Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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We meet at a critical moment for the Gulf and the wider Middle East. We are all deeply concerned by the outbreak of conflict since Saturday, the scenes of death and destruction we are witnessing, the impact on our citizens across the Gulf caught up in this conflict, the consequences for some of our closest partners in the region, the situation facing our peacekeepers serving in UNIFIL and by the potential for this conflict to intensify and further threaten international peace and security. Responding to the effects of this crisis has been a priority for this Government and for me and my colleagues in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. My position and the position of Government is clear - the current military operations by the United States and Israel have no mandate or authorisation from the United Nations nor has any attempt been made to seek such an authorisation. Ireland’s position on the use of force outside such a context is well established and known. Ireland’s position is equally clear that all states must abide by international law and the principles of the UN Charter. I was equally clear and strong in my engagement at the emergency meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council on Sunday - indeed, Ireland was among those making the strongest remarks on this point. The UN system, however imperfect, is an essential security asset for small states including Ireland. If the UN fails and if the Security Council is unable to act, it is because member states do not empower it to do so. It has always been Ireland’s position to support the UN and the international multilateral system. This is the approach we have taken since the start of this conflict and will continue to take. Our priority must be to quickly end this conflict and for urgent de-escalation. We urgently need to get back to the path of dialogue and diplomacy.

There is a real risk, as we can all see, of this conflict widening, as it already has. I call on all with influence to use it constructively in the interest of peace. We have made crystal clear our condemnation of the Iranian regime - its brutal repression of its citizens, malign role in the region and support for Russia’s war on Ukraine. Our position on Iran’s nuclear programme is clear - Iran cannot develop a nuclear weapon. We had strongly supported the joint comprehensive plan of action - Iran nuclear agreement. When it ceased to function, we urged Iran to engage meaningfully in negotiations to address the legitimate concerns of the international community. I regret that more time was not allowed for dialogue and diplomacy. I remain convinced this is the best way to address these issues. We are instead confronted with reality of conflict.

Over the past days and today I have spoken to many of my counterparts in the region to express our solidarity and to discuss how we can find a way out of this situation. Earlier today, I took part in a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council which Gulf ministers attended. The attacks by Iran on Gulf states, many of which have large Irish communities, and on Jordan and Türkiye, are unacceptable. These countries have not attacked Iran and have shown commendable restraint in the face of attacks on them. In the meeting this morning, I expressed our solidarity and support and thanked them for the support and assistance they are providing to our citizens. We are deeply disturbed by attacks on civilian infrastructure, including hotels, hospitals and residential apartment blocks.

We are all shocked and appalled by the loss of so many young lives in the bombing of the school in Minab. This is devastating for their families and communities. The killing of children can never be justified. It must be condemned in all circumstances. It is utterly unacceptable and we have to be clear on this.

The future of Iran is particularly uncertain following the killing of supreme leader, the Ayatollah. Iran has imposed a communications blackout so accurate information is not available. In the absence of the supreme leader, Iran’s leadership is constitutionally led by a council made up of the President, the Chief Justice and Ayatollah Arafi, a member of the guardian council. In practice, the military commanders and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, IRGC, leaders seem to be in the driving seat. From speaking to some of our colleagues in the region, they are of the view in particular where civilian infrastructure has been attacked in those countries which are not part of this conflict, it has been led by the military commanders and the IRCG.

Ultimately, the future of Iran must be determined by the people of Iran and in a way that creates stability in the region. Iranians should be free to express their views without the fear of further violence. I acknowledge the Iranian community here and those who are very scared and worried for their family members and friends.

The path to such an outcome is far from certain and a risk of continuing instability is real.

Let me turn now to one of the most pressing priorities for my Department that has been caused by the current escalation in the Middle East. As all Deputies in the House are aware, a large number of Irish citizens are resident in Gulf countries, in particular in the United Arab Emirates. Approximately 24,000 citizens across the region have registered their presence on the citizen's registration platform. The most recent figure I have seen is more than 24,400, and we know this figure increases on a daily basis. More than 16,000 of these have registered for the first time since the weekend.

I fully understand, as we all do, the anxiety, stress and concerns of Irish citizens across the region, with continuing strikes from Iran. Of course we also understand the stress and anxiety of their families and friends in Ireland and other parts of the world. I assure the House that my Department, including officials working in our embassies in the region, is actively engaged in supporting Irish citizens who are affected, and will provide all possible consular assistance. Our crisis centre has had extensive contact with Irish citizens and their families who have been affected, including residents and holidaymakers. Since Saturday, when I stood up the consular crisis team in my Department, officials have managed more than 2,300 queries from citizens in Ireland and across the region. My officials are working with existing EU consular mechanisms to co-ordinate assistance across the region. They are engaging with other embassies, the Government and airlines. They are doing everything they can to provide the most up-to-date support and advice to Irish citizens.

For Irish citizens in the region the advice is to shelter in place, and this continues to be the best advice, to avoid unnecessary movement, and to follow the directions of the local authorities. We take this advice from the local authorities on the ground. Irish citizens should also actively monitor advice issued on social media by the local Irish embassies. This is the quickest way for people to get the most up-to-date information for their own region. We know there is differing advice and various things happening throughout the Gulf region. Travel advice published by my Department has also been updated to advise against travel to Iran, Israel and Lebanon and to avoid non-essential travel to all other countries in the Gulf region.

I continue to work closely with my EU counterparts. As I have said, I participated in an extraordinary meeting of European Union Foreign Ministers on Sunday, which took place virtually, on the current conflict in the Middle East. During the meeting, I and many colleagues emphasised that our priority is the safety of our citizens living in the region and of those who have been caught up simply by the fact they were transiting through on holidays. Many residents there now wish to come home. EU Foreign Ministers agreed on the importance of close co-operation and co-ordination among EU member states on consular matters. My Department is working with, and is in constant dialogue with, existing EU consular mechanisms to try to co-ordinate assistance across the region where we need to expand it.

There is, of course, as we know and as we have seen in recent days, extensive flight disruption across the region. This has already impacted many Irish citizens, including those in regions not immediately affected by the conflict. Much of the airspace in the region was closed in the initial days of the crisis, and this in itself created a significant backlog of people wishing to get home. It is likely to remain the case in the coming days that there will be limited airspace, whether in the UAE or the wider region. I have instructed my officials to activate plans for an assisted departure from the region in response to this.

Appropriate, timely and effective action has been a priority for the Government in relation to this crisis. The first Government charter flight for Irish citizens is due to depart the region later this week, provided that security and operational considerations permit. As Deputies are aware and can appreciate, this is an incredibly complex and fast-moving situation. The plans are conditional on the prevailing security that can impact the movement of citizens by land, as we are asking people to move from where they are to Oman, and the necessary permission from local air traffic control authorities for the flight to depart.

This first charter will be targeted at Irish citizens currently in UAE, particularly those who are non-resident. We have tried to identify those who are vulnerable and who may require assistance most urgently. This very much depends on the individual and what their needs are but we are engaging directly with citizens and trying to provide as much support as possible to those who need it. In particular, those in transit will be included in this group. These citizens are being contacted by my officials since yesterday, and this ongoing outreach will continue until all of those eligible have been contacted. It is important to say at this point that many people who have been contacted have chosen not to avail of the flight. As more commercial flights become available the decision is being taken by individuals to remain and potentially get those commercial flights. We understand this and appreciate that everybody has to make their own decision in this regard.

The consular crisis centre in my Department has had extensive contact with Irish citizens and their families in Ireland who have been affected and continues to co-ordinate the consular response as the situation evolves. My officials are also working to assist as best they can a small number of Irish citizens currently resident in Iran, most of whom have been resident in the country for many years. We are supporting them and most, if not all, have indicated they do not wish to leave the region. Of course, we continue to keep close engagement with them. I spoke to the ambassador resident there this morning in this regard. Diplomats from all of our embassies in the region are actively engaged in supporting Irish citizens who are affected. I had the opportunity to meet all of them virtually this morning.

Our travel advice remains that Irish citizens should not undertake travel to Iran and our advice at this time to citizens in the country and throughout the region is to shelter in place. Citizens should follow the directions of the local authorities and the advice issued on social media by the Irish Embassy in their country of residence. This is the best way to get the most up-to-date information.

In parallel, from the very outset we have been in close contact with the airlines operating in the region. It is very welcome, and we all saw the scenes in Dublin Airport last night, that the first flight, with Emirates, arrived from Dubai to Dublin. Before then, many Irish people were availing of commercial flights to the UK and other parts of Europe. Through our consultation and engagement with the airlines it is very welcome that the first flight to Dublin arrived last night. A second flight from Dubai to Dublin is scheduled to be taking off this afternoon and I anticipate and expect we will have more direct flights to Dublin over the coming days. This twin-track approach of planning for assisted departures while remaining in close contact with the airlines will continue.

The resumption of commercial routes, however limited, remains the best possible way of ensuring that as many of our citizens who need and wish to do so can leave the region. I acknowledge that citizens in the region may be concerned if they are not contacted by officials today or if they do not receive an update from their airline. I reiterate again that any citizen in the region who wishes to leave should contact the consular crisis team in Dublin. We have been encouraging people to register their presence in the region, and I appreciate and acknowledge that a significant number have done so. This is not a registration of intent to leave, or a statement that people wish to leave. I ask Deputies that in their engagement through social media channels and otherwise they encourage people who wish to leave to contact the consular crisis number in Dublin if they have not already done so. This team has been set up specifically set up with the only objective of engaging with people to make sure this information is known so we can then pass it on to our team working through the details for our charter flight and so we can more generally identify those who wish to leave. I assure the House that the Department will continue to offer consular assistance through the team and through our missions in the region and we will update with further guidance as things change. I hope and expect that further commercial options will become available in the coming days targeted at non-residents and those who are in transit, and providing opportunities more generally for those who wish to leave the region.

In addition to these aspects of the conflict, I am also aware of the potential economic impacts. We have seen disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Some 20% of global oil and gas supplies pass through this narrow waterway. There has been an increase in the price of oil since markets opened on Monday. I and my Department are carefully monitoring the potential economic and trade impacts arising from this instability in the region, which is a significant export market and a major global hub for goods and energy. Earlier this week, I briefed a meeting of the trade forum on these concerns and, importantly, I had an opportunity to hear from representatives of the business community which is represented in that region and beyond. This will remain a priority as we navigate our way through the days ahead. The Tánaiste answered questions this morning and gave a very clear commitment that we will respond where necessary and we will make it absolutely clear that there should be no changes to fuel prices at our pumps today. There should be absolutely no impact based on what is happening today. The longer this goes on the more challenging it will be, which is why it is important, not just to prevent loss of life but more generally for economic and international security, that this conflict comes to an end immediately.

As the House is aware, Ireland has a deep connection and commitment to Lebanon, going back many decades. For far too long, other people have made Lebanon their battleground, and we have sought, both politically and especially through the work of our Defence Forces, to assist the people of Lebanon in regaining the stability and prosperity that were once the envy of the Middle East. It is deeply distressing, therefore, that the actions of Hezbollah, and of Iran, have once more dragged them into conflict.

This morning I was due to be in Paris at a conference organised by France to bring together international support for the Lebanese Armed Forces, LAF, to help them restore security and control over their country. That meeting has had to be postponed. In recent months, the LAF have done a great deal, tripling their presence in the south of Lebanon, the area where UNIFIL is deployed. The Government of Lebanon had announced a phased plan for the LAF to secure the disarmament of Hezbollah and other groups so that Lebanon would no longer be a hostage to armed militias and it had completed the first stage of that plan. In response to the renewed Hezbollah attacks on Israel, the Government of Lebanon moved to outlaw all military activity by Hezbollah and instructed the LAF to move ahead with disarming the group.

I condemn the missile attacks by Hezbollah on Israel. These are utterly unacceptable and must stop. However, I must equally condemn Israel’s military response, its aerial bombardment and its launch of ground operations. This is a direct violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty as a state. It puts civilian populations at risk. It has not given Lebanon the chance to try to remove this threat by other, more long-lasting, means. I fear that a unique chance to break the cycle of violence between Israel and Lebanon may be lost and that greater instability and destruction may lie ahead.

In these circumstances, our attention and that of Deputies here will be particularly on the safety of our own personnel, our own troops in UNIFIL. I am regularly briefed by the Chief of Staff and am pleased to again confirm that our peacekeepers are safe. Our forces in UNIFIL will continue to do their duty to fulfil their mandate and help achieve security for all the people. However, we must be very clear that any ground incursions or attacks near or in and around the UNIFIL mandate put our troops at risk. This cannot be tolerated.

This House will also be concerned, as are we all, about the impacts of this conflict for the people of Palestine. I spoke with my counterpart, the foreign minister of Palestine, this morning and once again reiterated our full support for the Palestinian people. I regret that the conflict in Gaza risks being overshadowed by the current escalation and that there is a risk that the momentum that had been established to end the Gaza conflict will be disrupted.

I was also dismayed to see the closure of crossings into Gaza immediately following the outbreak of the current conflict on Saturday. While one of these crossings has reopened, this is quite simply not enough and I call on Israel to reopen all remaining crossings. We will continue to work to ensure that the humanitarian situation on the ground in Gaza is urgently addressed. The situation remains no less urgent than it was before the current escalation began. Turning the tide on widespread malnutrition is likely to take months and substantial humanitarian aid at scale is required. While one of the crossings has opened up, that is quite simply nowhere near enough.

