Mark Dearey (Green Party)

I welcome the Minister. Senator Quinn is looking through the wrong end of the telescope on this issue and I was astonished by his contribution which struck me as ill-informed and grossly misplaced. As Senator Doherty remarked, we find ourselves much in agreement with Senator Quinn in this House but in this case his contribution was beyond the beyonds.

The Rachel Corrie is on its way to the Gazan coastline as we speak. I have been outing the fact in recent days that I inspected the cargo myself before the ship left and I have no doubt of its humanitarian nature and of the humanitarian intent of the crew.

I believe the Minister has spoken to Derek Graham by satellite phone. I heard him today on local radio expressing grave concern at a rumour, and it was just that, to the effect that a Turkish gunboat may accompany the Rachel Corrie on its approach to the blockade. I hope that is not true but it is something about which he was exercised on radio today. It would be good to hear an assurance from the Minister that this is not the case in any shape, way or form. It would represent an appalling vista to see that boat used as a pawn in an international power trade. I raise this for the safety of the people involved.

The call for action is prescient right now. There have been many diplomatic gestures, some of which have been strong and some not so strong. We need stronger action at this stage with regard to expressing our outrage at the act of piracy in the eastern Mediterranean. Last year, my party proposed diplomatic expulsion on foot of the abuse of Irish passports and it is good to see that is happening. As long as Irish citizens are in need of the support of our diplomatic services in Tel Aviv in Israel, we should keep our people there. It would be inappropriate to remove them at this moment but we should send the strongest possible signals at this stage. Would a conference of the signatories of the Fourth Geneva Convention be a prospect given that collective punishment is expressly outlawed in that convention? That is precisely what has been inflicted on the people of Gaza through this blockade and through Operation Cast Lead, to which Senator Hannigan referred and which killed thousands and left many children without parents, schools, education, sanitation, prospects or hope. Gaza was utterly devastated by that operation. Approximately 40 lorry loads of construction material have been allowed through the blockade since then whereas, prior to that, there were 7,000 in the same year. The convoys were sent to deal with a reconstruction project that was nowhere near the scale of what was required after Operation Cast Lead.

The offer by the Israelis to bring in the goods is utterly disingenuous. The banned list means that, in fact, nothing would get through. Serious work must be undertaken in using the collective punishment avenue and we must seriously consider convening some group around this theme of abuse and around the Fourth Geneva Convention to try to lever an end to the blockade of Gaza.

The Lisbon treaty probably offers us some prospects. For anyone who had any doubts about its merit, now is the time to show the increased ability of the European Union to act with one voice on foreign affairs issues and such a position ought to be taken up now after the passing of the Lisbon treaty.