Seanad debates
Thursday, 25 September 2025
Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza: Motion
2:00 am
Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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The proposer and seconder have 16 minutes apiece. The group spokespersons have six and they may share time. All other contributors have six minutes. The Minister of State may be called upon to contribute from the Government side whenever he so wishes and he has 15 minutes for his contribution.
Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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I move:
That Seanad Éireann:
recognises: - the absolute horror of the war and famine being inflicted on the people of Gaza and the absolute need for an immediate ceasefire to allow for food and aid to be delivered and also for the hostages to be released;
- the Irish Government’s ongoing commitment in recognising the State of Palestine and for a two-state solution to end this catastrophic war;
- the United Nations Commission of Inquiry which found that Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza;
- the need for international humanitarian law to be upheld by all; acknowledges: - the Government’s principled and consistent leadership in calling for respect for international law, in advocating for humanitarian access, and in providing substantial humanitarian assistance to those affected by the conflict;
- the Government’s active engagement at the United Nations (UN), the European Union (EU), and other international fora to call for an end to the hostilities and the need to ensure aid reaches people on the ground;
- Ireland’s commitment to multilateral diplomacy and the peaceful resolution of conflicts, and to supporting efforts aimed at ensuring long-term stability in the region including a two-state solution;
- the Government’s intention to implement the commitment made in the Programme for Government to introduce the Occupied Territories Bill following the July 2024 International Court of Justice advisory opinion; and calls for: - humanitarian aid to reach the people of Gaza immediately and without obstruction, including through the protection of aid convoys and safe corridors for medical and relief personnel;
- an immediate and lasting ceasefire to prevent further loss of civilian life, to allow for the delivery of aid, and to create space for renewed dialogue and a just and lasting peace;
- the unconditional release of all hostages;
- the Government to continue to use its diplomatic voice at the UN, EU and other international bodies to champion the protection of civilians and the pursuit of peace;
- the Government to utilise the United Nations General Assembly to re-emphasise the need to recognise the State of Palestine and to encourage a global effort to put an end to this war;
- all parties involved in the conflict to respect international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians and the provision of urgent medical and humanitarian assistance.
I will be sharing time with Senator Comyn.
Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, for being here to take this very emotive and important subject matter as a motion. This is the first Private Members' business in this session and it is appropriate that it relates to Gaza. The last Private Members' motion the House had before the recess was on the same topic. I commend Senator McDowell on all the work he put into compiling that motion and consulting with all sides of the House to ensure that we, as a House, stood firm on the side of the people in Palestine and condemned in the strongest possible ways the absolutely shocking actions of Israel and of Netanyahu. It is very sad that we have to concentrate and focus all of our emotions and energies on this absolutely horrific situation which continues to unfold and get worse all the time, but that is what we within the Fianna Fáil Party decided to do. Obviously, there are a lot of national issues that we could have used this time for but we want to show that our hearts, souls and minds are with the people of Gaza in what they are enduring.
In the context of Gaza and the two-state solution that has been proposed, it is really heartwarming to see over the past seven days the number of European countries, including the UK, that have come on board. It is important to note that Ireland and our governments have played a consistent and vocal role in supporting the two-state solution for Israel and Palestine. In fact, in 1980, under the then Minister for Foreign Affairs, Brian Lenihan, Ireland became the very first EU member state to declare that peace in the Middle East must be based on a fully sovereign Palestinian state coexisting with Israel. Ireland has long prioritised the Middle East peace process in foreign policy. As a country, we have consistently supported international efforts to restart negotiations and we have always condemned human rights violations in the occupied Palestinian territories. That was prior to what happened on 7 October 2023. In 2024, Ireland formally recognised the State of Palestine, joining other EU countries like Spain and Slovenia. This move was hailed by Palestinian leaders as historic and deeply meaningful. When we met the Palestinian ambassador here recently, she was very clear that the Palestinian people know all about Ireland and they appreciate all the efforts Ireland is making, and that the Taoiseach and Tánaiste are making to support these people who have so little, and so little hope.
Only yesterday, the Taoiseach delivered a very powerful speech, reaffirming Ireland's support for the two-state solution. He warned yesterday that the opportunity for peace may vanish without urgent global action. Every country in the world needs to take an interest and needs to stand up for what is right. He again condemned the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as a genocide being carried out in plain sight.
Our motion recognises the absolute horror of the war and famine being inflicted on the people of Gaza, and the need for an immediate ceasefire to allow food and aid to be delivered, and also for the hostages to be released. We have consistently called for that over the past 23 months. The key priorities now are for humanitarian aid to reach the people of Gaza immediately and without obstruction, including the protection of aid convoys. Safe corridors are required for medical and relief personnel.
I listened only this morning to Dr. Mohammed Abu Mughaisib, who said he was very lucky because he managed to evacuate his family to Cairo. He talked about the circumstances in which he lives and all the medics are trying to operate in to save lives. We are bearing witness and it is almost unbearable to listen to what is going on. He spoke about the luxury of having a loaf of bread. The cost of one loaf of bread is €5. Someone like a medic cannot even afford it so we can imagine what it is like for the population, 80% of whom live in extreme poverty. The lived witness piece is important. He spoke about children crying in the tent because their families cannot provide milk or food. They are crying with hunger and they are not able to fall asleep because of the hunger. They are so cried out that they are wasted.
Some Members may know the actress Denise Gough. I met her during the summer. I know Denise and her family very well. She went to Barcelona to see off the flotilla and then she went to the West Bank. Thankfully, she came back safely last week. She gave a small example of the intimidation people are suffering. She spoke about going into a bookshop called The Gateway in Jerusalem. It was a thriving bookshop that was always full. Again, this is lived experience. While they were there the owner was arrested and taken away for a few hours. The following night the bookshop was raided and all the books were removed. That type of intimidation is shocking. When we do not have food and we have very little hope, being able to turn to books themselves for some type of inspiration is really important. Again, this is being denied.
