Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Like others, I wanted to speak on the horrendous atrocities in Palestine over the past number of days and weeks. Nobody has a monopoly on the topic and there have been genuine comments from all sides of the Chamber on Palestine. We must recognise that. My frustration, if I am honest, comes from the fact that I have spent time there and seen how horrific conditions are for people in Palestine. One can see at first hand it is an apartheid state and we should be clear that is what it is. For a Palestinian on the West Bank, it is illegal to be a member of a political party, for God's sake. That is the extent of the discrimination.

My frustration is it looks as if the Government is not going to take any constructive action. Surely to God, this Chamber can come together on the Palestine issue. We have the opportunity to do so in a few weeks, as we have Senator Black's Bill. We did not get there the last time but we all know this is an ongoing atrocity of the worst kind. We can either be a talking shop about it, saying it is terrible, shaking our heads and moving on, or we can do something about it. If people do not support full boycott, divestment and sanctions, as I do, they should at least go as far as Senator Black's Bill.

I remind the Leader, who I think is a similar vintage to me - I hope I am not doing him a disservice - that we defeated apartheid in South Africa not through dialogue but through a powerful boycott campaign across the world that drove the regime to the table.