Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I dtosach, ba mhaith liom tacú leis an méid atá ráite ó thaobh comhbhrón a dhéanamh le muintireacha an dream a bhásaigh sa stoirm inné. Ba mhaith liom comhbhrón a dhéanamh freisin le cairde, muintir agus comhghleacaithe Fheargal Ó Cuilinn a bhásaigh roinnt laethanta ó shin agus atá á chur inniu. Bhí Feargal ag obair leis an eagraíocht Glór na nGael le roinnt blianta anuas. Ba fhear óg é a bhásaigh i mbealach aisteach go leor. Thit sé i dtinneas an lá a raibh Cluiche Ceannais na hÉireann á imirt. Bhí Baile Átha Cliath ag imirt. Ba fan mór leis na Dubs é. Níor tháinig sé as an tinneas sin. Ba fhear óg é agus bhí clann óg aige. Is mór an chailliúint é. Ba fhear é a bhí díograiseach agus gealgháireach i gcónaí ó thaobh na Gaeilge. Bhí sé ag gach ócáid a raibh tábhacht ar bith leis a bhain le saol na Gaeilge agus thug sé an-tacaíocht do dhaoine thar na blianta. Déanaim comhbhrón le gach duine a bhain leis.

The situation in Catalonia is getting very worrying, with the head of the Catalan National Assembly, Jordi Sanchez, and the head of Omnium Cultural, Jordi Cuixart, being kept in custody. It is also worrying that the chief of the Catalan police, Josep Lluis Trapero, is facing charges. The two Jordis are the main pro-independence leaders of what are civic society organisations in Catalonia. In an Irish context it would look like the ard-rúnaí of Conradh na Gaeilge or the president of the GAA being sent to prison because they organised peaceful protests. It is a huge issue and is worrying.

Can Senators imagine if this Government had decided to imprison the people who organised the Right2Water protests? It is on the same scale and it is a very serious infringement of human rights. It is about time our Government got off the fence on the issue, it is about time the EU got off the fence on the issue and it is about time the international community got off the fence on the issue. We need to stop the bullyboy tactics from Madrid and put in place an international talks and mediation process outside the politicised courts of the Spanish system. We need an urgent debate and I call on the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, or the Taoiseach, to come to the House to debate the issue.