We appreciate the Minister of State being here. I say that on behalf of all of the distraught families and the children. I am conscious of my niece, Stella, who is with me today doing her TY experience. She has plans for the future and she can talk about what she wants to do when she grows up, but the children in Gaza do not have a future. They do not have a chance for education. Many of them do not have a chance to live. That is one of the messages given by the ambassador. She said they just want their children to be able to go to school, to have opportunities and to be able to live their lives, like my niece, our sons and daughters, and our nieces and nephews.
I will hand over to my colleague, Senator Comyn. I thank the Minister of State for being here and for taking this on board and listening. We know we have the full support of the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste.
Alison Comyn (Fianna Fail)
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I second the motion. I say that with pride. I am absolutely behind Senator O'Loughlin and her words today. I thank the Cathaoirleach and the Minister of State for coming here today. I could not agree more that there are very pressing issues in our country today, but we simply cannot ignore what is happening in Gaza. We are seeing images and report every day of families torn apart, children dying of hunger and entire neighbourhoods reduced to rubble. It represents an absolute outrage that none of us can ignore any more.
What is happening before our eyes is definitely and undoubtedly war, but it is also famine. It is the collective punishment of an already desperate population in Gaza and in Palestine. I am absolutely horrified. I have said this before. I have stood here and spoken as a mother and a former journalist and said that we have to take immediate action. The suffering that is being inflicted on the people of Gaza cannot be sustained any longer. The United Nations commission of inquiry has found that Israel is committing genocide against Palestine. It is a stark and damning conclusion. It places a duty on every single one of us, as legislators, human beings, mums and dads, brothers and sisters, to speak out and to act.
This motion, which I wholeheartedly support, rightly calls for an immediate and lasting ceasefire, for humanitarian aid to flow freely and safely and for the unconditional release of all hostages. These are basic building blocks of the human decency that we need to provide and for international law.
I am proud that the Government and in particular my party, Fianna Fáil, has shown very consistent and principled leadership throughout the crisis. Ireland formally recognised the State of Palestine in May of last year, standing with the international community in calling for a genuine two-state solution. We have consistently called at the UN, the EU, every forum available and every platform on which we have spoken, for the protection of civilians, access to humanitarian aid and an end to what we are seeing on a daily basis. We have always provided significant humanitarian support to the region, even as we continue to press for safe corridors and protection of all convoys.
The Government has committed to legislating for the occupied territories Bill, following the International Court of Justice advisory opinion. We are sending a clear signal that we will not allow economic support for illegal settlements. We have a proud tradition in this country of multilateral diplomacy and peace building. In this moment of despair - because nobody can look at this right across the world and not feel despair and a certain amount of helplessness, while people are turning to us for the answers and the solutions – we must use every single tool at our disposal to champion international law on humanitarian access and the ultimate peace we all seek.
This motion is about much more than the words that are on the pieces of paper; it is about confirming our collective will that Ireland will not stand idly by while these children starve and all these civilians are massacred. It is about calling for the world to act, to join together to recognise Palestine, and to enforce international law. We need to create the conditions, which were started a long time ago, but that are not being enacted, for peace. I wholeheartedly support this motion. I urge all Senators to do the same today.
Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber and thank him for being here for this very important debate. I thank my Fianna Fáil colleagues for putting forward this motion today.
As has been said, it is important to acknowledge that what happened on 7 October was wrong. It was outrageous. More than 2,000 people were murdered.Hostages were taken and that was all done by a terrorist organisation, Hamas. Those hostages need to be released but we need to see a ceasefire. It is important to say that because it is true. Sometimes, on international media, Irish politicians on all sides are portrayed as people who do not recognise that what happened on 7 October was wrong.
Since then, over the last two years, with regard to the reaction we have seen and the level of response from Israel, any fair-minded person in the world could not but be outraged by it. As Senators O'Loughlin and Comyn have said, Ireland and the Irish people have led as a nation in their outrage. There are a number of things we have done as a country that are now being followed by other countries, which is very positive, such as recognising Palestine as a state and appointing a Palestininian ambassador to Ireland. We have seen recently that Canada, France, the UK and many others have started on that journey, which is incredibly positive because the more that come on board, the stronger that message is.
We on the foreign affairs committee worked hard over two or three months on pre-legislative scrutiny of the occupied territories Bill. That needs to be legislated for as soon as possible. There was an awful lot of good work done on that. Just like we have seen with Ireland recognising Palestine as a state, delivering on the occupied territories Bill gives the opportunity to other countries to follow Ireland's lead on it. What is very heartening as well is the diplomacy behind the scenes with regard to the EU association agreement. That is a very powerful tool against Israel. Even opening up the conversation about reviewing that agreement with Israel is very important.
What has happened in Gaza in the last couple of months in particular, but almost since 7 October 2023, is genocide. That has been called out by Ireland from the very start. The images are abhorrent and we as a country need to be as vocal as we can in supporting the Palestinian people. In our foreign affairs committee meeting yesterday, we had Mr. John Whyte from UNRWA, who gave us an understanding of what it is like on the ground for workers from UNRWA and for the people of Palestine. He was talking about the State of Palestine being the size of Louth and how 2.1 million people are confined to 18% of the Gaza area. Aid, food and medical supplies are being blocked by Israel from coming in to help those people. We need to call that out. You could not but be emotionally impacted by the contribution of John Whyte yesterday, in my view, if you watched it. He and the UNRWA staff are so committed to trying their best to support the Palestinian people.
We have, as a country and a State, done a number of significant things over the last number of months but there is always more we can do. There is certainly more we can do here, and there is certainly more we can do to convince, in particular, some of our European colleagues and friends to be able to stand up and call this out for what it really is, which is genocide. It is wrong, and it must stop.
