Frances Black (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I apologise for not being here last week to hear everybody's maiden speeches. I congratulate both colleagues who were re-elected and those new people who have just been elected. I am truly honoured to have been re-elected to Seanad Éireann. I thank all those who voted for me.

I must highlight the position regarding the occupied territories Bill. We all know that the situation to which it relates has become a crisis in the seven years since I introduced the legislation. Thankfully, there is a ceasefire in Gaza today. In the past year, however, the world has witnessed both a horrific war and a silent catastrophe unfolding in the West Bank.We are seeing one of the largest land grabs in decades. Homes are being destroyed, families are being uprooted, and innocent lives are lost to violence. As we all know, I have been advocating for the Bill since 2018 because it is the right thing to do. The settlements are illegal. End of story. They rob families of their land and undermine the prospects of peace. Before the election the Government fully committed to supporting this Bill, but now it is obviously proposing its own version. As far as I am concerned, I do no care who brings in the Bill, whether it is me or the Government. It does not matter. What matters here is the policy. What I want to know today is whether the Government will implement a full ban on all trade with illegal settlements. Will the Government's Bill comply with international law as clarified by the International Court of Justice, or will it include exemptions and weaken the mandate? That is the question I ask today, and it is a crucial question that we must all ask.

Let us not forget international law. In July 2024 the ICJ issued a historic finding stating that the occupation and the settlements are illegal and that there is an obligation on all states not to trade with them. The Taoiseach and the Tánaiste have both acknowledged these obligations. The programme for Government also commits to following the ICJ. However, the court emphasised that states must abstain from entering into economic or trade dealings with Israel regarding the occupied territories and illegal settlements. There is no ambiguity. Trade means trade, end of story, and we cannot ignore politically challenging aspects.

What I am asking for today is not new. In 2014 Ireland and the EU quickly banned trade in goods and services with the Russian occupied territory and this ban was implemented within months of Russia's illegal actions in Ukraine. Why should there be a double standard? There should not be. International law must be applied equally and consistently, otherwise it means nothing. This is even more critical given the EU's inadequate response to the genocide in Gaza recently.

I reiterate that if we want to implement the ICJ ruling, the quickest way is to pass the occupied territories Bill. I am open to technical amendments to strengthen it, but what matters is that a full ban is enacted and we hold up our commitments. Will the Minister, who said last week that he would meet with me, meet with me? We urgently need a meeting.