Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I commend the Government on its recognition of the State of Palestine. Our recognition, along with that of Spain and Norway, has made a big international contribution to the possibility of further recognition, to creating momentum for a ceasefire and to allowing politics to fill the vacuum. It was a worthwhile, important and courageous step for our Government to take and it merits acknowledgement.

I welcome the introduction of this Bill, particularly in the light of the horrific events we have seen recently in Gaza, in Rafah specifically. The devastation and loss of innocent lives underscore the urgent need for concrete action. Within the past week, Rafah was yet again the scene of unspeakable violence and a reminder of the ongoing conflict that ravages Gaza. The killing of humanitarian aid workers in April further emphasised the brutal reality faced by those attempting to provide relief and support in these war-torn regions.

Our Government has commendably recognised these repeated Israeli actions for what they are. Truly, they are not merely tragic mistakes but are war crimes that merit collective punishment. Genocide is occurring. Nobody questions the wrongness of what happened on 7 October and that is not at issue. Ireland has a proud record of not having a remote trace of antisemitism. This is a different issue and I suspect that very many ordinary Israelis around the world would privately feel similarly. It is wrong.

This Bill stands as a testament to our commitment to human rights and international law. As my Government colleagues have said, we accept the bona fides of the Bill and the work that has gone into it. We accept that the Senators responsible for it are trying to do the right thing. The reality of the catastrophe in Gaza between 7 October 2023 and 30 April 2024 is harrowing. During that period, at least 34,568 Palestinians were killed and 77,765 were injured. When you roll figures like those off your tongue, you forget the human reality for each family and individual. Where children are involved, it is a horror. The scale of devastation is unimaginable, with more than 10,000 people estimated to be missing under the rubble in Gaza according to the Palestinian Civil Defence. The entire 2.2 million population of Gaza is now in urgent need of food, humanitarian assistance and protection. Like my colleague earlier, I commend the Minister for pushing to ensure extra humanitarian aid, which is good and as it should be. This dire humanitarian crisis underscores the reality of the situation.

We have shown our bona fides at Government level and many of us in this room have, through our parliamentary parties, worked hard to achieve that. We showed our bona fides in the recognition of Palestine. We are saying to the Senators proposing the Bill that we have no difficulty with it in principle. We have no difficulty with their motivation or objectives. We have no difficulty in recognising the horror that is there. We are saying that the six-month period is to test and achieve various outcomes. There are questions around the Chicago Convention. There are questions about current grants of exemption. The Bill provides that exemptions under Article 3 of the 1973 and 1989 statutory instruments shall not be granted in circumstances where an application has been made in respect of military or dual-use items destined for, or coming from, a country which exports military or dual-use items to Israel. There are complexities here with the Chicago Convention. There is also an issue for staffing and the number of people who go onto an aircraft. A lot of background work is required in respect of enforcement of the various regulations that would apply and the international context.

Senator Higgins suggested earlier that the reality is different, but as it is at the moment, under existing Irish law, only soldiers are going through. I acknowledge there is a debate around that. Munitions and armaments are not allowed under existing law. The Senator might argue to the contrary and say that is not implemented properly, but I do not know.