Patricia Stephenson (Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I support Senator O’Loughlin’s contribution on the condemnation of Hungary Pride. It would be fantastic to have a debate on this issue. I have already raised it at the Council of Europe and will continue to do so. It is a big issue.

I ask for a discussion on further action that we can take regarding Gaza, and particularly what the Minister could do to work with member states to invoke the “uniting for peace” UN General Assembly resolution, Resolution 377(V), to convene an emergency special session of the General Assembly. I have raised this here before and it came up in an unopposed motion by the Labour Party in the Dáil. I would also like this House to call on the Government to impose sanctions on high-level Israeli ministers, as the UK did yesterday.

I also want to raise a matter of serious concern regarding the unlawful detention and abduction by the Israeli occupation forces of civilians from the humanitarian flotilla on Sunday night as they sailed in international waters. While we know no Irish citizens were on board, we know the civilians who were on board, many of whom are citizens of EU member states, were engaged in humanitarian action that many in this country support. Eight of them remain in detention, the conditions of which, allegedly, remain very poor.

Today, my colleagues in the Dáil have introduced a motion to end Ireland’s role in facilitating the sale of Israeli war bonds. These bonds are directly funding Israel’s military action in Gaza, which means the Irish Central Bank is responsible for approving the prospectuses for the bonds, enabling their sale across EU member states. By approving these prospectuses and allowing financial institutions to sell or hold these bonds, the Irish Central Bank is effectively providing the capital to the Israeli state to fund its military actions in Gaza and indeed the West Bank. This is not a neutral act; it has moral and political consequences. I urge the Government to support the motion and urge the House to consider what other actions it can take on Gaza.