Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise the issue of Palestine again. It is an issue to which I constantly return because, unfortunately, the situation continues to worsen.Last year was a deadly one for Palestinians, with 171 of them being killed by Israeli forces and settlers, including more than 30 children. Some 49 people, of whom 17 were children, were killed during the Israeli assault on the besieged Gaza Strip. At least 9,000 Palestinians were injured in the same period. By the looks of things, this year is going to be far worse. By mid March, more than 80 Palestinians had been killed, and this includes 17 children. In the same period 13 Israelis, five of them children, have been killed.

Israel's new Government, which contains representatives from extremist and racist parties, has given violent settler groups licence to attack Palestinian villages, destroy homes and property, blockade roads and assault farmers and deny them access to their land. This violence is carried out with impunity. The Israeli occupation forces passively watch on or often join the attacks in support of violent settlers. I call for a debate on this topic. It is badly needed. Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil will be shown to have been on the wrong side of history when it comes to Palestine. In particular, the refusal of both parties to support the occupied territories Bill is nothing less than shameless. Everybody knows Israel is an apartheid state, yet we have a Tánaiste who says it is not helpful to use the term "apartheid". Imagine saying that about South Africa when it had an apartheid system. It is inexcusable. It is up to all of us to take a stand on this issue and I call for an urgent debate.

The second issue I wish to raise is the very disturbing report on yesterday's "Morning Ireland" about what is happening to international protection applicants who are without accommodation. As of yesterday evening, there were 408 people in this situation. These included a woman who was eight weeks pregnant. She was finally provided with accommodation yesterday, having spent five nights sleeping in a tent in Dublin city centre, where her partner had to take turns keeping watch with another man. They are terrified.

People arrive here in fear, having fled in terror and now they are left sleeping rough on the streets of Dublin. There are 408 applicants in this situation as of yesterday evening. This Government is failing in its international obligations. It is failing to implement proper human rights law with these people and this is nothing less than disgraceful. I call for a debate about that as well.