Sarah O'Reilly (Aontú) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House today.

I welcome the opportunity to speak on section 2 of the Bill. It is such an important step towards ensuring that Ireland is not complicit in the devastation we are witnessing in Palestine. Some 50,000 innocent people have been killed, the vast majority of whom were women and children. Families have been torn apart, entire communities wiped out and international law has been trampled on. The Irish people have watched in horror as hospitals, schools and refugee camps have been bombed into rubble. We have seen the images of starving children, of mothers cradling the lifeless bodies of their babies and of people being systematically displaced from their homeland.

I spoke of Cavan surgeon Dr. McMonagle last week in the Seanad. He was on "Prime Time" last night, speaking about the surgeries he performed in Gaza. It was horrific to hear his descriptions and see the video footage of the injuries he was treating. One girl, who was only six years old, had to have surgery to remove shrapnel that was lodged in her throat. It was absolutely horrendous.

The Bill is about making a stand against the killing of innocent people. It is about sending a clear message that we will not allow our country to be complicit in war crimes by exempting munitions of war being carried through our airspace. I commend and thank the Civil Engagement Group for bringing this legislation forward. The legislation also speaks to a fundamental principle of Irish foreign policy, namely, our long-standing commitment to neutrality.Ireland has long prided itself on being a voice for peace and justice on the world stage. With our history of peacekeeping, we have always sought to uphold international law and human rights. However, neutrality is not just about staying out of wars; it is about ensuring we do not enable them. Passing this section of the Bill is a crucial step in reaffirming our neutrality in a meaningful and principled way. Some will argue that an arms embargo is merely symbolic and Ireland is too small to make a difference, but history has shown us that small nations can lead the way. We saw it with the Dunnes Stores workers who stood against apartheid in South Africa. We are seeing it again by way of the provisions of this section. Ireland cannot claim to stand for peace while allowing any form of munitions of war to fly over our airspace.