Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

What I am hearing is that the "eyes wide shut" approach is continuing.There is a suggestion there has been no inspection despite the litany of reports we have seen. We are not calling for random inspections, we are calling for very real and reasonably targeted inspections of flights coming from countries such as the US and Germany in particular, which have been shown to be carrying arms. We have seen a pattern of arms being carried. Aircraft such as Challenger have been shown to have carried munitions through the State. There are also the FedEx flights that I mentioned. These are all reasonable grounds. The pattern of a clear assumption of full impunity for anybody flying through is the reason we need to exercise the powers that are there, where there may be reason to suspect - not where they may be suspected - that those carrying out flights may be likely to be in breach. These are grounds for inspection. These are not random inspections. They are inspections to ensure, enforce and be serious about the fact that we do not want to be complicit in the flow of arms to a genocide, and that we will take all action under the laws we already have.

With respect to the suggestion that dual-use goods are not included, dangerous goods are prohibited. There has been a sevenfold export of dual-use goods, which are goods that can be used for military purposes, from Ireland to Israel. This maps onto the year in which the war has been conducted. This is seven times the amount of such goods at a time when there is a tech slump in Israel, so we know that most of that technology must be going to its other use, which is the military use. To say these are not dangerous goods covered by this is, of course, yet another obfuscation. Will the Minister of State clarify not only the question of random goods and flights but why there have not been any inspections of flights, given the alarming information? Is there a plan to change this during the period when an election is taking place and the Government is being formed, when the deaths will be continuing? Surely we can have some use of the powers that exist while we wait. I will await measures to tackle the overflights issue and I will be supportive when they come.