Joe Conway (Independent)
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I would like to say a few words in support of the motion before the House this afternoon, and also to signal the widespread support of the Seanad Independent Group for the sentiments and thrust of the motion. The first thing I wish to do is make an observation I have regarding the conflict as it erupted in October 2023. It is so frequently before us in the media - on television, in the newspapers, in magazines and periodicals - that it is quite easy to find ourselves being slightly anaesthetised by the suffering and the horror of what is going on in Gaza. I suppose that is human nature. It is something journalists describe as overkill. We can get blinded or numbed to the fact that so much of this is going on and so many of the imprecations we make on decent societies and governments go with a bothered ear.
The essence of a humanitarian crisis or response is that it should revolve around compassion - not just compassion as verbally expressed but compassion in action. Not alone do we feel that there is something wrong but there is a human imperative to try to do something about it. As an Irish republican, I am very proud of the Governments we have had, doing what they have been able to do in being leading lights for the advocacy of the people of Palestine in their sufferings, none more so than the Governments since the October outrage on the other side of the coin, namely, the Hamas raid on the section of border with Israel.
Humanitarian help, to me, is an essential part of being - it is a difficult phrase - morally neutral. There is no proviso where you are considering your response to the humanitarian crisis by saying, "If you do that, this should be the case". Humanitarian aid and response is something that should be without condition. It just self-evident as one human to another. If there is an exigency in a humanitarian sense anywhere, then it should be the responsibility of human beings everywhere to try to address this.
It is part of our global solidarity as a republican nation, and it shows an inherent respect that we have for international conventions, most notably the Geneva Convention, which tries to regulate the behaviour of human beings in the execution of conflict, war or strife. All of those things are, to some extent, falling down in the way I see the conflict and crisis in Palestine over the last while. I would describe myself as a full-blown insomniac. It means that I lie awake a lot of the night listening to the BBC World Service. No other station will give you a greater delineation of the mess the world is in by outlining not just the conflict in Gaza but the conflicts in Sudan or the Democratic Republic of Congo, or natural disasters in various places such as Afghanistan, Nepal and Tibet. The list is endless but you wake up, if waking up is the proper expression in the morning, and realise that the world is in a great state of chaos. We are shockingly reluctant to address these things.
Then it is made more manifestly awful in that it is not just what we, probably in a derogatory sense, used to call Third World countries but a lot of this is bolstered by the fact that the humanitarian crisis in Palestine is driven by the world's leading power and one of its major allies in the Middle East, Israel. That is the United States. That is a fundamentally shocking admission for us as people of the First World who are, in many ways, very aligned to the United States. We find ourselves, however, shocked by the way they have taken aid distribution, for example, away from the United Nations and given it to a fellow from the Infidels Motorcycle Club called "Taz" Mulford, who has a long history of Islamophobia.He is the gatekeeper and the guard of the aid that is being given out now, supposedly to the Palestinian helpless and hopeless. What an inversion of morality and logic that is.
I have a few seconds left so I just want to signal our group's manifest support for this motion and our support and admiration for the work done by the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste, and previous Governments, in speaking up for a section of humanity that has been poorly served by the humanitarian response in times past. We look forward to better times to come.
Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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I call Senators McCormack and Tully. Are the Senators sharing time?
Maria McCormack (Sinn Fein)
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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.
Pauline Tully (Sinn Fein)
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I welcome this motion. There is nothing in it that I disagree with. I welcome and want to see the amended version of the motion passed here today. It needs to be much stronger than it is. While I welcome that Fianna Fáil is bringing forward this motion at this late stage, part of me is cynical and wondering if this is an effort to counteract its presidential candidate Jim Gavin's disgraceful remarks last week when he said it was "unconscionable" that the bombing is still taking place and that he believed the Israeli army’s “military objectives have probably been reached” with that military campaign. What world is he living in? Israel has not been engaging in a military campaign since 7 October, and by the way 7 October is not something that happened in a vacuum; this has been going on for over 77 years. Israel has actually attacked Gaza indiscriminately. More than 66,000 Palestinian people are dead, most of them in Gaza, and 20,000 of them are children. Journalists, academics, medics, and humanitarian workers have been killed. It has been indiscriminate and nothing has happened. People have been shot in the head, children included, buildings are collapsed on people, there are shrapnel injuries, and they do not have the medical capacity to deal with these injuries in their hospitals. They are short of aid and they are short on food. Israel is being emboldened all of the time. It has been emboldened in particular by the support of the USA, and not just from Trump, although that has made it worse. Biden was no better when he was there.
I do welcome the motion and I do welcome that the Government has stood up and recognised the State of Palestine. I welcome that more countries are doing so. I also welcome actions such as calling it out by not taking part in the Eurovision and sporting events if Israel is taking part, but that is not enough to stop this genocide and this indiscriminate murder of a whole nation of people. We need to see action. We need to see the occupied territories Bill passed straight away. I want to send solidarity greetings to my colleague Senator Chris Andrews on the flotilla and all of the others. It should not be civilians doing that. It should be this Government and other governments with them taking that action.
Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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It has been almost two years since the heinous terror attacks carried out by Hamas and other terrorist groups against Israel and Israeli people on 7 October 2023. The horror of these attacks remains imprinted in our minds. Murder, rape and general savagery was video recorded. Ireland has consistently and unequivocally condemned these attacks. They were absolutely disgraceful. As we approach this tragic milestone of two years, we think especially of the hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza, and their families who desperately want them home. Ireland calls for their immediate release. Hamas has brought nothing but death and destruction to the people of Israel and Palestine and has nothing to offer for the future of the people of Palestine.
Israel’s war in Gaza has killed more than 65,000 Palestinians since October 2023. Entire cities have been razed to the ground. There is massive displacement, hunger and destitution. We see the horror play out every day on our mobile phones and it is just the same on our television screens. This cycle of violence has shocked and outraged the Irish people. It has shocked both Houses of the Oireachtas and every single Member of Seanad Éireann. This outrage at the policies of the Israeli Government is shared across Europe and beyond, as ordinary people around the world ask how this suffering has continued for so long.