I also call on Israel to lift restrictions on the transportation of supplies into the West Bank. While international attention is focused on Iran, the situation in the West Bank remains extremely serious. Israeli military operations have displaced at least 40,000 people since January and have caused widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure and homes. People are being killed on a daily basis. Recent decisions by the Israeli authorities to expand their control of the West Bank and to expand settlement activity are part of an established pattern to create a new status quoin the occupied Palestinian territories. This is unacceptable and needs to stop. I will continue to work with EU partners on appropriate action in response to these continued breaches. I raised this directly with other foreign ministers on our call this morning.

This conflict has the potential to have lasting impacts across the gulf and the wider Middle East. We call for a cessation of hostilities, for urgent steps to de-escalate and for restraint. We need to see a return to diplomacy and we need the UN to have a role. Responding to the effects of this crisis will remain a priority for this Government, as will ensuring the safety of our citizens in the gulf region.

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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As the Minister has outlined, the Government's highest priority in the current conflict is the safety of Irish citizens in the region. This is a priority and concern shared by all here in this House. I am grateful to those Deputies and Senators who have been in contact with my office to raise individual cases. The profile of the Irish community in the region is diverse. It is a mixture of those who are ordinarily resident there, those who were in transit to other destinations and those who were on holidays, visiting loved ones or travelling on business. It is a large population of Irish abroad. Dubai is the third largest transport hub in the world and it is a very popular destination in the region.

The consular situation is unique and complex. Our staff in embassies and at the consular crisis centre are working around the clock to respond to those in the region and to concerned family members here at home. It is positive that, as the Minister has laid out, we yesterday saw one commercial Emirates flight from Dubai to Dublin. There will be an additional flight tonight. We hope and expect that further direct commercial options will become available in the coming days. In the past number of days, we have seen a number of Irish people succeed in taking indirect flights to Ireland from Abu Dhabi or Dubai through destinations such as London and Paris. The latest report from the UAE Government is that it is able to get 48 flights per hour out of Dubai airport through the air corridor it has established.

There are approximately 24,000 citizens across the region registered on the citizens registration platform. The vast majority of these, about 16,000, registered since Saturday. Many of those are permanently resident in the UAE, Qatar and elsewhere and have no desire to journey home at this time. We ask those people to heed the advice of the local authorities, wherever they are situated. Our embassies in Abu Dhabi and Riyadh will amplify those messages so I ask people to follow their social media channels and regularly check updates from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade at ireland.ie or on its social media channels.

We are conscious that, of the more than 24,000 citizens in situ in the region, a certain cohort are deemed vulnerable. They are caught in transit or have complex needs and requirements. A first charter flight for that cohort of vulnerable citizens will depart tomorrow. Until such time as it is no longer needed, the Government's approach will be to plan for further assisted departures while remaining in close contact with airlines on commercial flight options. Those departures are largely from Muscat in Oman. Up to 300 people can be accommodated. We saw the first flight from Italy land last night and a flight from Germany the day before. The British authorities have also started flights. We are working in concert with European partners.

I understand that many Members will have received correspondence from citizens frustrated that they do not have the answers they want. We are extremely grateful to those in that position for their patience and understanding. We all know that disrupted travel, delays and cancelled flights are stressful. At a time of conflict, it is hard to fathom the level of stress, fear and concern, particularly among those travelling with young children or those who are a long way from home and who may be isolated.

This is a highly complex and unanticipated situation. Our teams in the Department of foreign affairs are working around the clock. Since Saturday, the consular crisis team has responded to over 2,300 queries. The capacity of that team has been steadily increasing in recent days and will be kept under close review. Department of foreign affairs officials are also working closely with the airlines. As I have said, another commercial flight from Dubai has been confirmed for tomorrow. There has been a considerable amount of engagement with the local authorities.

As the Minister of State with responsibility for the diaspora, I visited Abu Dhabi and Dubai a number of months ago to carry out a diaspora consultation. There are now over 14,000 Irish people living in Dubai alone. There are another 2,000 or so in Abu Dhabi and over 2,000 in both Qatar and Saudi Arabia. It is a large, vibrant and engaged community. The authorities in the UAE have been particularly to the fore in covering accommodation costs for those stuck in transit and in providing clear information and reassurance to the local community. We have a wonderful Irish network, particularly in the UAE, who are providing very important reassurance to each other. We are seeing the collective come together through WhatsApp groups, online channels and phone calls home. I can only imagine everyone in the Chamber is getting the calls from family members here who are worried about their children and loved ones and who are looking for any sign of reassurance. The spirit within the diaspora is really strong and deserves acknowledgement in the Chamber.

On that note, we are also aware that there is a small number of Irish citizens in Iran. The majority of these people have strong family ties and have been resident in Iran for many years. A number of Irish people have already left Iran over the past number of years for various reasons. While Irish diplomatic staff were temporarily relocated to Dublin a number of months ago, the embassy is functioning from the offices of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and consular assistance is being provided to Irish citizens in Iran who have requested it. From talking to a number of Irish citizens who have family members in Iran, I am very aware that, due to the communications blockade, it is extremely difficult to make contact with family members. It is sketchy at best.

The situation we are watching unfold across Iran and the wider gulf region and into the Middle East is unprecedented. The Government's position has been clear. Ireland has consistently condemned the Iranian regime for its violation of its citizens' human rights, for its malign role in the region and for its support for Russia's war in Ukraine. Many of us will have seen the exact same types of drones that have been besieging Ukraine for the last number of years now being activated. We note the request from the United States Government for assistance from the Ukrainian Government with regard to defence mechanisms.

The Irish Government has been equally clear Iran cannot be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon. Our view was the legitimate concerns of the international community could best be addressed through dialogue. We regret more time was not allowed for diplomacy; we now face conflict in its place.

The brutal response of Iranian authorities to protests in January leading to the death of at least 7,000 Iranian people was horrendous and rightly condemned in the House by Members of all parties and none, although some did not. There has been a near-total communications blackout since then, making it impossible to verify what is really happening on the ground. Iran must restore telephone and Internet connectivity immediately. Ireland has consistently called on Iranian authorities to halt all violence, suspend executions and release those detained. Ireland supported new sanctions on Iran in response to the appalling repression, including the designation of the IRGC as a terrorist organisation by the EU in February. The future of Iran remains uncertain following the killing of Ayatollah Khamenei. That Iran has sustained its capacity to conduct and expand military operations indicates the regime was not dependent on one figure. Our sincere hope is that after this horrendous conflict has passed, the people of Iran can hope for and attain a better future. We will work with EU partners to support that in whatever way we can.

We should not underestimate the determination of the current regime to cling to power, regardless of the cost to the Iranian people and the wider region. Ultimately, the future of Iran must be determined by the people of Iran and in a way that creates stability in the region. Iranians should be free to express their views without the fear of further violence.

The attacks by Iran on Gulf states, Jordan and Türkiye are deeply concerning. These countries have not attacked Iran. Iran's attack on them is a violation of their sovereignty. Its attacks on civilian infrastructure are violations of international law. Our sympathy and solidarity is with our Gulf partners. All attacks must be halted. The escalating conflict unfolding across the region is unprecedented. The situation is fast moving and unpredictable, with reports of growing numbers of civilian deaths and casualties.

Ireland’s position is clear and unwavering. The UN Charter and international law must be upheld by all countries. The current military operations by the United States and Israel have no mandate or authorisation from the United Nations, nor has any attempt been made to seek such an authorisation. Ireland’s position on the use of force outside such a context is well established and known.

Diplomacy and dialogue is the only viable option. It is not too late for those involved to come to the table. It is not too late for those with influence to use it constructively. All parties to the conflict must be aware of and abide by their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law, regardless of how abhorrent the Iranian regime has been. Attacks on civilian infrastructure, including schools, hospitals and residential buildings, wherever they are, are violations of international law.

Our priority is to bring this conflict to an end quickly. We need to see urgent de-escalation. We call on all parties to exercise maximum restraint, and for an end to hostilities. The level of death and destruction in the region in recent days is extremely worrying. Our primary concern is, of course, for the Irish citizens of the region but the economic impact that will be felt by every household as the conflict goes on is not lost on us. We have seen that before and inevitably will see it again. The Government will not be found wanting in terms of support for Irish citizens but the easiest way for that to be addressed is for this conflict to end.

I will offer a word on the wider region. While we are all following the headlines from the Gulf states and the safety of our friends and family members there remains paramount, we must not lose sight of the situation in the wider region. In this regard, we are closely monitoring the situation in Lebanon. As the Minister mentioned, we have a strong connection with Lebanon honed through years of our Defence Forces' presence through UNIFIL. Our Minister has maintained daily contact with our Chief of Staff and with the troops on the ground. Those troops are contacted regularly by the family liaison officers and their families are kept well abreast, with good Wi-Fi connectivity making that possible.

Hezbollah attacked Israel on 8 October 2023 in supposed solidarity with Hamas in Gaza. The destructive war that followed was finally halted - not completely, but largely - by the ceasefire of November 2024. Since then, Lebanon has been making a real political effort to turn a new page, establishing a new Government, revitalising its security forces and tackling the huge challenges of political and legal reform and economic reconstruction. Much had been achieved. Now, for the second time in two and a half years, Hezbollah has gratuitously attacked Israel, knowingly embroiling Lebanon in a conflict that was not theirs. I condemn Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel. It has provoked the type of response from Israel we have, sadly, come to expect. This is the nature of Iran’s support to Hezbollah and other militant groups over many years, with money and weapons. They are intended to cause mayhem and destruction around the region whenever Iran is threatened and to distract attention, no matter what effect this has on the local people. We have seen this in Lebanon, Syria, Gaza and Yemen.

While, of course, Israel has a right to defend itself, Ireland regrets that it has chosen a wholly military response and not given Lebanon a chance to remove the threat by its own sovereign and more long-lasting means. Israel’s actions in south Lebanon had already been an obstacle to progress: retaining positions in Lebanese territory which it had pledged to vacate, overflying and bombing targets in Lebanon at will and even aerial spraying Lebanese farmland near the border with chemicals to prevent its use for agriculture.

In addition to direct attacks on Hezbollah targets, Israel has issued what it says is an order to the people of south Lebanon to evacuate north of the Litani River once again. We have no hesitation in saying that it is wrong when Hezbollah try to drive people in northern Israel from their homes; it is equally wrong, therefore, for Israel to do this to people in south Lebanon. Ireland calls on both Israel and Hezbollah to cease their attacks, comply with the terms of Security Council Resolution 1701 and allow Lebanon to rebuild in a way that will bring peace to people on both sides of the border.

When we think of the repercussions of this war on the wider region, we think of the most vulnerable. In Gaza, the humanitarian situation remains dire. The fragile ceasefire in place for almost five months has not delivered the surge of humanitarian aid expected and demanded. On Saturday, Israeli authorities announced the closure of all crossing points into the Gaza Strip. This exacerbates the humanitarian situation, further restricting supplies of essential goods and services. Israel subsequently announced that the Karem Abu Salem-Kerem Shalom crossing would reopen for the "gradual" re-entry of humanitarian aid. Rafah border crossing remains closed, however. "Gradual" is not enough. All border crossings to Gaza should be opened. Existing food stocks inside the Gaza Strip are insufficient. Palestinians in Gaza have suffered an inordinate amount in recent years. There is no logical reason to further curtail the entry of essential humanitarian supplies. Ireland calls on Israel to cease imposing arbitrary restrictions and regulations on the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza. It is essential that the UN, particularly UNRWA, and other humanitarian organisations are facilitated in full to carry out their life-saving work in Gaza. Ireland has consistently remained focused on the humanitarian situation in Gaza. This is a top priority for the Government. It is something we have consistently championed at EU level, to ensure that the people of Gaza are not forgotten.

The situation in the West Bank, too, is of deep concern. Israeli military operations have caused widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure and homes in recent years. The scale, speed and severity of displacement and demolitions is unprecedented. Recent decisions by the Israeli Government in relation to the West Bank contravene international law and are part of an established pattern to create a newstatus quoin the occupied Palestinian territory. Since the outbreak of this conflict at the weekend, Israel has imposed a comprehensive closure across the West Bank, imposing even further restrictions on movement between towns and villages, tightening checkpoints and limiting intercity travel. These actions are on top of economic measures taken by Israel across the West Bank, which are suffocating the economy. Israel has been withholding clearance of hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenues collected on the behalf of the Palestinian Authority under a 1994 agreement known as the Paris Protocol. This is part of a systemic undermining by Israel of the Palestinian Authority, its reform agenda and the viability of the two-state solution. Ireland is not blind to these realities and will continue to support the Palestinian Authority and drive the implementation of the two-state solution, in line with international partners.

The Government of Ireland remains committed to addressing the consular needs of all citizens inadvertently caught up in this conflict. We will endeavour to ensure the safety of our citizens in the region as a top priority. Our citizens are diverse in the region. Their family members here at home are anxious, worried and frightened. They just want certainty for their loved ones. We will, understandably, have firm, constructive and robust political debate on wider issues but I ask all Deputies present to put the 24,000 or so Irish citizens to the forefront of their mind - not just them but their mothers, fathers, grandparents and children who are living in all our constituencies. They just want their loved ones safe; they just want their loved ones home. We are committed to our position as a country with a long track record of support for international law, the UN and peace across all countries of the Middle East.

