of aid, and I do not say that to be flippant, the symbolism of trying to get aid in and showing the blockade is hugely important and I believe it is something that people right across this country support.

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