Without a political horizon, this cycle of violence will continue. At the United Nations high level meetings week this week, addressing the situation in Gaza has been a core objective of the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and all other Government representatives. Ireland has been at the forefront of the European and international debate, pushing for urgent action in the face of this appalling conflict. Yesterday there were discussions at ambassador level and at the Council table at the European Union to progress what was proposed two weeks ago by the Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen. Ireland continues to be at the forefront of those conversations.
The situation in Gaza and the West Bank has been, and will continue to be, a cornerstone of our foreign policy. For these reasons, the Government welcomes this debate and does not oppose the motion put forward by Fianna Fáil. Many of the proposed amendments are being worked on by the Government at European level at the moment. Many of them are being sought by the Government at European level.
Ireland’s position on this conflict has been steadfast. We have consistently called for a permanent and immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and an unimpeded surge of humanitarian aid into and throughout Gaza at scale. The determination that famine is occurring in Gaza is harrowing. This is the first famine experienced in the Middle East since monitoring began.This is a man-made famine. We must demand adherence to international humanitarian law and hold those responsible to account. There can be no more double standards. Against this dire background, Israeli military operations in Gaza have intensified, with massive destruction of buildings, relentless bombardment and hundreds of people killed while seeking aid. Earlier this month, the independent international commission of inquiry on the occupied Palestinian territory published a report concluding that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.
I share the concerns outlined by Senators for the flotilla consisting of people lawfully protesting the slaughter in Gaza, which was attacked by Israeli forces. I condemn the actions of the Israeli Government in unlawfully attacking a lawful flotilla that is seeking to engage in peaceful activities in international waters. This is a breach of international law. I have seen reports that Spain will join Italy in sending military warships to protect the international flotilla. I commend Spain and Italy on calling out the breaches of international law at play and then acting to protect those on board the flotilla. I am very conscious that Senator Andrews is on the flotilla. I fully acknowledge his sincerity and the danger he is in at the minute. We must be very conscious of that. It will not be possible, as was explained yesterday, for the Irish Government to send an observer boat to the flotilla because as the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, said yesterday, we are not a strong military power and, indeed, we would be prohibited legally under the triple lock legislation.
At least 20,000 children have now been killed in Gaza. Many more bodies lie beneath the rubble. We cannot stand idly by and must use all the levers at our disposal to respond to this crisis. That is exactly what Ireland is doing. We cannot lose sight of the situation in the West Bank. Since January, Israeli military operations have displaced at least 40,000 people, destroying homes, schools and civilian infrastructure. Almost 900 physical barriers and checkpoints permanently or intermittently restrict the movement of Palestinians every day. These barriers are the physical manifestation of the many ways in which Palestinians are being prevented from living ordinary lives: blocking people from getting to work, restricting children from getting to school, hampering access to hospitals and healthcare facilities, and making it difficult for families to visit each other. Since October 2023, the Israeli Government has approved 49 new settlements compared with an annual average of seven outposts in the nearly three decades before that. Each outpost further entrenches occupation, skews the demography and restricts the viability and territorial contiguity of a future Palestinian state. The decision to approve plans for settlement construction in the so-called E1 area of the West Bank is particularly egregious and a violation of international law. It corrodes the very core of a potential Palestinian state. We cannot be blind to these realities; we must act.
Earlier this month, the European Commission presented proposals to suspend certain trade-related provisions of the EU-Israel association agreement. These are matters that Ireland has been pushing for quite some time. There are also proposals for sanctions on Hamas, extremist ministers and violent settlers. Again, some of these matters are before us in amendments and were before the Council of Ministers at ambassador level yesterday. The Commission is also putting on hold bilateral support to Israel, with the exception of support to civil society and the Israeli holocaust memorial institution. Ireland has welcomed, looked for and led the way in seeking these steps, which are long overdue.
In February 2024, together with Spain, Ireland wrote to High Representative Kallas requesting a review of Israel’s human rights obligations under the association agreement. The dial is shifting and the outrage of EU citizens across the bloc at the EU’s inaction is finally being heard. We must distinguish between the European Union and its institutions and the people there. The truth is a dynamic is at play, whether in the Parliament, Council or Commission. I strongly recommend to people, as I did over the summer with counterparts in countries who do not hold the same view, to talk to members of parliament - Senators' counterparts - in other parliaments in countries that are not as supportive as Ireland is of these measures to listen to why they are not supportive and maybe persuade them. This is something I have been doing when talking to counterparts in certain countries across the European Union: to listen to why, to understand why and for them to understand why we are making this particular case and have been making it strongly. The dial is certainly shifting. I am picking that up in my own engagements at ministerial level. I am sure Members would too, if they engage with members of other parliaments, as I am sure they do.
The European Union now has an opportunity to demonstrate to its international partners and, crucially, to our citizens that we are ready to stand up in the face of the catastrophic situation in Gaza and to stand up for core principles and respect for international law. Ireland is working to encourage fellow member states to support these proposals. The Tánaiste has called for the Council to be convened as a matter of urgency. We do not have time to wait. Ireland has been active in calling for the EU to undertake a detailed review of its compliance with the advisory opinion of the ICJ. We have been calling for this for some time and will continue to press for action. Ireland asks that the EU’s analysis in this regard be shared with member states at the earliest opportunity.
We are working at international level, and through the UN, in pursuit of a ceasefire and hostage release deal, and to address the critical situation in Gaza. Over the weekend, we welcomed the decision of the United Kingdom, Canada, Portugal and Australia to recognise the State of Palestine. During the UN high level conference on the two-state solution on Monday, further announcements followed by France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Andorra, Malta, Monaco and San Marino. This means over 150 countries now recognise the State of Palestine. Of course, Ireland, together with Spain, Norway and Slovenia, took this decision last year in recognition of the principle that Palestine should be able to vindicate the full rights of a state, including self-determination, self-governance, territorial integrity and security, as well as recognise its own obligations under international law.