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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I begin by saying that the genocide in Gaza and the resulting inaction and silence by the EU made it quite clear to Israel and Trump's America that they had a free hand to do whatever they liked in the region, causing an unprovoked war of aggression that has caused chaos right across the Middle East and left an untold number of dead. Yes, we have seen horrifying reports of crackdowns on recent protests in Iran, and any loss of life when protesting for greater democratic rights and freedoms is to be condemned. That does not justify the slaughter of further innocents by foreign airstrikes, however. There can be no moral high ground in this regard, especially when three generations of a family were wiped out to take out a foreign leader.

This took place against the backdrop of negotiations to achieve a new nuclear deal, something which the world had been crying out for since Donald Trump tore up the first deal to appear strong on foreign relations to his audience on Fox News. Just three days before US-Israeli strikes, the Omani foreign minister said that significant progress had been achieved but then bombs landed in Tehran and across Iran. That included the bombing of a school, as the Minister mentioned, in Minab that left at least 160 innocent children, and their loved ones waiting to collect them, dead. Days later, the Americans and Israelis still collectively deny their hand in the slaughter. We are supposed to believe that these killers are investigating the source. They only have to look at their high-tech satellites that were covering Iran that day and they will know in minutes. That is what we have created by standing back and being too cowardly to say, "Stop. No more". We have allowed a normalisation of this behaviour that has eroded international norms and literally blown apart any semblance of the observation of international law.

A decapitation strike against the Iranian leadership is not an action of countries interested in reaching a peaceful resolution to nuclear proliferation. Rather, it is the action of an emboldened and rogue nation that thinks it can do whatever it wants because there will be no real consequences. If a country is truly serious about negotiations, it does not wipe out the negotiators or as many of the leaders as it can find.

For decades, Israel wanted a US President to launch these types of attacks against Iran, and now Netanyahu has one. An Iranian frigate was torpedoed off the Sri Lankan coast, despite posing no threat to Israel or the US. The US sunk it with all hands and the submarine responsible did not even pause to help the survivors. It was decided that leaving sailors to drown was a war crime a long time ago, yet Trump's spokespersons are bragging about it now.

The Spanish have shown us real moral leadership in the past few days. The refusal to be a part of the killing shows a backbone entirely absent when it comes to the use of Shannon Airport. An Taoiseach travels to Washington in one week. It is imperative that Ireland is not used to lend legitimacy to this war of aggression that has brought destruction across the Middle East. There can be no repeat of last year’s laughing and carry on in the Oval Office while civilians right across the Middle East, including many Irish expats and holidaymakers, are waiting in suspended terror for the next air raid siren to blow. We must use whatever leverage we have in both the EU and UN to bring an immediate end to this conflict before more lives are lost.

We must bring the apartheid State of Israel to account for its destabilising influence across the whole region by a cancellation of the association agreement that allows it to trade with the EU. We failed to do so when it murdered over 100,000 innocent people and children in Gaza or when it levelled and ethnically cleansed villages and towns. When was the last time the Government spoke about the man-made famine in and blockade of Gaza? A peace deal is broken every day when people go without the basics, like water, food and shelter. Israel has now drawn the whole region into the conflict. Who is next? What is next? We cannot afford to stand back this time. We cannot afford to wash our hands of it when we will be standing in the midst of an American President who has facilitated a genocide so that a holiday resort can be erected on top of Gazan graves. We must work in the UN to achieve a resolution for an immediate ceasefire and do what we can to show Israel that its actions are unacceptable.

Mairéad Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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Over the past few days, we have seen Iran's cities bombed, its leader assassinated and civil infrastructure destroyed.

Among the targets hit was a girls' elementary school, where people, including innocent schoolchildren, the most vulnerable members of society, were slaughtered. These facts alone should give world leaders, including the Irish Government, pause for serious thought. These developments risk pushing an already volatile region closer to a much broader war.

My party has repeatedly condemned the Iranian Government's appalling human rights records. Protestors have been brutally crushed, women subjected to severe discrimination and violence for demanding basic freedoms, and political dissidents imprisoned. However, the policies of any government do not grant another state the right to bomb its cities and murder its citizens. International law does not operate on the basis of whether we approve of a government. The United Nations Charter sets out clear rules for the use of force. Military action is permitted only in cases of imminent self-defence or when authorised by the UN. These principles exist precisely to prevent powerful states from deciding unilaterally when force can be used. For nations like Ireland, international law is not an abstract concept; it is the foundation of a system that protects states from the arbitrary use of power. That is why events like these matter so deeply. The Middle East has endured decades of conflict, western interference and geopolitical rivalry. We have seen repeated military attacks and invasions justified in the language of "security" and "stability", from Iraq to Libya to Syria, yet the outcomes have only been shattered societies, prolonged instability and immense human suffering.

It is also impossible to understand today's situation without acknowledging the shameful history of US interference in Iran. In 1953, the United States and Britain orchestrated the overthrow of Iran's Prime Minister, Mohammad Mosaddegh, after he sought to nationalise his country's oil resources. The coup destroyed Iran's democracy and replaced it with a dictatorship of the Shah, setting in motion the chain of events that ultimately brought Iran's current rulers to power. Today, the Middle East is under immense pressure. The genocide in Gaza has outraged people, and rightly so, across the globe. Lebanon faces severe political and economic strain and Syria continues to grapple with the consequences of years of conflict.

Against that backdrop, further escalation by Israel and the United States against Iran is wrong in itself but it also carries enormous risks. There is a risk of widening the conflict, drawing in other actors and triggering consequences that would be felt far beyond the region itself. We are already seeing signs of that wider impact. Here at home, people are already experiencing the knock-on effects through rising fuel prices. However, beyond the economic consequences lies a fundamental issue. Ireland has long taken pride in an independent foreign policy grounded in respect for international law and a commitment to military neutrality. Those principles have allowed Ireland to speak with credibility and consistency on the international stage. However, what we are seeing from this Government is not leadership; it is hesitation, equivocation and the instinctive deference of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael when powerful states break the rules.

The Taoiseach has spoken of being concerned and called for restraint on all sides but he has refused to do the one thing leadership demands, which is to clearly condemn the US and Israel for a flagrant violation of international law. This silence is not neutrality; it is timidity. Last week, the Taoiseach told me directly that Ireland can stand militarily with states engaged in conflict. That language undermines Ireland's proud tradition of military neutrality. Neutrality matters precisely at moments like these. It means we do not align ourselves with aggression and we defend international law consistently. Across Europe, leaders such as Spain's Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, have shown far greater courage by speaking clearly, defending international law and calling out violations wherever they occur. That is what principled leadership looks like.

What we are seeing instead from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael is caution and hesitation. Neutrality is not simply a historical tradition; it is a deliberate policy choice reflecting Ireland's belief that diplomacy and international co-operation offer a more sustainable path to peace than military escalation. The people of the Middle East have endured far too much violence. They deserve a future defined not by war and instability but by peace, security and dignity. Ireland should be using every diplomatic channel available within the European Union, the United Nations and beyond to press for de-escalation and a return to negotiations.

Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal East, Labour)
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Before I discuss the issue of the Middle East, I preface my comments with reference to the consular response to our citizens who have been stuck, indeed trapped, in the Middle East. Our consular response has been really good. We need to remember our missions are not set up or orientated towards the mass evacuation of citizens or people stuck in transit. There will be difficulties and we hope people will remain safe. We will continue to work and keep pressure on to ensure we have flights out of there but the evacuation of people is a very difficult situation. The setting-up of the crisis group here centrally has been a good thing and the lines of communication, at least for us, to the Minister's office at the Department of foreign affairs have been good.

It is a situation that is almost beyond words and description. Deputy Ahern and I will have 15 minutes between ourselves to try to put our words to this crisis and situation in the Middle East, but we have never before been faced with this kind of conflict or war that is being exercised in the first instance by the United States and Israel upon Iran. There are no angels or good guys in this war. Iran's tyrannical regime is just that. It is an abhorrent regime with extrajudicial killings and the systematic oppression of women, the LGBTQ community, dissent and political opposition - the list goes on. It is an horrific regime.

What Israel and the US are doing is the breaking of international law. The Minister's opening comments were the strongest she has made in terms of condemning the Unites States and Israel and saying they have no mandate or authorisation from the UN, which is de facto saying the attacks and the war are illegal without actually using those words. It is important we use those words. One of the most important things the Minister said in her contribution was, "Ultimately, the future of Iran must be determined by the people of Iran and in a way that creates stability in the region." In the first instance, it should be about creating stability, democracy and peace in Iran, which would then have further positive impacts for the region, but I will return to that. We are where we are in this horrific place because of the actions, predominantly, of Donald Trump and the Israeli Government.

The international anti-nuclear weapons regime has been successful in keeping Iran from developing a nuclear weapon through negotiations, the IAEA, the United Nations and sanctions. It is not easy, and Iran has been pushing and pushing towards developing a nuclear weapon, but negotiations have kept that at bay to this point. Negotiations were taking place and agreements were in place and Trump, being the tin-pot hard man that he is, ripped them up, and look where he is now. He has begun a war that has no strategy or concept of what victory would look like, such as victory in any war can be. He is taking on a country that is unconquerable. It may be next to Iraq but it is not Iraq. Iran is a country of huge mountain ranges and high plateaus. It is absolutely unconquerable. This President, with Israel, has begun a war for which there will be no end and no peace negotiations that we can see. That he is going to continue to rain missiles such as those that, on day one, killed over 160 girls in a school in Minab brings a sense of despair to all of us that there is no concept of how this can be ended in any possible way.

I commend Pedro Sánchez on providing leadership within the European Union and calling this war what it is, an illegal war. We should be following that leadership. We in Ireland should be using our experience of bringing peace to our own island. We should be the voices, the amplifiers and the accommodators of what could bring peace to Iran.

I know the Minister has invitations to meet credible groups of democracy grassroots networks in Iran. We cannot believe that the answer to this war will be whoever is left from the revolutionary guard that Trump will want to cut a deal with. We cannot believe it will be Reza Pahlavi, the son of the Shah, who presided over a decades-long corrupt regime and is now a poster man for the far right and is being endorsed by people like Tommy Robinson and Nigel Farage.

Real democracy will come from the grassroots, from the new political groups in civil society and from the women and feminist networks that are operating under the most appalling oppression to try to provide some hope for the people of Iran. They have nobody articulating support for them in our part of the world. If we are to be productive, proactive and positive in some way and if Donald Trump will not listen to us when we call a halt and want a ceasefire, we can engage with these groups as a country that is militarily neutral, but not politically neutral. We do take sides, and we will take sides with those who believe in peace and those who believe in democracy. They are there. They are buried on the fringes of Iranian society, but they are there and they need a voice in our part of the world. We have to be that voice.

It is a very dark time. We are in the midst of the intensity of missile fire and continued attacks. Iran has now thrown its missiles out, causing further destabilisation in the region, such as in the Emirates, where we have so many citizens and where people are living is under attack. I hope the UAE, which has positioned itself internationally as one of the safest places in the world but has continued to support violence in Sudan, will now look at its own foreign policy and realise it is not the safest place in the world and can be subject to attacks like anyone else. I hope it will ask itself what it is doing around the world. They need to look at themselves and pull back and help bring peace to Sudan, which they are destabilising and where they are participating in the killing of so many thousands of people.

This has and will continue to overshadow what is going on in Palestine and the killings that continue in Gaza and the spread by Israel into the occupied territories. We cannot allow that to fall off the agenda. Our comments on Lebanon and our history with Lebanon have been strong and we need to push back to support the UNIFIL mission, which is unfortunately on the wind-down again because of US and Israel pressure. People are now fleeing Beirut in mass numbers because Israel is on the march. Ireland has a big voice. We do not have military power and nor should we. We are a militarily neutral country, but we have a political voice and we are not politically neutral. We should be calling out breaches of international law when we see them, and we are seeing them with the United States and Israel. We should be a voice. We have expertise on this island that can engage with people on the ground. Even in countries such as Iran that are shut down, we can be proper pro-democracy voices, not agents of what the United States may view as regime change. We know what real peace looks like. We know how difficult it can be. We know how long it takes. We know the hard yards. We can bring a bit of our experience, even in the darkest of times. I ask the Minister to look at the invitations on her desk and to meet with the people who can make a difference to the future of Iran.

We should not be sharing shamrock in a couple of weeks’ time. It feels almost trite to say it because in the overall scheme of things it is not that important, but the symbolism is. No one in Ireland at the moment feels that Donald Trump is a friend of ours or a friend of global peace. In fact, he is not. I ask that at this stage we reassess our approach to that St. Patrick's Day visit. Our thoughts are with all the victims who are living under intense bombardment and facing death on a minute-by-minute basis in Iran and throughout the Gulf region. We should do everything we can to articulate a true path to peace.

Ciarán Ahern (Dublin South West, Labour)
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I first and foremost send my solidarity to the innocent people in Iran and the broader Middle East who are caught in the middle of this illegal war between a brutal and repressive Iranian regime, a genocidal Israeli regime and an increasingly fascist and autocratic American regime. By the way, this is not a "situation" in the Middle East, which is the title the Government has put on this speaking slot. This is an illegal war and a flagrant breach of international law, prosecuted in the first instance by the US and Israel. Even the title of today's statements betrays our Government's lack of backbone in calling it out as such.

