Mark Wall (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I am taking this debate on behalf of my colleague, Senator Moynihan, but I put on record again my own call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, which is badly needed and urgent. Senator Currie spoke of helplessness and that is reflected by so many people I meet day-in and day-out in Kildare. It is reflected by the figures cited this evening by the Tánaiste: 136 long days of war, 100,000 dead or injured, 1.9 million displaced and 90% facing acute hunger. It is terrible to be using statistics but I will cite another very important one. Some 625,000 children are being deprived of education. Where else is this happening in the world? Nowhere. It is unbelievable that this is being carried out in full view. When we turn on our TV news every night, what we are seeing is incomprehensible. The figure that has stuck with me since it was mentioned in the House earlier is that there are 17,000 unaccompanied children. A new acronym, WCNSF, is being used for "wounded child, no surviving family". This is what Israel is doing in full view of the world.

The Tánaiste was right to intervene and say this is wrong and should not be happening and that there is a future, but that future has to start shortly. I welcome his statement tonight but the helplessness the Irish people feel has to be acknowledged and supported.I welcome the Private Members' motion tabled by the Civil Engagement Group, which we will debate tomorrow night. That debate will give us another opportunity to discuss these issues and I totally support the contents of the motion.

It is important to say tonight, when we have the opportunity, that we need to do more. The Government, in fairness, has done a lot. The Tánaiste and the Taoiseach have been to the forefront but more can be done. I encourage the Government to look again at Senator Black's Control of Economic Activities (Occupied Territories) Bill. It is beyond time that we adopted that legislation. It has been talked about and has been included in programmes for Government but we need to enact it. I urge the Minister of State to bring that back to his Cabinet colleagues with a sense of urgency.

The upcoming trips to the US by members of the Government have been mentioned and it is very important that we use those trips to the best of our ability. It is beyond time that we called out the US for its support, both financial and by way of arms, for Israel. As has been said previously, one cannot bomb one's way to peace. That simply cannot happen in any state and it needs to be called out. I join colleagues in encouraging all of those travelling to the US to use their time to call out what is happening in front of our eyes in Gaza. We see it every evening on the news and it is simply not good enough if we use that time for anything else. Right now, 17,000 children have no parents and unfortunately that figure, as Senator Clonan said, is increasing by the minute. That is what we are facing at the moment.

I also welcome the Tánaiste's announcement last week of additional money for UNRWA. That is essential. The work that UNRWA has done, and continues to do, is essential for the people of Gaza and it must be supported. We must continue with that investment and call out those who have stopped providing funding. It is essential that the investment in UNRWA's work on the ground is continued. The Tánaiste said earlier that the scale of civilian casualties that we are witnessing, with vast swaths of the Gaza strip reduced to rubble, leads him to the conclusion that Israel's actions have violated international humanitarian law. There is absolutely no doubt that he is correct. We all know what is happening before our eyes, as has been said by contributor after contributor tonight. It needs to be called out at every opportunity and I add my voice to that. The last poll I read found that 80% of people in Ireland have called out what is happening in front of our eyes as genocide and I have to concur. There is no other way of saying it. That is what we are seeing day in, day out. What we are watching is abhorrent, criminal, immoral and vile. It is time it stopped. It is time it was called out. The entire international community, including the US, must call it for what it is.

I thank the Cathaoirleach for the opportunity to contribute to the debate I look forward to supporting the Civil Engagement Group's motion tomorrow night. This cannot continue. I repeat, for the third time, that 17,000 children are without a parent. It is just not right.