Maria McCormack (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I acknowledge the Tánaiste’s opening speech on this. I find this a very difficult topic to talk about - 19 months of genocide, 55,000 dead, 50,000 children killed or injured, and if the bombs do not kill them, starvation will. They have no food, no water and no medicine. The word "horrific" does not even feel adequate as it is just so awful. We must play our part in doing what we can as a nation to oppose this genocide as Israel continues to act with impunity.

I feel so ashamed to be a public representative looking at what is going on. Why did this Government abandon the occupied territories Bill? I commend Senator Frances Black on her work with the occupied territories Bill. Why did the Government shut down Sinn Féin's Bill on the Israeli war bonds? I have to speak plainly this morning, because what happened in the Dáil on Tuesday was a disgrace. Sinn Féin brought forward a Bill, led by my colleague, Deputy Pearse Doherty, that would have empowered the Minister for Finance to stop the sale of Israeli war bonds through Ireland. This was a straightforward, lawful and moral action that would have shown that Ireland will no longer facilitate genocide.

I agree with Senator O'Loughlin, who said we are all on the same page here, but on Tuesday her Government shut this down. It blocked a chance to act and voted against a chance to make a real difference, while the slaughter in Gaza continues, while babies are pulled from the rubble and while homes, hospitals and entire communities are levelled. I am in opposition; I do not hold the power. It does not matter whether a Member is in government, in opposition or groupies in the middle; we are all humans. I am a human and the Minister of State is a human. What is happening at the moment is inhumane. We cannot just stand by and put it off and off.

I was watching "The Week in Politics" on Sunday. A Minister whose name I do not know was on the programme. He was talking about the importance of the triple lock, He said that if committees need to meet twice a week, we need to do as much as we can to work to get this through. Why are we not doing this when it comes to Gaza? I understand there are restrictions - perhaps amendments need to be made to the Bill proposed by my colleague, Deputy Pearse Doherty - but why are we not moving quicker in this regard? These children are looking on as so many are injured before the age of one. They have never even had a chance to have a voice. We know there are things that we can do. I feel powerless and I believe that we have to stand up more and work together. This is about being human, not about being politicians. All I hear from the Government week after week is that it is thinking about it, considering it or exploring pathways. It is circles and circles of conversations and it feels like Groundhog Day.

The facts are that the occupied territories Bill has not been enacted and that war bonds linked to Israel are being sold through our financial system. We could do small things. Yes, what is going on there is not our fault, and I commend the work that was done, but there is more we can do. We are standing idly by while children are starving. I was listening to a doctor on my way to the House. They do not sleep or even sit down. They are starving and begging for anyone to be able to do anything. We have a voice. We are a small but mighty country, and I feel there is more we need to do.

While the Government speaks about watering down our neutrality and ending the triple lock, the message it is sending to people is not good. Irish people feel deeply about our history of colonisation, occupation, dispossession and starvation. They are protesting in their thousands. Irish people are livid that this Government is allowing the Central Bank of Ireland to facilitate the raising of funds for Israel's genocidal regime. The world is watching and history will remember who stood up and those who stood by. It is now, not in a couple of months, that we need to act. The children who are starving do not have time. I say this with all my heart: I am sorry to the people of Gaza because we should be doing more in this Chamber. We could be doing more. When Gaza burned, and Ireland had a chance to act, what did we do? Let this House be clear: not in our name.