I also send my solidarity today to those who have fought for decades for democracy in Iran and continue to do so, and I pay tribute to all who have given their lives for that cause. It is the Iranian people, not Donald Trump or Benjamin Netanyahu, who must choose their next leaders. We must be clear that the US and Israel do not have the best interests of the Iranian people in their minds when they do this. They are in it for themselves, but there are civil society groups and leaders in Iran calling for international partners to help them facilitate an international dialogue to enable a self-determined transition in Iran. We want Ireland and our Government to play a leading role in that process, but we will not get there by pussyfooting around in how we describe what is happening. This is an illegal war, so will the Minister please be clear on that, ask the Taoiseach to be clear on that and condemn the US and Israel for it? It represents a flagrant breach of international law and US constitutional law. This is not a war of self-defence on America's part. There was no imminent threat. This is a war of opportunism. Benjamin Netanyahu saw an opportunity to take out the Ayatollah, something he has been trying to do since the 1990s, and his lapdog Donald Trump has been more than willing to do his bidding for him with, even for this Trump Administration, a shocking lack of foresight or a plan for what comes next.

We know the Iranian regime is tyrannical, totalitarian and deeply repressive. We have seen it murder thousands of Iranian people just in recent months. We in the Labour Party have been consistent and forceful in our condemnation of that Iranian regime and in our support for pro-democracy movements and women's rights campaigners, and no one more so than my colleague Deputy Smith, who has been the loudest and most consistent voice in this House in calling out the brutal Iranian regime. However, as our party leader, Deputy Bacik, said during Leaders' Questions earlier this week, two things can be true at once. We can oppose an authoritarian regime and still insist that international law is upheld. There is no evidence basis for this war. There was no imminent threat. A number of things have got us to where we are today. As Deputy Smith discussed, Donald Trump ripped up the Iran nuclear deal, the JCPOA. That has set the course for where the Middle East is today. Its impact has been profound and completely undermined the ambition of nuclear non-proliferation.

In Europe, too, we need to be honest about our own role in the path towards this war. For years, the US and Israel have been given carte blanche to behave however they like and to run roughshod over international law without any meaningful consequences. As a community of nations, and as individual states in Europe, we have acquiesced, appeased and stayed silent, and so we have emboldened the Trump and Netanyahu regimes and allowed them to believe the normal rules do not apply to them. No real effort has been made to impose sanctions at European level. Here at home, the occupied territories Bill has effectively been abandoned despite election promises. Israel has been allowed to level Gaza, murder with impunity and continue to expand its illegal settlements in the West Bank.

If the Taoiseach is still intent on travelling to the US for St. Patrick's Day and visiting the Oval Office, it cannot be another exercise in pandering. The Irish people will not allow our heritage to be used to shamrock-wash the flagrant breaches of international and domestic law carried out by Donald Trump. Ireland is in a unique position to have an annual face-to-face meeting in the White House with the President, but what good is that if we are simply going to use it to gloss over the erosion of democracy and international law at the hands of our supposed ally? The Taoiseach must have the moral courage and steel to speak up at this unique opportunity for the UN, for peace and for upholding international law. I will not hold my breath.

We call on the Minister to ensure the Taoiseach does not continue his policy of appeasement towards Trump. While we can condemn the Iranian regime and its authoritarianism, the actions of Israel and America completely undermine the international rules-based order.

Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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To start, I agree entirely with the Minister that first and foremost in this debate our thoughts have to be with the 24,000 citizens of this country in the Middle East. I too commend the diplomatic teams working there to ensure their safety. This has to be our priority, and the Government is right in adopting that approach.

Before I turn to the geopolitical situation, I will comment on a number of specific impacts here. There has obviously been a discussion around what has been happening with fuel prices and the price gouging going on. The Minister will also be aware from her former brief that quite a number of import and export businesses rely on trade coming from the region. They are going to experience significant disruption. It is important the Government keeps an eye on what happens in this space and that the necessary supports are provided to those businesses, if necessary.

I reject the idea that the Taoiseach is engaged in some sort of appeasement. The Taoiseach is very committed to defending international law. We have been very strong in this country and in this Government in talking about the importance of multilateralism. I am very proud of the tradition of multilateralism, in both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, where support for our membership of the United Nations and of the European Union is embedded within our parties. That will continue. This involves listening to and engaging with all parties, and not cheap stunts like calling for the expulsion of ambassadors and so on. Our approach talks about real diplomacy and fully understanding all the geopolitical issues involved.

In recent months and years, we have witnessed horrors in Gaza and the West Bank. I call out the genocide that has happened and the disgraceful actions of the Israel Defence Forces. I spoke in the first debate we had on the Middle East. I checked back over the Official Record and I was the only Deputy to mention Iran’s role in all of this and its role in terms of using its proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah. We need to reflect on the fact that all these conflicts are linked.

I heard a number of colleagues opposite praising Pedro Sanchez. I have a lot of time for Pedro Sanchez, and I think he is correct that the actions of the United States and Israel are wrong. He is also committed, however, to geopolitical solutions to issues and he has also called out those who have opposed giving a loan to Ukraine to ensure the country can continue to defend itself. The reality is that the only reason Ukraine has not been reduced to the rubble we have seen in Gaza is that the State of Ukraine has been able to stand up against the might of Russia and support to do that has been provided by Europe. Those who oppose giving assistance to Ukraine now are guilty of complicity in the genocide being committed by Russia against the Ukrainian people. I requested a debate in this House two weeks ago on Ukraine to mark the anniversary of Russia’s illegal invasion. It did not happen. I again ask in this geopolitical context that it would happen. It is important that we debate what is happening there because what is going on there is very much linked to what is happening in the Middle East. Let there be no mistake about the relationship between Tehran and Moscow, and the fact that Iran has been supplying drones to Russia, drones that are being used against the Ukrainian people.

I have no doubt about the actions of the United States and Israel that are wrong but we do need to start to talk about Iran, its role in the world and this idea that somehow Donald Trump has no respect for international law but the mullahs in Iran do have some sort of respect for it. That is complete nonsense. If we look at Iran, this is not a new war. Iran has been engaged in a hybrid and grey-zone war against so many countries over such a long period. Even if we look back over the past few days, where has Iran bombed? It has not just tried to target the United States and Israel. It has also directed its weapons against Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, UAE, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. There are certainly questions about all those jurisdictions. We know that Iran is not some innocent party in all of this.

Iran has been the master for many years of hybrid or grey-zone warfare. It thinks about what it can get away with. It has proxies in Yemen, Lebanon and Palestine, including Hamas and Hezbollah. These are organisations that have caused untold damage. Let it not be forgotten that Hezbollah was responsible for the 2022 killing of UN peacekeeper Private Seán Rooney. Remember as well that the individual convicted by a Lebanese military tribunal of that killing, Mohammad Ayyad, allegedly sought refuge in Iran and was protected there. Iran, therefore, provided safe harbour to somebody convicted of the killing of a peacekeeper and Iran funded the killing of that peacekeeper because of its ongoing support of Hezbollah. When it comes to cybercrime, Iran is one of the four countries globally that is by far the most involved in cybercrime, including against this State.

I have not even started to talk about how women and minorities, particularly the LGTB community, are treated by the authorities in Tehran. If people identify as LGTB or in any way show any sort of affection for somebody of the same sex, they face the death penalty. This is morally wrong. Ever since the mullahs came to power in 1979, when we talk about Islamic law being enforced, it means non-compliance with it will meet with a violent response from the Iranian authorities. There is mandatory veiling. In fact, gender apartheid has long existed in Iran.

I strongly believe that we do need to call out what the US and Israel have done but there is something else we need to call out in this House. We see members of the Irish-American movement protesting about this and claiming to speak on behalf of the Iranian people while real Iranians are having to organise counterprotests to say they know what is going on in their country. This is the perfect example of what Thomas Piketty, the French economist, referred to as the Brahmin left, the left that has long since given up really caring about workers and is more enthused about telling people in this country and other countries how they should be living. By the way, I love the fact it was some of the same people who were telling the Iranians how they should be living who only a few weeks ago met with a counterprotest from Venezuelans who welcomed the removal of the dictator Maduro.

Up to 30,000 people have been killed in the protests in Iran since the start of this year because they engaged in peaceful protest against discrimination by the regime. I, for one, do not believe that the removal of Ayatollah Khamenei is a bad thing. I strongly condemn attacks on any innocents, whether it happens in Iran, the West Bank, Israel, Syria or any other country. The removal of the ayatollah and the despotic regime, however, is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, I believe that in the long term, it will be a good thing for the region.

We need to go further, however. We need to ensure international law is respected. We need to lead a campaign when it comes to reform of the UN.

I am a strong supporter of our neutrality, but our neutrality means our hands should not be tied by members of the Security Council. We will not get a peacekeeping mission in Lebanon because the US will veto it. There will not be a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine because Russia will veto it. China’s economic interests, as we saw in the Balkans but also in other regions, will ensure that China will veto many of those missions as well. Those who argue in favour of maintaining the triple lock are actually in favour of destroying Irish neutrality. They are in favour of handing over our powers to decide on our future defence and security policy to Washington, Moscow or Beijing.

It is very easy for us in this country to speak about the horrors happening in so many other parts of the world. Ireland is not perfect, but I always point out to people that we are incredibly lucky to live in an open, safe, prosperous democracy where people can peacefully protest outside our national Parliament, and as we know, there are peaceful protests outside every day of the week. Real people are being impacted, however, by the decisions happening and by what is going on in the Middle East. In our debates on this, we cannot allow an anti-Americanism to creep in. Friends will call out the United States, but let us have no doubt that the Iranian regime is a hateful, despotic regime that needs to be removed. This country needs to stand with the ordinary, innocent individuals of Iran and particularly those brave people who have been protesting against the actions of the Khamenei regime over the past number of years.

As a country, we need to recommit ourselves to multilateralism. We need to support the stance that was taken by Mark Carney, the Canadian Prime Minister, at Davos. The Government and the Taoiseach have provided the right path in terms of the approach we are taking. For smaller countries and middle-ranking powers, it is important that we co-operate and work together. Our principled approach on this, whether it is dealing with Tehran, Washington, Moscow or Beijing, must be that we will always stand up for those things that have always been integral to this State, namely, human rights, the rule of law and the protection of democracy.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Before I call on Deputy Ó Murchú, I welcome the members of the Filipino Multicultural Society, who are here at the behest of Deputy Devlin. They, as well as our other guests who I am sure are on their tour, are most welcome. I hope they enjoy the proceedings.

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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First and foremost, I commend the professionalism and dedication of our consular staff. Many of us have engaged with those working out of our embassies across the Middle East at this time and those working in Dublin. I have no doubt nearly everybody in here has been contacted by those who have found themselves stranded, in some cases in relatively precarious scenarios where they may have medical conditions and other circumstances. I have no doubt there will be a need for further charter flights and that far greater resources will need to be provided. We need to ensure we do absolutely everything from the point of view of looking after Irish people who are stranded down to what has been not only a breach of international law but a crazy act by genocidal Israel, and America following on its coattails, and not for the first time in the Middle East carrying out acts that are not even beneficial to America from the point of view of its own foreign policy and strategy. That is, unfortunately, par for the course.

It has been said by many here that oil prices have shot through the roof, whether at the forecourts or in the purchase of kerosene. Action has been taken straight away, with nothing about reserves or hedging or anything else. It is absolutely right that the Minister would call in the industry. We need to see action.

Regarding the CCPC, we will be very interested in what the Minister, Deputy Burke, says will be an investigation that should take in or around a month. We need to see action straight away. We have stated for some time that the regular people of Ireland are under severe pressure with the cost-of-living crisis, and it goes without saying that this only adds to it. While we will attempt to keep manners on those who gouge, we also need to provide support for those who are under severe pressure. Those with disabilities are high among them. I again call for an emergency cost-of-disability payment to be delivered.

Iran is not a state that any of us is going to stand up and defend. We are all aware of its many sins over many years. However, how did this Islamic Republic come to power in 1979? It followed the chequered history of America in the Middle East. It was a coup to ensure the Shah would be in a position to ensure American interests were absolutely protected and that there would be no chance of the nationalisation of those resources, particularly oil, which America cared about. It is obviously an utterly repressive regime, and we are now dealing with the outworkings of it. If anyone remembers the Iran-Contra affair, the Americans illegally sold weapons so that the CIA could make money to provide it to the Contras in Nicaragua to fight against the Sandinistas. American foreign policy has not just gone rogue with Donald Trump; it did not start in a particularly great place. We also know that when America had an issue with Iran, it decided it would use its great friend Iraq and Saddam Hussein. That did not blow up in any way, shape or form.

We do not know where this ends. We do know what is happening to civilians across the Middle East at the moment and our thoughts are with them. We are aware that 185 civilians were killed in an attack on a school, many of them schoolgirls. We have all seen the pictures. Not only have we seen a ship attacked by the Israelis and the Americans, but what was almost worse was the fact the survivors were not saved. I do not know what we can call that but a war crime.

I will give Benjamin Netanyahu one thing: he is consistent. He is not only a genocidal maniac who wants to ensure there is no Palestinian state, but he is absolutely committed to this attack on Iran, which is absolutely illegal and needs to be condemned by this Government. Let us be clear: Marco Rubio let it out of the bag when he stated that the Israelis were going to do it anyway, so America followed on. It is an absolute disgrace. The Government has to be stronger on this. The EU has failed miserably.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Before I call on Deputy Gibney, we have a very special guest, who has just compered the International Women's Day event here in the Oireachtas, Ms Julie Dwyer, and her family, the McCracken family. They are some of the finest musicians and singers in Wexford. They are most welcome, as are our other guests in the Gallery.