These recent formal decisions to announce formal recognition of the State of Palestine come against the background of the intolerable humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza, the shrinking space for Palestinian life in the West Bank, and the need to inject fresh impetus into bringing about a just, lasting peace, where Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side in two states, Israel and Palestine, in peace, security and dignity. We are using our voice at the UN, since 1980, as Senator O'Loughlin said, when Brian Lenihan Snr. was Minister. We were the first. We will continue to use that voice to pursue a sustainable, long-lasting peace for the two states of Israel and Palestine. The cycle of violence must be broken and a political horizon must be in clear sight.
A key issue is support for the Palestinian authority governing a Palestinian state. I have to say that when I was met by protestors last week, the Palestinian authority was among the people they were criticising, not just the Irish Government and everybody else. I was surprised to hear that. We need to support its reform agenda, even though it is not perfect. It needs sustainable financing, including the release of revenues by Israel.
The two-state solution is the most pragmatic, realistic and concrete path forward. It is the only way to build a future with two states living side by side in peace and security. It can be achieved. We believe it can and that is why we have acted. We were an active participant at the UN high level conference on the implementation of the two-state solution, which the Taoiseach attended on Monday. As co-chair of the working group of the conference, alongside Türkiye, Ireland was part of a core group of countries that negotiated the outcome document of the conference. That document was endorsed by 142 countries in a vote at the General Assembly on 12 September. There is strong international support to press ahead with securing and implementing the two-state solution.
We are also a member of the global alliance for the implementation of the two-state solution. This is the follow-up vehicle to the work of the UN conference. We have been an active participant in the work of the alliance over the past year. Meetings have taken place in Riyadh, Brussels, Oslo, Cairo and Rabat. The Tánaiste attended a meeting of the global alliance in New York yesterday and announced that Ireland will host a meeting of the global alliance in Dublin in the coming months. At that meeting, we will share some of our own experience of a successful peace process in Northern Ireland with relevance to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including creating the appropriate conditions for a ceasefire and underlining the importance of civil society. Such international engagement reiterates Ireland’s unwavering commitment to the vision of a two-state solution, where two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, live side by side in peace within secure and recognised borders consistent with international law and relevant UN resolutions.
It is that commitment to the two-state solution and to the upholding of international law that sees the Government now advancing work on the commitment in the programme for Government in relation to the banning of goods from illegal Israeli settlements. This is yet another area that Ireland has been at the forefront of. I will take the opportunity to update the Seanad on the progress of that Bill. In June, the Government approved the general scheme of the Bill. The joint committee subsequently held a number of hearings and received submissions, as Members know, representing a range of views and perspectives. The committee has published its report. On behalf of the Tánaiste, we thank members of the committee, some of whom are here, for their diligence and dedication. The general scheme delivered on the commitment in the programme for Government to progress the legislation. The main purpose of the Bill is to prohibit the importation of goods into the State from Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem. A number of other EU member states have recently announced they are also taking similar steps. Many of them, including Spain, Slovenia, Belgium and the Netherlands, are in direct contact with me, the Tánaiste, the Taoiseach and our officials. This issue was raised by some of those ambassadors at the meeting I referred to that took place yesterday in Brussels. This is welcome.
Our preference, however, is for robust action at EU level.That is exactly what we have been asked to do. I have met my counterpart from the State of Palestine and she has asked me to continue applying pressure at international level. We will do that.
We recently welcomed a further 15 Palestinian people from Gaza. These individuals are part of a complex evacuation led by the Department of foreign affairs’ consular and regional embassy teams. Since the beginning of the crisis, the Department has supported the travel of more than 200 people from Gaza to Ireland. We welcome those people with open arms and hope Ireland can be a place of respite. I acknowledge the successful cross-departmental co-operation in evacuating paediatric patients to Ireland to undergo medical treatment and care. We approved the evacuation of up to 30 sick children from Gaza. Two successful medical evacuations have already been completed and planning is now under way for the third.
Ireland has also provided over €95 million in support of the people of Palestine since January 2023. This includes €58 million to UNRWA, of which €20 million was provided in February 2025. Over €83 million of Ireland’s support has been provided since October 2023. Over €29 million has been provided this year for the people of Palestine. Our support will not waver as we seek to establish a durable, sustainable peace for Israel and Palestine alike.
I was not going to raise the presidential election but it was raised by the Opposition. Although it is not relevant to this debate, Jim Gavin was criticised by the Opposition. In the context of our talking about citizens in danger abroad, he is certainly the only presidential candidate who has direct experience of having flown planes to negotiate the release of Irish citizens abroad on a number of occasions, as well as giving extraordinary service on peacekeeping missions in Central Africa by way of directly flying planes and trying to keep the peace. I say that in his defence because he was criticised, completely unnecessarily, from the Opposition benches, and I say it particularly when we have Irish citizens abroad in what I would say is some considerable danger on the flotilla that was mentioned.
The Government has consistently called for an immediate ceasefire, the release of hostages held by Hamas and a massive increase of humanitarian aid into Gaza and will not rest until these objectives are achieved. As we approach the two-year anniversary of 7 October, we must do more than call for peace. We must seize this opportunity to end the destructive cycle of violence and deliver on our commitments for a lasting peace. We owe it to the many thousands of victims of this dreadful conflict to implement, once and for all, the two-state solution, which is in the interest of both Israelis and Palestinians. Ireland will continue to work at EU and international levels to do what we have been asked to do, in accordance with what have been the basic principles of our foreign policy since 1980, to drive the two-state agenda forward. We will continue to take measures at domestic level as we wait for an adequate international response. We do not lose hope. We owe that to our friends in both Israel and Palestine, and we will strive for a political horizon to stem this vicious cycle of violence.
