Maria McCormack (Sinn Fein)

Our spokesperson for foreign affairs is not here today. We have his empty chair here. I feel quite a weight here and genuine fear for his safety. The Sinn Féin group have put their names to the amended motion as we do not feel that the Fianna Fáil motion goes far enough on a few points. In particular, I want to mention the final amendment calling for a halting of transportation through Ireland and through Irish airspace of all weapons and dual-use items travelling to Israel for use by the military in Gaza and the West Bank. We cannot allow a situation to continue that threatens our neutrality. Concerns have consistently been raised about the use of Shannon Airport and the Government continues to ignore these concerns.

Members will know there is an aid flotilla trying desperately to make its way to Gaza. The flotilla was attacked by drones the other night. Yesterday we woke up to the news that the humanitarian fleet of over 500 civilian volunteers was subjected to co-ordinated attacks in European waters off Crete. Drones, explosives and chemical dispersals targeted unarmed vessels, damaging ships and endangering lives. There are over 20 Irish civilians on board the boats in that flotilla including our very own colleague Senator Chris Andrews. Thankfully we have been able to keep up communication with him and I spoke to him last night. The reports are that the volunteers on the boats are safe for now. Senator Andrews sent me a statement to read on his behalf because he could not be here for this debate. He said:

The Government should follow the example set by the global summit flotilla by taking meaningful action in solidarity with the Palestinian people. After shamefully refusing to pass the occupied territories Bill or ban the sale of Israeli war bonds, it is pure hypocrisy for this Government or its Senators to claim to have stood up for the human rights of the Palestinian people. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are acting as if they are powerless spectators to this genocide rather than a sovereign government with real options to hold Israel to account. The reality is that Ireland has done absolutely nothing to alleviate the man-made famine imposed upon Gaza and has completely failed to sanction Israel for its crimes. If Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael were serious about their support for Palestine, they would be doing everything they could to support the opening up of a humanitarian corridor to Gaza to end the starvation and the slaughter. The global summit flotilla is doing what the Irish Government and other governments should be doing: directly sending humanitarian aid to Gaza and confronting the Israeli regime. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael should be more concerned with ensuring that this flotilla and its aid reaches Gaza and that its participants return safely home rather than engaging in shallow self-praise.

We acknowledge that the Government has finally hardened its stance on Israel's genocide to some extent but it did take a while. We must remember that Senator Frances Black's occupied territories Bill was first tabled in this House in 2018. That was seven years ago and it has still not been passed and the Government is still trying to water it down. I am glad to see this motion debated in the Seanad but the motion is not strong enough. I hope the Government parties will support the amendments.