Sinéad Gibney (Dublin Rathdown, Social Democrats)
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I too extend a welcome to the McCracken family. I do not think there is a musician in Wexford who will not have visited the Dáil by the end of this term. It is lovely to have them here for International Women's Day.

I wish to start by addressing the consular response. My colleague our spokesperson for foreign affairs, Senator Stephenson, spoke about her disappointment that for many people in these regions, the first contact they received was a link to a PayPal account asking for payment of €800 for a flight. Unfortunately, the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, who has left the Chamber, responded in the press today essentially criticising Senator Stephenson for not mentioning children and so on, which she did in her contribution in the Seanad this morning. She has been very comprehensive and clear on this. We do not have an issue with the payment per se. What we have an issue with are clear reports coming through that people are finding communication difficult.

For some people, the first communication they have had is essentially asking people to pay €800 for a flight home from an active war zone before they board the flight. That is really quite horrifying right now. This is not just a consular crisis; this is a war zone suffering active bombardment. The Minister compared it to the Covid response and bringing people home during Covid. I am sorry; that is not the same. The only reason this is different is people are not being moved as they would normally be from a war zone by the Department of Defence. Instead, it is being managed in different ways. I appreciate that and, once again, it is not the concept or the principle of a fee that is the problem. It is the fact that people are being asked to pay it before they have even gotten the flight. In some cases, that will be a family with a number of people who have already paid for flights home and not flown and now they are being asked to put further money towards ensuring their own safety.

I was on a television show with the same Minister of State on Tuesday of this week and my first message on this whole response was that I was still in shock that the Government was not condemning the attacks by the US and Israel. I still find it shocking. I welcome that the Minister has gone a little further today in her tone but the Government is stopping short of condemning what the US and Israel have done in breaking international law and essentially starting this conflict. We have just heard 15 minutes from Deputy Malcolm Byrne, who spoke about the horrific Iranian regime. None of us are denying that. He gave about 30 seconds of lip service to condemning the US and Israel. I find that disproportionate when what we are seeing on day five of this is a result of the attack by the US and Israel. I appreciate that Iran is engaged in grey-zone warfare, as he described it. I appreciate the oppressive regime that has been putting Iran's people down for so long and I certainly acknowledge that it is responsible for the deaths of thousands of protestors in the past few weeks but what the US and Israel have done is go to the tinderbox that is the Middle East and drop a lit match. We are all living with the repercussions of that. The Government not being able to outrightly and forthrightly condemn that is something I really have a huge issue with.

When we were on that panel show together on Tuesday, the Minister of State focused on the consular response. I took that in good faith and said to him live on air that I acknowledged that the Government is prioritising vulnerable people, and I acknowledge the good work being done when that first charter flight was announced. I am genuinely dismayed that what followed from that is that those people are getting a link sent to them with a PayPal request for €800 before they even board the plane.

The chain reaction that has been set off is under much discussion here today but I want us to remain steadfast in not forgetting where this started, which is the US and Israel choosing to do this, with motivations as yet unclear. The Trump Administration is jumping around between regime change and nuclear disarmament as it suits it. It does not have a plan. It never had a plan. Trump likes invading countries. That is clear a year and a bit into his term. It is also clear that he has found what he likes to do and is going to continue doing it. He has invaded seven different countries since his return to office: Yemen, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Nigeria and Somalia. He has indirectly been responsible for further attacks by Israel by providing it with arms and other countries too. He has also attacked ships in Latin American waters and, of course, on top of all of this, he has cut USAID so that any of the normal humanitarian, peacebuilding and peacekeeping responses we might expect to see in the wake of such a conflict are not going to happen because he has crippled the globe with his actions. All of these are weapons of mass distraction to avert our eyes here in Ireland and domestically in the US from his domestic failings, his tanking popularity and the atrocities he is levying across our world. We cannot forget where this is coming from.

We can absolutely condemn the Iranian regime and the fact that it has retaliated with the strikes it is carrying out across multiple countries within the region and further afield but we cannot forget where it came from. This Government must condemn that. In condemning it, what the Government would be doing is saying that it respects rules-based order and multilateralism and that when somebody breaks that rules-based order, whether they are friend or foe, we condemn it. That is what multilateralism is. That is what respect for a global rules-based order is. We do not pick and choose when we decide to condemn the breaking of international law; we do it consistently so that it means something. Multilateralism is a proactive position. It is not something we do passively. We live it and breathe it. We exercise our membership of both the European Union and the United Nations through practising the condemnation of the breaking of international law and supporting those countries that are victims of it.

Neutrality is also a proactive position. I raise this now as many will do during these statements because the current incursion by this Government into our neutrality has been to chip away at it for years. What the Government is trying to do with this defence legislation passing through the Houses at the moment is put the final nail in the coffin of our neutrality by removing the triple lock. The triple lock was the reason we were not engaged in the Iraq war a couple of decades ago and the removal of the triple lock will mean that we do have that same guard-rail against this increasingly volatile world. That is why the triple lock is so important and why we have to double down on it now. We are proud of our long history of commitment to peace and our moral compass in a world where a powerful few are increasingly trying to oppress the many. We are proud of what we have achieved through diplomacy, peacekeeping and neutrality. Our leaders are being pushed into this and being pushed to back away from our neutrality by lobbyists for big weapons company. More wars mean more profits. Our triple lock on peace stands in their way.

Our Government has a choice. It can stand up to the arms industry and fight for a world where co-operation, safety and peace flourish or it can give in, putting us, our children, grandchildren and our neighbours across Europe at greater risk of violence and danger. Irish peacekeepers are known across the globe for bringing safety, stability and hope. We can remain strong because we refuse to surrender to pressure from arms corporations that profit from violence. The triple lock is our guarantee to that. Most people in Ireland agree that our position on peacekeeping and neutrality makes us stronger. Keeping the triple lock intact by stopping the defence (amendment) Bill is the only way we can truly copper-fasten our commitment to peace and basically triple lock our future in this increasingly volatile world.

Rory Hearne (Dublin North-West, Social Democrats)
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The US and Israel are bombing Iran in a clear breach of international law. We have seen this playbook in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is not about regime change for the people of Iran; it is about regime change for US and Israeli interests. You do not bomb a school, killing hundreds of children, while claiming to stand for peace. Israel is bombing Lebanon. It is continuing its genocidal war in Gaza. The Government must call this out for what it is. It is wrong, illegal and it will not bring peace. This is about neocolonialism in the 21st century. It is about control over oil, resources and countries. This is about two out-of-control bully boys and warmongers, Trump and Netanyahu, who are trying to reshape the world in their dystopian view of what humanity should be. It is not about peace.

Why is the Government cowering in silence? Why will it not condemn this illegal war and the US-Israeli bombing of Iran? Why will it not condemn it? The Government knows Trump is just distracting from his domestic failures and from his population, which is suffering from a cost-of-living crisis while billionaires rake in more and more. Thousands are being killed and the lives of Irish peacekeepers are being put in danger, as well as thousands of Irish people in the region. The Government must stand up, condemn this breach of international law and take the action that shows we - and I know it is where the people of Ireland want us to be - are on the side of peace. It is about us asserting a neutrality that stands for peace, not facilitating warmongers.

We know our airspace and airports are being used by the US military and Israel to facilitate the transport of weapons. How can we stand over this? The Irish people do not agree with it. We are calling on the Government to stop all US and Israeli military use of Irish airspace and airports. Caithfidh an Rialtas stop a chur le húsáid aerspás agus aerfoirt na hÉireann ag fórsaí mileáta na Stát Aontaithe agus Iosrael.

We must implement the occupied territories Bill. That is an action the Government could take right now and it would send a message that we stand on the side of peace. The Government should send a message of solidarity to the Spanish Government that we stand with Spain, with a Spanish Prime Minister who is willing and brave enough to call this out as what it is, a breach of international law.

Least of all, how in God's name can Ireland play Israel in a game of soccer with a genocidal war going on? The Government should support the FAI to boycott that game that will legitimise apartheid and a genocidal war. We can build an alternative to this dystopian world of ever increasing war and invasion. What is Trump and Netanyahu's endgame? There is none. It is endless war, bombing, taking over countries, people being killed and children being murdered. There has to be an alternative and Ireland, with its history, knows the impact of colonialism and imperialism. There is an alternative. It is the United Nations, our neutrality and standing with governments like the Spanish one and calling it out for what it is. It is wrong. It is illegal. Of course, there is an alternative. Bombs do not bring peace; negotiations and diplomacy do.

Investing in and supporting people brings about peace. The Government should be leading a genuine movement for peace, bringing governments together that want to rebuild the United Nations as a place that can create peace. Ireland cannot be complicit in another illegal war for oil. We will not stand for it. The people of Ireland do not want to see that.

The other aspect of this that needs to be called out is the cost-of-living crisis. This war is now putting us into a cost-of-living crisis on top of a cost-of-living crisis. The Tánaiste said earlier that the Government will keep under review how it responds, acting as though there were not already a cost-of-living crisis going on. There are 320,000 people in arrears on their electricity bills. One in every four gas customers is in arrears. People are having to choose between eating and heating. Why is the Government not immediately moving to implement the targeted energy credit we proposed, along with a cost-of-disability payment, an emergency payment? These are two things it could do right now. With the cost-of-living crisis, people will be choosing tonight - they are already choosing - between heating and eating. The cost-of-living crisis is out of control and this war, with the spike in prices, will make it worse, in particular when we do not have protections against the profit-gouging and price-gouging that is going on. The Government is only using words. We have not seen real action to tackle that. We know profit- and price-gouging are going on. We have seen it, we are living it and the Government must take action to stand up and ensure the people of Ireland do not pay for Trump's war.

Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North-West, Fianna Fail)
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There is no doubt we are at a moment of grave international instability so let me begin by acknowledging a number of things. The Iranian regime is a deeply repressive one. Its sponsorship of proxy terrorist groups, its terrorism in parts of the region, destabilising activities in the region and its well-documented oppression of its people cannot be ignored. The brutality of those networks and the fear Iranians have of their government is well-documented.

We also need to state clearly that no state, however powerful, should act unilaterally outside international law and United Nations mechanisms, as imperfect as they are. When the US chooses to bypass the UN framework, it weakens the system designed to prevent escalation of global conflicts. The rules cannot only apply to some nations. They must bind the powerful too. Today innocent people are paying the price. Innocent Irish citizens are sheltering from bombardment in the Gulf region. People with no part in the geopolitical rivalry are living in fear. Across the region, civilians are being killed and, as is always the case, every innocent life lost diminishes us all.

The immediate priority must be a ceasefire and an urgent de-escalation of what is taking place, not tomorrow, not when it is politically convenient for one side or the other, but now. I say that to the United States, Israel and Iran. There have been comments about there being two bully boys. Unfortunately, we have many more than two bully boys in this situation. Equally, there have been comments about what happened last weekend. However, in the same way as 7 October did not start the issues in Gaza, the incidents of last weekend did not start the tension between the United States and Iran. There is a long, documented history of aggression on both sides of that conflict.

When attempts made to deal with the invasion of Iraq at the United Nations in 2003 are compared with the absence of any such attempt, even vain attempts or attempts made for pageantry purposes, it is clear the current US Administration feels it can act without even attempting to use international mechanisms for resolving disputes.

What should Ireland do? We need to return to our core principles and our support for the multilateral rules-based order. It is not an abstract ideal. It is the only viable alternative to chaos and increasing violence. If we concede that states can act unilaterally, we will return to a world that is governed more by might than by right.

We must also be honest that the United Nations requires reform. Even if a state were to bring forward grievances and seek redress, the Security Council would not provide it. The Security Council reflects the power realities of 1945, not 2025 and the following years. Africa has no permanent representation. South America has none. Entire regions of the world are excluded from permanent decision-making authority at the Security Council and that democratic deficit weakens the legitimacy of the Security Council and, in turn, compliance with its resolutions. Non-compliance with UN resolutions is eroding the trust and confidence the world has in the United Nations.

People may ask whether the United Nations is on the precipice of the same kind of collapse the League of Nations ultimately fell to. There is no doubt that reform is difficult, but it is necessary. We also know how difficult it is to secure and sustain peacekeeping missions. Vetoes are abused. Mandates are difficult to secure and consensus is fragile. We now need to focus on what is important to Ireland and our values. Ireland has long been a proud supporter of the United Nations and peacekeeping under its banner. As we have seen the groundhog develop at the Security Council, it has called into question our reliance on the triple lock mechanism. I do not support a situation where China, Great Britain, the United States or Russia can exercise a veto over where and when Ireland sends its Defence Forces. Even small numbers of Irish troops with respected expertise in peacekeeping require the permission of the 20th century imperial powers. It does not work in today's world. Respect for the UN does not mean surrendering sovereign judgment in the interests of the five permanent members. The protective framework of the UN is vital but it does not surpass our sovereignty, which was hard-won.

If we are serious about peace, the answer cannot be unilateral escalation, like we have seen in the Middle East in recent years.

We must see a renewed commitment to international law, genuine reform of global institutions and equal application of the rules to all states, large and small.

William Aird (Laois, Fine Gael)
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The escalating conflict in the Middle East is causing profound distress and uncertainty. Middle East strikes are continuing on the sixth day of war. I begin by expressing my deep sympathy for all innocent victims of these attacks. The images and reports emerging from the region are heartbreaking. Civilians are bearing the brunt of violence they did not choose and cannot control. Their suffering must remain at forefront of our thoughts and actions.

