Rónán Mullen (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I commend my friend and colleague, Senator Hoey, on her valuable remarks on cockfighting and animal welfare generally. I share her concerns there.I think our education system is an area where more emphasis needs to be placed on respect for creation and the animal kingdom. We have made a lot of progress over the years in Ireland in this area. It would be terrible if we were to slip backwards.

I do not know how I feel but I think most people in Ireland will have welcomed the announcement of the recognition of the state of Palestine. We are not the first country to do so. Sweden, Poland and others have done this over the years. Whether it is the right time and whether it sends out the right message, I frankly do not know. I certainly agree with my friend and colleague, Senator Malcolm Byrne, that the two-state solution that needs to be emphasised and pressed for cannot be on the basis of any recognition of Hamas or other Iranian-backed groups. I think people looking on will wonder whether this is high-visibility virtue signalling by a small country that might have more impact working behind the scenes at coalition building. This might be more befitting our role. We must ask ourselves today whether this increases our influence with Israel. Perhaps even more importantly, does it increase our influence with the United States? As someone who very much supports the State of Israel and its right to a secure existence, we cannot ignore at the same time that we are further away from a two-state solution than ever. The public line from Israel of opposition to that is of no interest. There is the brutality of 700,000 or more illegal settlers. Israel needs to be brought to the table. Of course the Palestinian community needs to be challenged. Did they ever agree with a two-state solution? Will they live with a two-state solution unless it is imposed from outside? Effectively, that cannot happen without America so there is no future here. Israel's actions in Gaza have horrified the world, just as the evil actions of Hamas have done the same. Ireland must work as much as possible behind the scenes to be a coalition builder and a worker for peace. I am in two minds as to whether we have advanced our position with today's move.