Rebecca Moynihan (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Cathaoirleach. It is a privilege to be here at what is the end of an era with the retirement of Senator Norris. He has not just been a strong voice in this Chamber but has been a strong voice nationally and internationally for human rights and gay liberation. He leaves a mark on an Ireland that is much different from the country he was born into. He has set the agenda for the country that we now live in. Thanks to Senator Norris, there are thousands of young gay men, women, trans, non-binary and queers who can live the life they want to with no apology. That is the choice that they can either live a big life or have the right to live a small, happy life, in the way they choose. That is a remarkable achievement and it is something that very few people can put claim to.

It would be remiss of us to be here today though and not raise the issue of what we are seeing happen in Gaza. Since October, what we have been watching has left a scar on the consciousness of most of us. Some 25,000 people are dead, most of them women and children. We are seeing a generation of lost children. Women are having C-sections without anaesthetic. Some 50% of buildings have been destroyed, with no homes for people to return to. We also have an Israeli government that is acting with impunity. It says it will not stop until Hamas-Gaza is destroyed. There is no such thing as a "day after" in this type of war. It is only how people are left to deal with the trauma of what has come before.

In a stunning statement this week, we saw Benjamin Netanyahu say that he does not support a two-state solution, which the international community has hung its coat on for such a long time. The international community has taken a hands-off approach in making no movement towards a peace process or a ceasefire. From our own peace process, we know that a settlement cannot be negotiated until the guns and the bombs are put down. Ireland has been a voice of reason on the international stage and now we need to step that up, using our influence with both the EU and the US to advocate for a ceasefire and permanent peace talks moving to a two-state solution. We know that peace can only take place when hostilities have stopped and we know that one can win the argument and not win the peace. What we need to do is to advocate to try to win the peace.