Ireland has long had connections with the Middle East. Many countries in the gulf are home to large Irish communities. The crisis is being felt directly by our citizens. We have Irish people living and working across the region and many of them now face heightened risk and disruption. We have Irish holidaymakers who travelled in good faith and suddenly found themselves caught in a rapidly deteriorating situation. There are Irish citizens transiting through the Middle East from third countries for work, education or family reasons. They are now dealing with cancelled flights, border restrictions and uncertainty about how to get home safely. I acknowledge the tireless work of the Department of foreign affairs and our consular teams who are providing essential support to our citizens. Their efforts are ensuring Irish people, wherever they are, are not left without guidance and assistance. I stand firmly behind the work they are doing.

The consequences of this conflict are not confined to this region. Global instability has already begun to impact international oil markets and we are seeing immediate and sharp increases in oil and fuel prices here. Households and businesses are feeling this pressure. International events can influence global markets but consumers in Ireland are entitled to fairness and transparency. Consumers deserve clear explanations when fuel prices, in particular, rise overnight. We all know that much of the fuel being sold today was purchased weeks ago at lower prices. I am told by the retailers, who I know well, that when they get their deliveries every day from the ports, the oil comes out at the market price of the oil they have to replace on that day. The Minister, when he has his meeting tomorrow, will be able to explain to us public representatives, and indeed to everybody in the country, the true facts behind all that, which a lot of people do not know. If stocks were bought at a lower price, consumers should not be paying wartime rates. We have seen overnight increases on garage forecourts. Consumers have seen prices rise to €1.80 per litre for unleaded petrol and diesel at some forecourts. A price of €846 is now being quoted for 500 litres of home heating oil. The same volume was approximately €494 this time last week. I was contacted by a haulier whose fuel card provider – you would know all about this, a Cheann Comhairle - imposed a 12.5% price increase from midnight on Tuesday and that is before VAT.

All oil includes five taxes and these equate to 60% of the cost. From a litre of diesel at €1.72, the Government gets €1.03. In a war situation we as a Government will have to consider temporarily cutting excise duties for fuel to lower the cost to the consumer. This is why we have to have strong regulatory oversight. We must ensure our consumer protection framework is robust and responsive. It must be capable of acting quickly when markets shift in ways that raise legitimate questions. Irish families must not be left exposed to unjustified price hikes at a time when global uncertainty is already causing anxiety. As a country with a long-standing commitment to peace, diplomacy and humanitarian principles, Ireland will continue to advocate for de-escalation, protection of civilians and full respect for international law. We will work with our Europeans and the wider international community to support efforts that prioritise human life and create space for dialogue. Above all, we stand with the innocent victims, those grieving loved ones, those displaced from their homes and those living in fear. We stand with Irish citizens seeking safety and clarity and we stand for fairness, transparency and stability at home as we navigate the economic impacts of this crisis.

I would like to say, a Cheann Comhairle, that I have finished a couple of seconds before my time.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Very well noted, Deputy. I move to Deputy Ó Súilleabháin.

Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin (Wicklow-Wexford, Sinn Fein)
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Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. Over 24,000 Irish citizens who had been living peaceful, happy lives in the Middle East are now stranded due to a war waged by the US and Israel. Their parents are worried. This Government must do everything possible to guarantee their safety and welfare and to get back home to Ireland those who wish to return here. Hard-pressed Irish householders, farmers and businesses are being fiercely hit in their pockets, whether directly or indirectly, because of this Israeli-US war. They are being ripped off and fleeced by rocketing fuel costs, some of it price-gouging by companies. As Deputy Aird referred to, the Government is responsible for almost two thirds of this cost through its gouging. These international issues like Iran are therefore highly relevant to the Irish people, no matter what any of the foreign-funded, pseudo-patriotic charlatan groups online might like to tell us. Aside from our neutrality, they are highly relevant to everything and directly hit us in our pockets.

However, most horrendous of all is the human cost of war. Mothers and fathers have buried 165 children after an attack on a girls’ primary school by the United States and Israel. We can see from Gaza to Iran that this is what liberation by these western monsters looks like in reality. Line upon line of tiny white shrouds is the defining image of this conflict for me. We know Netanyahu is a genocidal monster with a seemingly insatiable bloodlust for destruction and endless war, which he is still carrying out against the West Bank as well as Gaza. After the full-scale assault against Iran, he even admitted this was the day he had been dreaming about for 40 years. He has often spoken of conquering Iran so that the plan for a two-state solution with Palestinians living side by side with an Israeli state is completely unviable and will not have any backers across the Middle East. That is the reason Netanyahu wants to destroy Iran. There is no other. He sees this US Presidency as his best possible opportunity of fulfilling his 40-year-old fantasy. Trump said that the US attacked Iran because the country could not, in his words, allow it to have a nuclear weapon. This is the same person who said back in June that Iran’s nuclear facilities had been "obliterated". We know Israel is in the only country in the Middle East with a nuclear warhead and of course the US is the only country that has ever used one.

We have heard all this total rubbish before. Back in the early 2000s I can remember the oft-repeated lie about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, which we all knew was a lie. One million deaths and the partial destruction of that civilisation later, everybody found out it was a complete lie. Unfortunately it was just regurgitated by many sections of the media and the political establishment. You wonder when they will ever learn. I guess they already knew what the truth was because they have been providing cover for western war crimes. There are a multiplicity of news sources these days so there is no excuse for wilful ignorance. We do not know where these reckless and illegal actions are going to lead us, in terms of the potential chaos across the Middle East.

It is a potential Pandora's box, a tinderbox really. We know Iran may have a brutal, fundamentalist regime that has been massacring its own people but there is no evidence Iran is building a nuclear weapon. That is according to the head of the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi. We know that Israel and the US have no regard whatsoever for the welfare of the ordinary Iranian people, whose decision it is to make.

Just one day before the strikes began, Oman's foreign minister announced that Iran had agreed to submit to full UN verification. Diplomacy was working. The UN Secretary General said that the military operation was squandering the opportunity for a negotiated resolution. Instead, Trump, supposedly the hard man who yet seems to be Netanyahu's poodle, chose bombs over diplomacy and a deal which experts say Iran was open to. This is not strength. It is an absolutely reckless foreign policy gamble. We do not know where it is going to lead us. A lot of these people are quite compromised, as we learned from the whole Epstein episode. What has been Ireland's response as a neutral State, apart from allowing a war port to be used in Shannon? The foreign affairs Minister, Deputy McEntee, said that she cannot really say whether the US or Israel's strikes on Iran are illegal under international law. I wonder why not. Why is it so hard to state the truth, as Spain was prepared to do? It is also a member of NATO. Why are we so beholden to the White House that we cannot utter the truth? Surely the truth matters in all these things.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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"Death and destruction from the sky, all day long" was what Pete Hegseth, Secretary of War, said with glee from a podium. The man is a psychopath. He comes across as a psychopath. It is like he has styled himself on a film villain. He represents a psychopathic regime in a psychopathic system. Who is this death and destruction being rained down on? Well over 1,000 Iranians have now been killed. Although it has gotten shockingly little attention, we know that in one bombing of a school, over 160 young schoolgirls and teachers were murdered. On RTÉ and mainstream media, I have heard this being relativised by those who say we do not really know what happened here and so on. It tells us something about the distinct value of human life. If 160 schoolchildren were killed in many other places in the world, it would rightly be the number one item on the news for weeks and weeks, as of course it should be. Here, it is quickly forgotten because it is inconvenient and because it reveals the reality of what is happening. What is happening is a criminal, brutal, imperialist assault. The war being launched by the US and Israel against Iran and Lebanon threatens to become a fully regional war. It is an extension and a consequence of the impunity that Israel has been treated to after over two years of genocide of the Palestinian people. Where have we seen the targeting of schools before? Oh, yes. That is a strategy that Israel has deployed in Gaza again and again.

It is a war that is based on lies, as they always are. Donald Trump said yesterday that if they did not hit within two weeks, Iran would have had a nuclear weapon. He said: "When crazy people have nuclear weapons, bad things happen." That is a lie. He knows it is a lie. It contradicts what he said before and what has been said by all the UN experts and so on. It is interesting; it is like a playing out again of the same lies about weapons of mass destruction that we heard in respect of Iraq, to try to create a public opinion - it is not working in America or elsewhere - that would be supportive of this military adventure. It is weapons of mass destruction without even the dodgy dossiers, without even going to the bother of manufacturing the evidence this time. Who will pay the price? First and foremost, the ordinary Iranian people, the ordinary people in Lebanon and other people across the region will do so. Then people in this country and elsewhere in the world will be subject to price gouging and massive price hikes as they get hit and the Government does not defend them.

The Irish Government response has been utterly shameful. It is refusing to tell the basic truth. It is refusing to say that this is contrary to international law. You cannot bring yourselves to say it. It is refusing to condemn the bombing of a school, and refusing to condemn this imperialist assault. It speaks volumes about the position the Irish Government has gotten itself into as completely subordinate to US imperialism; in reality, it is a poodle of US imperialism. I listened earlier to the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, condemning Hezbollah for attacking Israel and then regretting the response from Israel, while recognising Israel's right to defend itself. This stuff is absolutely crazy. Black is white, the world is upside down. Where is Iran's right to defend itself in this? Everyone in this House would recognise the right of Ukraine to defend itself against imperialist assault by Russia. Does Iran not have a right to defend itself against imperialist assault? Do the people of Lebanon not have a right to defend themselves against an invasion and an attempt to create a greater Israel which is happening right now, a land invasion by Israel in Lebanon?

The European leaders who are turning a blind eye, or else applauding and assisting the US assault on Iran are going to look like big hypocrites if Trump does decide to invade Greenland. All of a sudden they will rediscover international law. The Irish Government is complicit. It is complicit in this illegal, criminal, imperialist war on Iran. It is complicit because of the use of Shannon Airport. Two US Air Force aircraft stopped at Shannon Airport before flying straight to the main European hub used to transport weapons for use in Iran. The Garda protected one of these aircraft, according to an image published by Shannonwatch. That is utterly shameful. We have to get the US military out of Shannon Airport. Follow the example of the Spanish; do not facilitate them at all.

I also make a final appeal, on the last day of the Dáil before Micheál Martin is going to go and hand over the bowl of shamrock to Donald Trump. Do not do that. Do not allow him to use the Irish national day to present himself as a friend of the Irish, to greenwash himself and to cover up the war crimes he is currently engaged in.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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The failure of the Government, and the Minister and Minister of State who spoke for the Government today, to condemn the attack by Israel and the United States on Iran is an absolute disgrace. The world is now paying a price for the bloodlust of the psychopaths who run Israel and the psychopaths of the Trump Administration who are attacking Iran and setting the entire region on fire, precipitating economic consequences for literally everybody in the world. The Irish Government cannot bring itself to condemn that. It cannot bring itself to condemn the slaughter of 160 innocent schoolgirls massacred by the Americans and the Israelis. In the last two hours, a 12,000-seat football stadium in Tehran was destroyed by a US-Israeli attack. A football stadium, which also had swimming pools, cycling facilities and dormitories, was levelled. What has that got to do with anything other than bringing death, destruction and horror to the world?

There is a lot of interesting commentary saying that the Americans and the Israelis do not know what they are doing or what the end game is. It is totally wrong. They know exactly what the end game is: they want to do to Iran what they did to Gaza. They want to extend the genocide that we witnessed for the last two and a half years in Gaza into Iran. They want to destroy it. That is what it means when they attack schools and murder schoolchildren, and they attack football stadiums, just like they destroyed all the hospitals, all the schools, all the universities and all the water infrastructure and killed 75,000 people at least in the genocide in Gaza. They now think they can do it again in Iran because they got away with it against the people of Gaza. They continue to get away with it by ethnically cleansing the West Bank, so they think they are going to get away with it in Iran and dominate and control the entire region. It is suggested that Donald Trump does not know what he is doing, but he knows exactly what he is doing.

He is going to make America great again. This is about the US empire and doing what it did in the past in El Salvador, Chile, Nicaragua, Cuba, Iraq and Afghanistan and what it is doing with America's and the West's cat's paw called the Israeli State, the genocidal regime that has been ethnically cleansing the Palestinian people since 1948 and has now reached the level of committing a genocide. Now, it wants to extend the fire, death and destruction all over the Middle East in a way that is now threatening the entire world. We said if you do not sanction this regime, we will all pay a price. Now, literally every single person in this country is paying a price for the bloodlust of Trump and Netanyahu in their pocket. Twenty thousand Irish people in the Middle East are paying the price with their security, having to shelter and flee from the fallout of the death and destruction Israel and the Trump Administration are inflicting.

The Irish Government cannot condemn it but worse it is complicit in it by allowing the US military through Shannon Airport while it prosecutes this slaughter and while it threatens to set the entire Middle East on fire. It is facilitating it as we speak, just as was done by previous Irish Governments when they facilitated the US-led war on Iraq in 2003, also based on a pack of lies about weapons of mass destruction, supposedly about taking out a dictator which led directly and indirectly to 1 million people dying and 4 million people at the time being displaced in the biggest refugee crisis the world had ever seen until that point. That also triggered the destabilisation of Syria and led to an even bigger refugee crisis which the world is still seeing the consequences of. It led to the rise of ISIS and Al-Qaeda. This is the consequence if you let these people away with it.