Patricia Stephenson (Social Democrats)
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I am sharing my time with Senator Cosgrove.
Patricia Stephenson (Social Democrats)
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I move amendment No. 1:
After the fourth paragraph under "recognises:" to insert the following paragraph: "- the ongoing annexation and apartheid practices in the West Bank and the escalation of settler violence since October 2023 and the genocide in Gaza;"
Patricia Stephenson (Social Democrats)
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I thank the Fianna Fáil Senators for tabling this motion. We all know the extermination of Palestinian people has been relentless for almost two years and we must do everything we can and do so now. I was gladdened to hear the Minister of State mention the occupied territories Bill; however, he did not actually mention the committee report recommendations, which include services. He mentioned only goods. I hope that is not a sign of things to come when the legislation is introduced in the Houses.
My amendments seek only to strengthen the motion and ensure that it reflects the full reality of what is happening in Palestine today. I travelled to the West Bank earlier this month and saw at first hand the impact of the illegal settlement expansion, the daily intimidation, the daily violence faced by Palestinian communities and the systematic denial of their basic human rights. These are not isolated incidents. They are very much part of an entrenched system, a system that has been in place for decades and a system of apartheid. These practices have very much escalated exponentially since October 2023. We actually heard from the Minister of State himself on this and he gave some statistics on it. What we are seeing is Israel using the cloak of Gaza – the horrendous, horrific genocide in Gaza – to further its extreme expansionist ideology in the West Bank. This is done with settler violence. It is increasing with impunity and communities are being displaced in clear violation of international law. This is inextricably linked to what is happening in Gaza, which is why I introduced my amendments.
My amendments are designed to reflect these realities. They call for sanctions on those responsible for the genocide in Gaza but also the violent occupation and apartheid in the West Bank – both Israeli Government Ministers and the violent settlers. The amendments call for an end to the transport through Ireland of weapons used in these atrocities, and they also ground our support specifically for the settlement trade ban in the July 2024 ICJ ruling reinforcing the point that this is not just about political choice but a legal obligation. I have said many times in this Chamber that Ireland has a proud tradition of standing on the right side of international law and human rights. If we fail to act, we will lose that tradition. We cannot always just hark back to the past; we must implement international law now.
In my last minute, I will touch on points we have heard already. There has been a complete incursion and an attack by Israeli forces, through drone strikes, on civilians in international waters off Crete. There has been breach after breach of international law, but this is another thing Israel seems to believe it can do with complete impunity.
On the incursions into Gaza city, Senator Ahearn mentioned previously that we heard from UNRWA’s deputy director, John White, who gave us horrific detail at a meeting of the foreign affairs committee on the state of affairs in Gaza city. As winter comes to Gaza, we will see cholera, infectious diseases and more deaths. People are making the decision just to wait in their homes while the tanks come, because there is nowhere else to go.
We have the E1 plan in the West Bank, a plan that was once upon a time, 30 years ago, a red line for Clinton and the US. The Israelis are currently implementing it. They are saying they are doing so only as a consequence of all the states recognising Palestinian statehood, but that is not a fact because they have been doing this for months. All these actions represent the impunity of the Israeli state. We had to say, “Enough is enough.” If we do not do it now, we will lose all sense of international law and order. One day, that will come back to bite us. International law and order exists only because we believe in it and implement it. If we do not implement it for Gaza, one day, whether it be in Ireland or elsewhere in Europe or the global north, international law we rely on will not be there to protect us.
Nessa Cosgrove (Labour)
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I, too, welcome the Fianna Fáil motion, and I also welcome the fact that the Government is supporting it. I will speak about the motion but also the amendments.
The UN independent commission report states Israel has shown clear intent to establish permanent control over Gaza while ensuring a Jewish majority in the West Bank. I, too, was in the West Bank, 20 years ago, and at that stage I could see land confiscation, population displacement, discrimination and apartheid. These have accelerated since 7 October. We have recognised the State of Palestine. It is so welcome that Ireland was one of the first countries to do so. This has been followed by France, Britain, Canada and Australia. Now that we have recognised the State of Palestine, it is now our responsibility to focus our attention not only on Gaza but also on the West Bank.
A day ago, the Al-Karama Crossing, or Allenby Crossing, in the West Bank was the only link to the rest of the world. It borders Jordan to the east and is the lung of the West Bank, enabling the movement of people and vital goods. Israel’s Prime Minister, Mr. Netanyahu, has closed the crossing indefinitely. Three million Palestinian people rely on the crossing. While the genocide continues in Gaza, Israel is now laying siege to the West Bank and turning it into a large sealed prison. I urge that we keep this to the forefront. The Palestinian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates and Palestine’s embassies around the world are demanding the mobilisation of international pressure. We want to make our amendments to the motion to keep the focus on Gaza, but not it alone because we know Israel’s ultimate game is to take control of the whole of Palestine, the state it does not even recognise. We need to keep the West Bank very much to the fore as well.
Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)
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I thank those who tabled the motion. I will be happy to support it. It sets out some important recognitions in terms of the horror of the war, the imposed famine and, indeed, the fact that the UN commission has been very explicit that this is genocide. This is something we have all seen and that most experts have told us about for a very long time. The motion also sets out the idea that international law should be applied equally to all. Those are important key points but maybe something more needs to be added, in just a couple of areas.The motion is, by its nature, what is negotiated. It is important to mark some of the places where we need to be clearer and stronger. It is important to make a correction. It is a small piece but in terms of the humanitarian side of things, in relation to the flotilla, it was suggested by the Minister of State who was here previously that somehow the triple lock stops us from playing up. Let us be explicitly clear, it does not. The 2006 Defence Act, section 3(1)(f), explicitly allows deployment for "undertaking humanitarian tasks in response to an actual or potential disaster or emergency”. It is disingenuous to suggest that somehow acting in a humanitarian way is something that gets held back. I find it frustrating because there are many things that Ireland can do that nobody is stopping it from doing which it is still not doing. While it is really good to see the call on the Government to use its diplomatic voice at the UN and the EU, let us talk about our actions and what is available to us as actions.
