Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate being able to speak on the motion today. I literally came off the campaign trail because I wanted to show my support for this Bill. It is extremely timely and important. It is important this debate is taking place. As I came in today, there was tremendous solidarity outside the gates of Leinster House. It is great to see it.

It is hard to know where to start. On a number occasions now, we have heard Senator Ned O'Sullivan talk about things that are happening in the world in a way that, to me, is entirely unacceptable. What I have yet to hear, however, is anyone from the Fianna Fáil party actually come and condemn these statements. We all know what is happening. I heard it on the radio coming in this morning - women and children being blown to pieces, deliberately, in Rafah. Senators may or may not have heard that the Israeli Government declared that this is going to go on for at least another seven months. We have a situation where an Israeli Government is engaging in genocide under an illegal occupation and has declared it is going to keep engaging in genocide for a further seven months. All of us should be on the one side in relation to this issue, every single one of us.

The Bill has real implications and it is important that we talk about it. I need to be fair and recognise the fact that all parties have played a key role in recognising the State of Palestine. It was the right thing to do. We waited ten years for it, but it has happened and I very much welcome that. However, we have to do so much more.Unfortunately, the airport that I lived next to, Shannon Airport, is being used by the US military and US military transport planes to head to the Middle East. We know, and again it was discussed during the lunchtime news today on RTÉ One, that the two bombs that were dropped on the people of Rafah this morning and yesterday were sourced from America. They are US bombs that are being used to blow up innocent people - women and children, and yet we have the US military still using Shannon Airport. I have been completely consistent on this matter. I have attended protests for ten years. One of my first speeches in this Chamber eight years ago was about Shannon Airport and I have been consistent ever since. There is no middle ground here, or at least there should not be. If you believe in being militarily neutral, then you should not be allowing your airport to be used by the US military. It is as simple as that. Even putting that argument aside, in the middle of a genocide, how can we be serious about our commitment to the Palestinian people if we allow the US military to use Shannon? Of course, there should be inspections. There is no question about that. The power of this Bill is it would deliver that.

I want to quote from a letter I received on my way here today from one of the activists in Shannon. This is a letter that was actually written to Micheál Martin detailing recent activities in Shannon:

17 March 2024: Omni Air number N234AX, on contract to the US military, landed at Shannon airport at 9.51 a.m. this morning coming from Tblisi, capital of Georgia. Omni Air N234AX flew on to US Marine Corps air station Cherry Point in North Carolina.

16 March: on contract to US military, landed at Shannon at 4.50 a.m., coming from Indianapolis in the US. Took off after heading for Sofia in Bulgaria and onwards to US air base Al Udeid in Qatar. This is the largest air base in the Middle East. Both aircraft are likely have been transporting armed US soldiers.

I could go on. There is a whole list here of flights just in the last two months. I am counting them as I speak because I have not had a chance to read this letter, but I am already up to 59 or 60. There have been up to 71 flights since St. Patrick's Day, in the middle of a genocide.

I welcome this Bill. It is important Sinn Féin is supporting this Bill. Everybody should support this Bill. The decision to delay it in the context of the genocide that is ongoing is nothing less than disgraceful. I cannot understand how anyone on the Government side can vote for this. I call on them not to vote for this. Maybe they might fancy having a cup of tea when it comes to the vote. Maybe, like me, they might want to get their hair done - who knows. They should not be in here voting for an amendment to delay the Bill, because I can assure you of this: the Israelis will not be delaying genocide or halting it for six months. There is no hiding place when it comes to issues like this. There is no middle ground when it comes to genocide. We cannot have a situation whereby, as the Fine Gael Party has it, it is not comfortable with Ursula von der Leyen but will still vote for her to be the next EU Commission President, even though she has greenlit genocide for months now. There is no middle ground here. I commend our Civil Engagement Group on this excellent Bill. There should be no hiding place and I call on the Government representatives from Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party to do the right thing. Delaying this is a disgrace and I have to look at the Minister, Deputy Ryan, in particular. The Green Party used to have a good record when it came to Palestine. Delaying this Bill is shameful. You should be better than this.