Is the Irish Government seriously going to go over and hand this guy a bowl of shamrock next week? It is disgusting. It is such a betrayal of our tradition of neutrality and anti-imperialism that we are going to get down and bend the knee to these bloodthirsty warmongers who are setting the world on fire. It is really revolting. I do not believe the Government has the support of the majority of people. Most people can see what is going on, the price we are going to pay for it and the economic price they are starting to pay themselves as well as the horror beginning to unfold across the Middle East. There is a logic to this. I will disagree with Deputy Paul Murphy, in that when Trumps says it is dangerous when certain people get nuclear weapons, he is absolutely right - he is dangerous. Donald Trump has nuclear weapons and Netanyahu has nuclear weapons. Israel is the only country that will not sign nuclear non-proliferation treaty. Even Iran signed that and was willing to do a deal over this stuff. Even though I have criticisms of that regime, the Omani foreign Minister has confirmed it. This is pure bloodlust, warmongering and imperialism by America and Israel and the Government is complicit in it. It is shameful.

Colm Burke (Cork North-Central, Fine Gael)
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The Russian invasion of Ukraine in March 2022 was President Putin's war of choice. The current attack on Iran by Israel and the United States is a war of choice by Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump - their war, their choice. The build-up to both wars was very similar. Russian forces massing on the border of Ukraine and American forces massing in the Middle East. President Putin, President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu have much in common. All three are land grabbers and all three worship at the altar of power. "Might is right" is their motto. There is one difference between the two Presidents - President Putin never portrayed himself as a man of peace whereas President Trump fantasises about winning the Nobel Peace Prize. Under international law, there is no legal basis for this war in Iran. The Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney, was correct when he said that a rupture has taken place in the international order. Benjamin Netanyahu's life-long political ambition was a final showdown with Iran; he now has his wish. It is also obvious that American policy in the Middle East is largely controlled by Israel. The US decision to wage war on Iran was very much an Israeli decision. US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, clearly indicated that was so in his first comments on the war. As regards Israel and Iran, America would do well to remember the wise words of their first President, George Washington, in his 1796 farewell address to the American people when he said, "The nation which indulges towards another a habitual hatred or a habitual fondness is in some degree a slave." Ukraine and the Middle East also highlight what Freud called the death drive. There are leaders of countries and of military and political organisations who are wedded to and take pleasure in aggression, destruction and killing.

Of course, in any war, the innocent will be among the first victims. In the first 24 hours, more than 150 primary school girls and their teachers were killed by a bomb.

The 2015 nuclear deal with Iran was not perfect but was working. Under pressure from Israel and Saudi Arabia, President Trump withdrew from the deal in 2018 and imposed massive sanctions on Iran. During his Presidency, President Biden was unable to restore the original deal. In October 2025, Iran formally announced the termination of the agreement. President Trump's recent negotiations on a new deal with Iran were largely a smokescreen for preparations for war. The dogs of war are once again unleashed in the Middle East. The only certainties are destruction and the killing, maiming and displacement of people on a massive scale. Western intervention in Afghanistan and Iraq brought only chaos and suffering and the outcome in Iran is likely to be the same. The war with Iran will cause a new wave of refugees into neighbouring countries but also into Europe. The Islamic Republic of Iran has been a violent oppressor at home and supporter and facilitator of terrorist organisations cross the Middle East.

While the main focus is on Iran and its neighbours, Israel has seized the opportunity to attack and invade Lebanon, bombing at will and displacing tens of thousands of people, all while Israeli settler terror groups, fully supported by the Israeli security forces, continue a policy of creeping annexation of the West Bank. The Bible says Israel shall be a blessing to all the peoples of the Earth. The question for Israelis today is whether Israel is a blessing or a curse for the Palestinian people, Lebanon, Syria and Iran. The fact that Benjamin Netanyahu is facing corruption charges and an election this year is a relevant factor. President Trump also faces a verdict on his Presidency in the November mid-term elections. Being a wartime politician can often bolster public support. We see how the consequences of war in the Middle East are not confined to the Middle East. The flow of energy around the world has been disrupted and price rises and inflation will follow. We in Ireland need to look at our own defence and security. Our geographical location has protected us and we have been protected to a great extent by the NATO alliance. Our membership of the EU is central to Ireland's well-being, prosperity and security.

As a mature democracy, we must be prepared to protect the security and values of the democracies in Europe. As a matter of urgency, we should have a serious engagement with farming organisations and food producers on improving food security. We are dangerously dependent on imports for many basic foodstuffs such as flour, fruit, vegetables, sugar and many other products. We need a much stronger emphasis on growing our own food. I welcome the decision by the Minister for agriculture to support the building of new large commercial flour mills; growing the wheat must be the next step. Likewise, we have not done enough on wind energy. We should have been able to fast-track the delivery of wind energy at sea. We are so dependent on imports of oil and gas, and when a war breaks out in no matter what part of the world, it immediately affects us. We need to plan forward.

It is important to thank all of the staff in the Department of foreign affairs and our security forces for the work they are doing, and everyone assisting those who are trying to come home and are stuck in the Middle East. I thank them for their work and their dedication and commitment over the past three days.

Paula Butterly (Louth, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for her clear and constructive decision-making over the past number of days. I also acknowledge the staff and all those who have been working around the clock to ensure Irish citizens feel safe in unsafe circumstances and have been reassured the State is there to support them.

As we gather here today against the backdrop of a conflict that has inflicted profound suffering across the Middle East, the escalating civilian loss, the displacement of families and the destabilisation of an already fragile region demand not only our attention but our collective moral responsibility. Moments such as these require leadership, collective leadership and, above all, responsibility. At moments like this, Europe must not speak in fragments but with one unified voice, firm in principle, clear in purpose and unwavering in its commitment to human dignity.

De-escalation cannot be a slogan; it is an necessity. Every day that this conflict continues, the humanitarian toll will deepen. The first duty of the European and similarly minded international communities must be to halt the cycle of violence. That means pressing for an immediate cessation of hostilities, ensuring unimpeded humanitarian access if and when needed, and insisting that international law is upheld by all parties. De-escalation is the only path that prevents further loss of life and creates the space for diplomacy to function. De-escalation alone is not enough. Europe must act as a coherent block and not a collection of states responding at different speeds and with different priorities. Our credibility depends on unity, our influence depends on consistency and our values demand that we stand together when peace and stability are at stake.

A co-ordinated diplomatic, humanitarian and strategic European approach is essential if we are to steer this crisis towards resolution. In tandem, we must also look beyond the present moment. When the bombs fall silent the work of rebuilding will begin and it will be immense. Post-war recovery cannot be an afterthought. It must be planned now, with the same urgency we bring to calls for de-escalation. The repercussions of this war, whether it lasts a few days, a few weeks, months or years will be felt for far longer than the war itself. We will not be left rebuilding only buildings but also relationships that have been fractured and potentially broken. Our world has changed and we must accept this and forge a path with those who share our same values.

When the war ends, who will pick up the pieces? Europe has a responsibility to support reconstruction that is sustainable, accountable and rooted in the needs of the people most affected. This means investing in humanitarian relief that transitions into long-term development. It means supporting governance structures capable of delivering stability and justice. It means ensuring that displaced families can return home safely and that communities shattered by conflict have the resources to rebuild not only their infrastructure but their trust in a peaceful future. Crucially, it means recognising that lasting peace requires political solutions and not merely the absence of violence. Europe must be ready to facilitate dialogue, support inclusive political processes and help to create conditions in which grievances can be addressed without resorting to arms. Europe must be ready to lead.

The Middle East has endured too many cycles of destruction followed by fragile calm. If we are serious about breaking this pattern then our actions today must be guided by clarity, compassion and collective resolve. Europe cannot control every outcome but we can choose to be a force for stability, for humanitarian protection and for a peace that endures. Europe can say "enough is enough". How Europe chooses to approach this crisis will say much about our values, our position in the world order and how we will deal with future international issues. Unchecked power leads not to peace but only to further crisis, moral decay and tyranny. Let us choose unity, let us choose diplomacy, and let us choose to help rebuild a future where the people of the region can live not in fear but in hope.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Tá sé ríthábhachtach go bhfuil an díospóireacht seo againn an tseachtain seo. Ba chóir go mbeadh muid ag caint ar cheisteanna idirnáisiúnta i bhfad Éireann níos minice toisc gur tír bheag imeallach ó thaobh na hEorpa muid ach go bhfuil ceangail againn timpeall an domhain. Féachann a lán daoine - nó d'fhéachadar go dtí le déanaí - ar Éirinn mar ghuth calma síochánta a bhfuil meas ag a lán den domhan uirthi. Is trua go bhfuil an meas sin ag dul in éag toisc na gcinntí ar ghlac an Rialtas seo agus roinnt rialtas eile le déanaí taobhú le Meiriceá nó gan seasamh leis na Náisiúin Aontaithe. Is ceann de na bunfhadhbanna atá ann é seo. Toisc nach bhfuil muid ag seasamh leis na Náisiúin Aontaithe, nach bhfuil muid ag cáineadh cad atá ar siúl san Iaráin agus nach ndéanaimid go leor ó thaobh na Palaistíne, táimid anois ceangailte leo siúd atá ag déanamh ísliú ar chumhachtaí agus seasamh na Náisiún Aontaithe timpeall an domhain. Gan an chumhacht sin agus gan an sórt conartha sin go mbeidh an meas céanna ag daoine ar na Náisiúin Aontaithe, tá deireadh leis na rialacha idirnáisiúnta a chinntigh go dtí seo nach raibh coimhlintí ar an leibhéal atá á fheiscint againn le déanaí.

Feicimid anois Rialtais Mheiriceá agus Iosrael ag déanamh ionsaí i ndiaidh ionsaithe gan aon seasamh idirnáisiúnta leo. Tá siad ag briseadh na rialacha atá leagtha síos. Tá ionsaithe Iosrael ar an bPalaistín mídhleathach, ionsaithe a dhéantar le cabhair Mheiriceá i gcónaí. Tá na hionsaithe ar an réigiún sin a chonaic muid an tseachtain seo mar an gcéanna leo siúd a chonaic muid ar Gaza agus ar an bPalaistín le blianta beaga anuas. Inniu, tá bagairtí agus ionsaithe á ndéanamh ag Iosrael ar an Liobáin agus ar an Iaráin. Tá siad seo go huile agus go hiomlán mídhleathach agus ba chóir go mbeadh an Rialtas seo á gcáineadh.

Seachas a bheith ag rá nár chóir gur tharla sé seo, ba chóir don Rialtas cáineadh iomlán a dhéanamh ar an Uachtarán Trump agus ar an bPríomh-Aire Netanyahu. Níl a fhios agam cé acu an máistir agus cé acu an puipéad. B'fhéidir go bhfuil an bheirt acu ag treorú a chéile. Tá an bheirt acu go huile agus go hiomlán ciontach as cinedhíothú sa Phalaistín agus anois tá siad ag triail leis an rud ceannann céanna a dhéanamh i ndeisceart na Liobáine agus san Iaráin. Tá siad ag ligean orthu go bhfuil cead acu dul timpeall an domhain ag léiriú gurb iadsan fórsa póilíneachta an domhain.

Chonaic muid é seo cheana féin sa tslí inar chaith Meiriceá le Veiniséala. An é Cúba an chéad náisiún eile a bheidh faoi ionsaí ag Meiriceá? Chonaic muid cheana féin Stáit Aontaithe Mheiriceá ag teannadh a smachtbhannaí ar Chúba agus é ag triail leis an tír sin a thachtadh mar atá déanta ag Iosrael leis an bPalaistín.

Tá sé tábhachtach go seasaimid go soiléir leis an nguth sin agus leis na Náisiúin Aontaithe. Tá sé tábhachtach seasamh leo siúd atá faoi ionsaí iomlán ag gach uile shórt diúracáin ó Mheiriceá agus ó Iosrael. Is léir cé chomh mídhleathach atá an t-ionsaí agus cogadh barbarach seo nuair a fhéachtar ar an tslí ar caitheadh leis na páistí scoile agus leis an bhfrigéad Iaránach, nach raibh aon áit in aice leis an gcogadh ná ceantar na hIaráine. Caithfear é sin a cháineadh amach agus amach.

Caithfimid seasamh i gceart. Tá obair á déanamh ag Teachtaí anseo tríd an ngrúpa parlaiminte atá againn a thugann tacaíocht agus a tharraingíonn aird ar cheist na Palaistíne. Táimid ag déanamh ceangal le tíortha eile chomh maith chun labhairt amach. Is cóir é sin a dhéanamh. Ba chóir don Rialtas seo labhairt amach i gcoinne Mheiriceá agus Iosrael, go háirithe sa chás seo. Tá aon duine a sheasann leo gafa le briseadh na rialacha idirnáisiúnta.

Paul Lawless (Mayo, Aontú)
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I have great empathy for the people and citizens right across the Middle East. This morning, I spoke to a mother whose daughter is in Abu Dhabi. For the past number of nights, she has been awoken from her sleep by missiles and bombs. She is located beside a US military base. What is happening is really frightening. It is devastating. Many Irish citizens are out in the Middle East and are really anxious and worried for their safety. Many of those individuals have registered with the Department or with the embassy in the UAE. I know there is frustration at the lack of information. While this is, of course, a time of great uncertainty, I ask the Minister of State to work with the embassy to make sure there are regular updates and that our Irish citizens abroad have the latest information. This database already exists. There is huge fear. That information will help and assist those individuals.

