Pauline Tully (Sinn Fein)

I start by being associated with the condolences to the family, friends and former colleagues of Dr. Martin Mansergh. I acknowledge his significant contribution to the peace process which led to the Good Friday Agreement. I also want to be associated with the condolences to Senator Clifford-Lee and her family on the untimely death of her mother.

I raise the issue of the global summit flotilla on which my party colleague, Senator Chris Andrews, is aboard. They are now within two day's sailing from Gaza. He and the participants are still as determined as ever to open a humanitarian corridor to bring aid to those besieged in Gaza who are suffering and enduring a genocide and a man-made famine.

It is not the first flotilla Chris has been on. In fact, he has been on three before. In 2011, he was kidnapped and kept in an Israeli jail for a week. However, he feels that the stakes on this one are higher, not just for the participants but for the people in Gaza as well. He is concerned. Israel has been quite threatening in its language. It launched drones at some of the ships last week and, thankfully, no one was injured. It has tried to paint the flotilla as anything other than peaceful and this may be used to justify future violent action by Israel against the flotilla as it gets nearer to Gaza.Ordinary people like Chris and others from across the globe should not have to do this. Governments should really have come together to open that humanitarian corridor some time ago. We have all been watching the scenes on our televisions for the last two years. Israel is guilty of war crimes and has been called out for it. It is guilty of genocide. The UN has said so, as have many other countries. We have words of support for Gaza and words of condemnation for Israel but that really is not enough.

I acknowledge that the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Harris, has been in touch with Senator Andrews, as have some people from his Department. I urge the Minister and the embassy in Tel Aviv to be on high alert over the next few days to support the Irish citizens on board the flotilla and their families, just in case something happens. Hopefully, nothing will happen but I urge them to be prepared just in case it does.

On the peace deal being considered, I am hopeful that this will lead to something. I hope it is something that all sides can agree on. However, I am conscious that it was drafted by the American President and has been seen by the Israeli Prime Minister but has not been seen by any representatives of the Palestinian people. I know they are considering it and I hope they can agree to it but I am really concerned that it may be something to which they cannot agree because it has almost been issued as an ultimatum - if the Palestinians do not agree to this, America will support Israel in what it is doing, full blast. I am really concerned but hopeful that it can be resolved. I also hope that the Minister and the embassy will keep a close eye on matters.