Back on the humanitarian side, Ireland receives congratulations on the substantial humanitarian assistance. Two hundred people - that is all - is what we have taken from Gaza, a killing field. I do not like to go into individuals but there are ten families waiting on reunification with their children here in Ireland. In one of those cases a woman accompanied her six-year-old child but was forced to leave three other children aged eight, 12 and 14 in Gaza with no parents, choosing her youngest child’s survival. She has now not heard from those children in more than a week. Why are we not giving the basics of reunification, of bringing full families here? That might be substantial.We need to bring anybody whom we have a solid reason for doing so.That woman is now a stamped for refugee and entitled to refuge. Where there are mechanisms in place, let us use them and not trying to do the least possible. Let us be clear, if there is an attempt to appeal to the public on this, to show we have a hard line on immigration, this is not a place to be applying it. Two hundred people is a small number. Incidentally, €95 million is not that much either when we look at what we have given in other situations and the extent of the need. The crucial piece are the lives and families that could be saved.
To address another part of this issue, humanitarian aid, we can do more for the flotilla. Neither the triple lock nor anything else is stopping us. We can do more for the lives of families, each one precious and bringing something extraordinary from their experience. I am thinking particularly of the very small number of students, 50 or 60 in total, who have come to Ireland. These are incredible people to have pursued their goals to such a degree and bring ideas for the future out of a place of such awful dystopia. We should be looking to support more of them, along with their families, so they can focus on the future and not, as I know many of these students to be, engaging in desperate phone calls to their younger siblings day by day to see if they are still alive.
On the other side of it, we have to be very honest about the flow of money and arms. The flow of words is fine. Recognition is fine, but we need to be a little bit clear. Some people think we were the first to recognise Palestine. Ireland was the 142nd country in the world to recognise the State of Palestine. Everyone recognised Palestine except Europe, partly due to Europe's long-term economic, historic and other ties with Israel and its refusal to challenge Israel, along with its contribution to impunity and words about the two-state solution while purposely refusing to recognise one of the states in the mix. Ireland was good because it got Europe moving even though it was not the first country within Europe. It moved Europe forward. However, let us be clear that recognising the State of Palestine is not the game-changer; it is us repairing damage for something Europe should have done ages ago and did not. That is not enough to move the dial within the UN. What needs to happen is the kind of thing the Hague Group is putting forward. The Hague Group is a group of states from right across the world that Ireland should be signing up to which says it stands by international law and its universal application and it is going to apply it in all of these concrete ways, including, for example, shipping controls and actually stopping military transit. When we talk about that commission report that is quoted in the motion, it explicitly calls for an end to the transfer of arms and other equipment or items where there is reason to suspect their use in military operations that could support the commission of genocide. The foreign affairs committee heard from UNRWA about the robot tanks demolishing entire neighbourhoods from a comfortable distance for those who operate them, mowing down the overcrowded, desperate neighbourhoods of Gaza City. This is the elephant in the room for Ireland.
Let us talk about technologies and let us be honest about the fact that dual-use goods - dual-use is a phrase that sounds soft - goods that can be used for military purposes, have massively escalated to €113 million in exports. We have seen a massive export in those technologies from Ireland to Israel which are used in the machinery of war, in the algorithms that track people home to their houses to be killed. We have control over the exports of that technology, of those dual-use goods, and we need to be honest about that.
I will finish on two points, the first being the Central Bank bonds. That is the real flow of money. The Central Bank ignored a committee which called for a review in terms of international law and has instead tried to pass the buck to Luxembourg and say it is still going to approve these Israeli bonds, literally used to fund the war and the occupation, and have them funded but locate them in Luxembourg. I have talked to Luxembourg parliamentarians and they are not happy about that either.
Finally, if the occupied territories Bill does not include services, it is not fulfilling the International Court of Justice advisory opinion which is explicitly clear on the obligation to prevent trade or investment relations that contribute to the maintenance of the illegal situation. The foreign affairs committee was clear that that means goods and services. The Government needs to hear that message. It should listen to the finance committee which says international law is at risk in the Central Bank's actions. It should listen to the foreign affairs committee which is telling it we need goods and services included, and it should listen to the people of Ireland and indeed, the Members here, who I know feel passionately about this, and act quickly and effectively with meaningful action and not just words.
Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for being here for this important debate. An ounce of action is worth a tonne of talk and no amount of talking, emotion or wishing things to be otherwise is going to change anything in Gaza. The horrors defy description. They defy our words. It truly is a failure of humanity in its rawest form. To think about it is to think of a post-apocalyptic environment. We all share the disgust and horror. I, of course, commend the Government, the Opposition and everybody in our country who has used their time, energy and resources to try to champion a solution. It is soul destroying to see the continued action in Gaza to destroy human life in every sense.It is truly unbearable to think about.
I thank the other Seanadóirí for supporting this motion and the Government for accepting it. I encourage the Minister of State to go back to the Government and ensure that it continues to use every resource available to the State to champion a solution, a ceasefire, a release of the hostages and provision of humanitarian aid. Do not be distracted by the cheap politics of others. Do not be distracted by others who will criticise, undermine and seek to besmirch or devalue the Government's efforts. The Minister of State does not have a magic wand but she does have the authority to act on behalf of the people of Ireland. As the Government has been doing, I urge it to continue to do that. While we are a small island and while we are a small nation and our actions are wholly inadequate and cannot bring an end to the horror in Gaza, we do have influence and it is working. Our influence is most effective when we influence our European and international partners. We must keep going. We must take courage and resolve from the courage of the people in Gaza. More than two million people, most of them very young, women and children and men are being pummelled in every way. I thank the Minister of State for her time and I thank her for accepting our motion.
