Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, again. Before I call Senator Clonan to make his case, I welcome his guests: Ms Walaa Sabah from Gaza and Ms Fiona O’Rourke from the Irish Writers Centre at Trinity College Dublin. I hope they enjoy their visit to Leinster House.

Tom Clonan (Independent)
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I thank the Minister of State for coming along to take this Commencement matter.

I want to raise the case of Jehad Sabah. He is a 57-year-old man. He has managed to get away from Gaza and all of the destruction there. He is currently being held at El Arish hospital in North Sinai in Egypt. Jehad's daughter, Walaa Sabah is here. Ahlan wa sahlan, I welcome her to this House. Jehad is suffering from a serious cardiac condition. He is only 57.He has been told that El Arish hospital does not have the specialists to treat him. He is effectively detained there, along with Walaa's mum, Rina, who is 51. The ask is that the Minister for Justice facilitate a visa for them to come here to be reunited with their daughter, Walaa, who works with the Irish Red Cross in Ireland. The Sabah family have a very intimate and close connection with Ireland. Walaa's younger sister, Rawan, is only 20, which is the same age as my daughter. She is trapped in Gaza, among all the destruction there, with her brother, Ahmed. Rawan has just got a scholarship to study pharmacy in Trinity College Dublin. We hope there will be a pathway for Rawan to come and join Walaa. Will the Minister consider, facilitate and expedite a visa on medical grounds for Walaa's dad, Jehad, to be treated? I imagine, notwithstanding its severity, that his medical condition is probably something that can be routinely treated in Ireland.

We have heard so much about what has happened to the people of Gaza. At this point, 14,500 children have been slaughtered there. It is de facto a genocide. It is urbicide, with the destruction of towns, cities and villages. It is femicide in the wholesale slaughter of women and children, which is infanticide. It is genocide. That is not a criticism of the Jewish people, because the Israel Defense Forces are a multi-confessional force. The Israel Defense Forces are made up of Druze, Bedouins, Muslims, Christians and Jews. Criticism of the genocidal actions of Netanyahu and the Israel Defense Forces is not a criticism of Judaism. It is not an antisemitic statement. It is the recognition that, before the world's eyes, genocide is taking place on an unprecedented scale in this century.

What can we do? The Government, including the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste, has shown great moral leadership in calling out these genocidal actions. We might throw our hands up and ask what we can do. Walaa's brother Ahmed is trapped there. I know that the Israelis, as they move through the territory, are carrying out what are euphemistically referred to in the media as field executions. They are murdering boys and men. We can help the Sabah family. We can reunite them. This is something practical we can do for a family - reunite them. In time, I hope that Rawan gets out and then Ahmed, so that we can save this family.

I do not mean to sound melodramatic or trite but when we watch a film such as "Schindler's List", we all understand the meaning and impact of saving people. We have within our gift the opportunity to save this family. I know the Minister of State will urge the Minister to consider this request favourably and assist the family because they are trapped in that facility. They need consular assistance to facilitate this visa.

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Senator for raising the issue on behalf of Jehad Sabah. I welcome his daughter to the Visitors Gallery. I know and appreciate that this is a very difficult time for everybody. While I have an official response that I will go through, I will also address the seriousness of the issue. I will liaise with the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, on this Commencement matter.

I express my sympathy to the Sabah family on the incredibly difficult circumstances they are encountering. There is no justification for the devastating loss of life and the attacks on civilians and healthcare services in Gaza. It is simply not justifiable. I am advised by the Minister for Justice that his Department is acutely aware of the grave humanitarian crisis in Gaza and that his officials are working closely with colleagues in the Department of foreign affairs to ensure a co-ordinated national response to this volatile and evolving situation. This includes work to evacuate Irish citizens and their families, who may require visa assistance. Medical evacuation operations are extraordinarily difficult. In September last year, the Government approved Ireland's participation in an initiative to evacuate a number of sick children from Gaza for treatment and care, following an appeal from the World Health Organization. The initiative was organised under the EU civil protection mechanism, though it is the Department of Justice, supported by the Department of Health and the HSE, that facilitated the evacuation of children out of Gaza via Egypt. The first group of children arrived safely in December.

This was a very complex international operation, which required significant input and resources from a number of Departments, and indeed from countries and international organisations. I am advised by the Minister that unfortunately, his Department is very limited in the assistance it can provide to Palestinian nationals who wish to resettle in Ireland, unless they have an entitlement to move here under the existing legal migration pathways. The Embassy of Ireland in Israel is actively engaging with applicants, gathering the required documentation and ensuring the visa division of the Department has everything it needs to progress this issue.

I will convey the seriousness of this case and I will ask the Minister and the Department of Justice and indeed other Government agencies as well, to look into this case. I accept the genuineness of it and I accept the bona fides of what has been put before me. I will certainly liaise with the Department to see can we further assist.

Tom Clonan (Independent)
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I thank the Minister of State. Jehad and Rina al Sabah are actually out of Gaza. That is the most critical aspect of this. They are now in northern Egypt and therefore some of the barriers and the obstacles to their liberation from what is effectively a ghetto, a concentration camp created by the Israeli military, have been removed.

I am heartened to hear of the precedent of Palestinian children and family members being brought to Ireland under that medical category of visa. I think it is called a stamp 3 visa, though I might stand corrected on that. Given the precedent that exists, if we bring Jehad and Rina here, it will save Jehad's life. He is 57 years of age. He might see his children again and in time, God willing, Inshallah, his grandchildren. This is something we can do for him and the family.

Again, that link with Rawan getting the pharmacy scholarship to Trinity College demonstrates the family is already making contributions to our society, such as working with the Red Cross. I thank the Minister of State for his support. If he could convey this to the Minister’s officials, I would really appreciate it.

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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I accept the genuineness of the issue, and I understand that on a number of fronts, the family is well-integrated into Irish society and will be into the future. It is a complex area that we have to work on. Notwithstanding that the family is in Egypt, we will work with the Departments of Justice and Foreign Affairs and Trade, and if there is other information the Senator has and wishes to pass on to us, we will get it to the Department and try and issue a more detailed response. However, I accept the bona fides of the case. There is a complex web of bureaucracy we will have to try to get through. I am committed to taking the case back to the Minister and I will relay the seriousness of it. At 57 years old, Jehad is the same age as myself, so I understand. We have to think of the family in the long term as well.

We can only look on aghast at what is happening in the Middle East at the moment and the huge humanitarian crisis that has developed. Sometimes when we look at it, as the Senator said, we feel like throwing up our hands. However, we have been very vocal about it. It is hugely frustrating to see this happening in our world in what we believe are enlightened times.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I welcome our guests to the Gallery. I hope you are enjoying your visit to Leinster House. Enjoy the rest of the day.