The evacuation flights that have been organised are very welcome but €800 is a significant fee for many individuals. It is almost double what a chartered flight costs. The British Government is offering flights for about £350. I ask the Minister of State to look at that. This is really a crisis situation. These are vulnerable people identified by the embassy and they deserve every opportunity to get home in a reasonable fashion.

I will also raise the very important issue of the cost of fuel. This crisis in the Middle East is going to cause devastation right across Ireland as a result of its impact on the cost of living. The price of home heating oil has increased by almost 50% in recent days. I have been speaking to hauliers and logistics companies and they have been telling me about increases of 10 cent and 20 cent per litre of fuel. It is an extraordinary cost. There is price gouging going on here and that must be examined. These prices shot up overnight despite the fact that the oil and the fuel in the pumps had been purchased prior to this crisis. This is an issue and it has happened before. This price gouging is not new. It must be investigated. We cannot allow opportunism in this situation.

I welcome the fact the Taoiseach recently outlined that he is concerned about price gouging and has recommended that the CCPC take a look. However, what about the Government's price gouging? What about the fact the cost of fuel is rising year on year? It is excessive and wrong. We were the only party in this Chamber to vote against the climate action Bill and we did so because it locked Ireland into increasing carbon tax. Irrespective of this crisis and what is going to happen to the cost of fuel over the coming weeks, the Minister of State's Government has committed to increasing carbon tax. This is despite the fact we do not know what the cost of fuel is going to be. That is wrong.

We have to give rural Ireland and the logistics companies a break. The truth is that we are an island country with a rural population, particularly along the west coast. Every single piece of food in our shops comes on the back of a lorry. Every item of clothing we wear comes on the back of a lorry. Literally everything a household needs comes on the back of a lorry. The Government's quest to drive up the cost of fuel directly correlates with the cost of living. We cannot afford this any more. The cost of living is rising very high and the cost of fuel is a significant and direct contributor to that. On behalf of all of the people across Ireland who are struggling to pay their bills, I urge the Minister of State to suspend carbon tax and to reduce the cost of fuel during this crisis. In the past decade, this Government has taken more than €35 billion in tax on fuel, and a significant portion of that comes from carbon tax.

I come from a rural constituency where we do not have the necessary public transport. The Minister of State's Government decided to introduce a carbon tax, offering a stick to push people onto public transport, but those options are not available. As a result, people have to get in their cars and drive. It is wrong that the Government is driving up the cost of fuel without providing those alternatives.

With regard to the tax take, the trajectory is extraordinary. I have gone through the data and we have submitted a number of parliamentary questions on this matter. The tax take on fuel continues to rise. Although there was a slight reduction during the Ukrainian situation, in monetary terms the rise is on a significant upward trajectory. Let us take carbon tax as an example. In 2019, the Government took in €360 million. Last year, in 2024, that figure rose to €920 million, and it is going to continue to rise for 2025 and 2026. Carbon tax levied on natural gas raised €64 million in 2020, rising to €125 million in 2024. That is a doubling of the tax take.

I ask the Minister of State to suspend the increase in carbon tax that is going to come into play in May of this year, just a couple of months away. The tax burden on fuel must be reduced. Carbon tax must be suspended until this crisis is over. Commuters cannot afford it any longer. We have already had increases in tolls in recent years.

There are many parts of Ireland where motorists are hit with a number of tolls on the way to work. Haulage companies cannot afford this. They tell me they cannot take the hit and will pass on this increase. Who will be disproportionately affected? The answer is consumers who are already struggling. There are so many people struggling.

I have listened to the Government talk of its concerns about fuel, the cost of living and so on. It could do something today about this crisis. It could reduce the tax take on fuel. It is already the majority of the cost we pay for fuel. I talk to rural commuters all the time. They ask what alternative they have. If you are living in Ballyhaunis and working in Castlebar, living in Newport and working in Westport or living in Killala and working in Ballina, you do not have the option of getting a bus. Buses are simply not an option. You cannot get to work on time and get home to collect your kids. You have no alternative to the car. This is an act against the Irish people. This is wrong. We cannot continue to subject Irish people to increasing costs, irrespective of what that future cost will be.

I spoke to another businessman, a man in the construction sector whose margins are really tight. The cost of construction is rising every week and this man has a number of vans and lorries on the road. He is massively concerned because he will have to pass that on to the consumer. In this case, the consumer is a prospective homeowner who cannot afford it either. That is the consequence of this.

We have not even talked about electricity costs. They are the highest in Europe. That needs to be looked at. Consumers in Ireland pay significantly more per unit of energy than data centres. How is that fair? How is it the case that struggling families in Mayo, Donegal or Cork are paying more per unit of energy than data centres, and the highest in Europe? All of these things are driving the cost of doing business and driving inflation. I ask the Minister of State to reduce the cost of fuel during this crisis, to give our businesses and consumers a break and to try to keep down the cost of living in Ireland.

Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the situation in the Middle East. I am sure all of our thoughts are with the people, especially the more than 20,000 Irish citizens, who have been caught up in this conflict. It is a worrying time for them and their families as they deal with the uncertainty of this situation.

I pay tribute to our officials in the Department of foreign affairs who are working on the ground in difficult circumstances to get Irish citizens home and to provide consular assistance to them. Plans for the Department of foreign affairs charter flight are welcome, with priority for vulnerable people and those with medical needs. Unfortunately, it seems the instability will continue in the short term. The charter flights must continue until all Irish citizens who need to leave the region can do so or until commercial flights and services resume at scale.

Like all Deputies, I want to see an urgent de-escalation and an end to the conflict. In the meantime, all sides should exercise maximum restraint, have regard for international norms and protect civilian lives. Expansion of the conflict to neighbouring regions in the past 24 hours has been alarming and risks a wider destabilisation. That is very concerning and risks a humanitarian and economic crisis. I welcome confirmation from the Minister that the Irish troops stationed in Lebanon are safe. This will be a worrying time for them and their families and it is important good communication continues to keep them up to date on the situation.

Turning back to Ireland, it is very regrettable some businesses seem to have used the crisis to increase prices. We have all seen reports of jumps in home heating and fuel over the weekend. Prices seemed to increase within hours of the crisis breaking out. This is completely unacceptable, and I call on the Minister to take action and seriously engage with regulatory authorities. Price-gouging to the degree reported is unacceptable and the Government should consider introducing new, maybe emergency, legislation if existing powers are insufficient to deal with it. This further underscores the need for wind and solar energy in Ireland.

I call on all sides to de-escalate the dangerous situation and move towards an end to the conflict while upholding international norms and the rule of law and protecting innocent lives.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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I am glad to have the opportunity to respond on behalf of the Government to statements on the consular aspect of this crisis. It has been a deeply frightening and uncertain time for citizens who are resident in the region and those visiting or transiting through the region. It is clear all Deputies share my deep concern for the safety and well-being of our citizens. The work of the consular crisis centre in responding to citizens and supporting embassy personnel across the region has been vital. This crisis response will continue at scale for as long as it is required. The expansion of the embassy and consular network over the lifetime of the Global Ireland strategy means we have a strengthened presence across the globe. This enables us to promote and defend Irish interests and values. It also supports broader provision of consular assistance.

I thank all Deputies for their sincere and heartfelt contributions to what is, once again, an extremely difficult debate taking place against a backdrop of ongoing violence following military action by the United States and Israel against Iran and Iran's military action in response. It is clear from contributions that we are all extremely alarmed at the rapid escalation of the conflict in recent days. It is heartbreaking to see a region, parts of which have suffered so much in recent years, plunged once again into such violence. One of the most shocking and horrific scenes thus far was the attack on a school and the loss of innocent young lives. Given the stakes involved, it is profoundly wrong and extremely regrettable that more time was not allowed for dialogue and diplomacy. Even now, the international community is right in calling for an immediate de-escalation.

We were under no illusions about the nature of the Iranian regime. We have repeatedly condemned its malign role in the region, the brutal repression of its citizens and its supply of weapons to Russia's illegal war in the Ukraine. We have been clear Iran cannot be allowed to develop nuclear weapons but the unsanctioned response is equally wrong. I was always brought up to believe two wrongs never make a right. Our position is that the best way to address concerns is through dialogue and diplomacy, however slow or frustrating progress may be. We have instead been faced with actions from multiple parties that have further undermined essential principles of the UN Charter and international law.

Ireland's position on the use of force where there is no UN mandate or authorisation is well established and known. For fear that anyone is in any doubt, let me be clear: it is wrong and it is illegal. Ireland's position is equally clear that all states must abide by international law and the principles of the UN Charter, regardless of who the states involved are. International law and international humanitarian law cannot be set aside, regardless of how abhorrent the Iranian regime has been. Let the Government's position be very clear on this. As in any conflict, all parties must abide by their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law. Attacks on civilians or civilian infrastructure, wherever they are, are violations of international law.

The UN system, however imperfect, is an essential security asset for small states, including Ireland. If the UN fails, it is because member states do not empower it to act.

As conflict has now broken out, we are faced with a situation that has rapidly escalated within a period of just a few days, bringing greater risk and suffering to the wider region. In particular, the attacks by Iran on countries in the Gulf are a matter of serious concern. We have seen Iranian attacks on airports, residential buildings and energy infrastructure in other Gulf countries. Attacking civilian infrastructure is unacceptable and inexcusable, especially as these states are non-belligerent. They are very clear violations of international law. Let us remember that the Gulf states have advocated for dialogue with Iran and have sought to prevent war. The attacks by Iran are a complete betrayal, an inexcusable effort to drag them into a conflict in which they are not involved. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, has spoken to a number of her colleagues in the region to express her sympathies and support.

As mentioned, many of these countries are home to large Irish communities, with more than 20,000 Irish citizens living in the Gulf region. The outbreak of violence has therefore presented Ireland with an extremely complex consular situation. I echo what the Minister stated earlier, in that the number one priority of the Department of foreign affairs right now is supporting our citizens in the region and their families. Our officials, including those in the region, are providing all appropriate consular assistance to all citizens who need it, including in regards to travel. A very large number of Irish citizens in the region are already registered on our the citizens' registration platform. I urge those who have yet to do so to register as soon as possible. As this is a fast-moving and unpredictable situation, it is important that citizens register to ensure that they are able to get the latest information available.

It is very welcome that one flight was able to leave Dubai yesterday with Irish citizens on board. The news that a first chartered flight for Irish citizens will also depart in the coming days, providing security and operational considerations permit, is also welcome. This first charter will be targeted at Irish citizens currently in the UAE, particularly those who are non-resident, are vulnerable and require assistance most urgently. For those citizens in the region who are concerned that they have not been contacted by officials regarding a flight, or who have not received an update from the airline, I assure them that the Department will continue to offer consular assistance through the consular crisis team and our missions in the region. We will update citizens as soon as we have further guidance.

I also stress that it is expected that further commercial options, although limited, will become available in the coming days, targeted at non-residents and those who are in transit. The resumption of commercial routes, however limited, remains the best possible way of ensuring as many of our citizens who need and wish to leave can leave the region. This twin-track approach of planning for assisted departures while remaining in close contact with airlines will continue. We also continue to be in close contact with all other EU partners, with a particular focus on identifying opportunities to collaborate and support our citizens. I ask people to bear with us as the Department seeks to manage what is a really complex operation.

I pay tribute to all of our officials, particularly those in the embassies across the region, who are working tirelessly in very difficult circumstances to provide consular assistance to those who need it. We should remember that they are working in a security situation that remains very unstable.

Aside from the situation in the Gulf states and its consular impact, I echo what was said earlier in terms of our serious concern over how this conflict is now spreading. It is particularly unfortunate that Hezbollah has now joined Iran in the conflict. The firing of rockets by Hezbollah is a serious escalation of the conflict and further destabilises an already unstable situation. The security situation in southern Lebanon was already extremely fragile in the face of ongoing Israeli military actions and the following rocket fire from Hezbollah. Lebanon has now been the victim of an Israeli air strike and ground operations. Let me be clear: these Israeli attacks disregard UN Security Council Resolution 1701, are a breach of Lebanon's sovereignty and run counter to Israel's own long-term security interests. Ireland has also been consistently clear that Hezbollah must cease all military activity and demonstrate it is prepared to disarm and cede control of weapons to the Lebanese Government as required under the resolution and the Taif Accords.

In addition, I restate our grave concern regarding the impact of the current situation on an extremely perilous humanitarian situation in Gaza. Israel has once again interrupted the delivery of food and essential supplies, worsening the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza. Israel must immediately remove all restrictions on aid access and facilitate essential supplies and services in reaching people along the Gaza Strip. We all call on Israel to lift all measures that restrict the daily lives of Palestinians in the West Bank, including the entry of vital supplies.

The focus of the international community now must be to call on all sides to exercise maximum restraint and for those with any influence to use it constructively. The risk of the situation in the region escalating further is real and must be avoided. The continuation of this conflict will only exacerbate the existing challenges in the region, deepen division and put more people at risk. Our goal must be to quickly end this conflict and de-escalate regional tensions. This position is consistent with Ireland's long track record of support for international law and the UN. The UN Charter and international law must be upheld by all countries. We hope for a better future for Iran and Iranian people and will work with all partners to support that. Ultimately, the future of Iran must be determined independently by the people of Iran in a way that creates stability in the region.