Garret Kelleher (Fine Gael)
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Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit, an Teachta Smyth, as ucht teacht isteach. Cuirim fáilte roimh an rún atá os ár gcomhair tráthóna inniu ó Sheanadóirí Fhianna Fáil. Is tábhachtach an rud é gach iarracht gur féidir linn a dhéanamh ón tír seo teacht ar réiteach ar an gcoimhlint sa Mhéan-Oirthear agus deireadh a chur leis an gcogadh.
In response to the unspeakable murder by Hamas of almost 1,200 innocent Israelis and foreign nationals and the taking hostage of more than 250 others on 7 October 2023, the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, stated that his objective and that of the Israeli Government was to destroy Hamas. After almost two years of relentless bombing and killing, the destruction of virtually all infrastructure in Gaza and the starvation of the Palestinian people, we ask the simple question: when will it all end? Because of the nebulous and undefined nature of Netanyahu's Government's objectives, it appears that what quickly became very much a one-sided war will go on indefinitely.
On Friday last, I met Habib Al Ostaz and his brother Ramzi in Cork to discuss the enormity of the issues being faced on a daily basis by their family in Gaza. Both young men are in their 20s. Understandably, Habib was very downhearted. I tried to lift his spirits by referring to the then impending news of new countries indicating that they would formally recognise the State of Palestine. Habib politely told me that he did not care. He simply wants the war to end and for his family to be safe. He had just received the news the previous day that his first cousin had been killed by an Israeli drone attack. He abhors Hamas and sees no role for it in Palestine's future. As stated by the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, to date, more than 65,000 Palestinian people have been killed by Israel, including more than 20,000 children. Habib and Ramzi have a younger brother in Gaza who is five years old. I have a young son at home who is five years old as well and his primary concerns are building on the friendships he is starting in junior infants and whether Bukayo Saka will be fit to play at the weekend. These are entirely different concerns to the young five-year-old boy in Gaza.
As elected representatives in Ireland, we find ourselves asking what more can we do to help bring about and end to the war and to help create a better and more hopeful future for Palestine, Israel and all of the Middle East. In this regard, the importance of working with our international partners cannot be overstated. In the absence of strong, disinterested and impartial international leadership from some of the world's larger countries, the EU must look to take a more central role on the international stage.
John Hume once described the European Union as the best example of conflict resolution in the history of world. A little more than five years after the passing of one of Ireland's greatest ever people, the time has come for the EU to play its part in helping to bring the war to an end. I welcome the fact that to date, 157 of the 193 United Nations member states have formally recognised the State of Palestine, including the UK and almost half of the EU member states. Ireland needs to continue to work with its international partners to encourage more countries to do the same. I also welcome the finding of the UN special committee that Israel's warfare methods in Gaza are consistent with genocide, including the use of starvation as a weapon of war. However, the power of the United Nations to make a strong and more meaningful intervention is hindered by the continued use of vetoes by some member states. Therefore, I believe that Ireland's diplomatic efforts should continue to be focused more on persuading fellow EU member states and the EU as a whole to do more, including imposing stronger sanctions and banning the export of arms for the duration of the war.
I want to once again state my concern about the ongoing use of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's, IHRA, definition of antisemitism. This definition should be looked at more critically. It is accepted internationally and in the European Union. It was also referenced in Ireland's programme for Government. This should be looked at again.
Paul Daly (Fianna Fail)
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Senator Kelleher made me think with his comment about his son. I am also an Arsenal fan and I was also wondering if Saka is fit for the weekend, and then it made me think how can I be wondering or worrying about something so unimportant in the big picture of what is going on in Gaza. Senator Kelleher put it very well. Not as a Senator or as a public representative but as a human being, I have been horrified since the attack on 7 October by Hamas, which I condemned, but two wrongs do not make a right. Hamas was wrong and its attack should never have happened but with the overreaction of Israel and Netanyahu, two wrongs do not make a right. We have said it and everybody has said it, that it is genocide.
I raise this issue continually with the people in more powerful positions than me as to why we are not doing more. I acknowledge today's motion and I also acknowledge the fact that the Government has led from the front, but yet I ask the question why we cannot do more. When I ask at a meeting, I am told we are doing a lot and that we have done more than many others, but then I go home and put on the news and I see what is going on. You would not be human if you did not feel that we need to do more. What we are doing is not having the desired effect, but we have to keep doing it. I compliment the Government on what it has done.
I compliment my colleagues who brought forward this motion. I strongly support it.I also compliment Senators Stephenson, Harmon, Cosgrove and Noonan for the work they put in to the amendments to strengthen today's motion. I have to take the opportunity to berate Sinn Féin for the attitude its representatives have taken here today in playing politics and trying to score points as usual. I send my very best wishes to their colleague, Senator Andrews, on the flotilla and I condemn what has happened to it. I wish him every good luck in his journey and hope he comes home safely. However, I cannot sit here and listen to political point scoring. I commend everyone else in the Chamber whose hearts are in the right place and who really want the best and quickest solution to the problem we have. For Sinn Féin Members to stand up and try to score political points shows how genuine they are on the topic. It is reiterated even more by the fact that I am looking over at empty chairs. They did not even stay for the duration of the debate. We cannot play politics as usual with this issue.
We all genuinely believe what I and everyone else, bar a couple of Members, have said here today. We have to keep pushing for more. I am repeating myself and will conclude on this: it may not look it from the outside but we have done a lot. We have boxed above our weight, we have led Europe and now have other countries beginning to come around to our way of thinking. It has be commended that we were out there first but there needs to be more done. The consequences of all we have done are not enough and not acceptable but we have to be genuine and we cannot play politics with this issue as was done here today.
Shane Curley (Fianna Fail)
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It is important to acknowledge that what happened on 7 October 2023 was a complete atrocity. What has been done since then by the IDF has quite rightly been designated as a genocide. I have a real issue with the fact that many prescribed terrorist groups around the world quite easily achieve the status of being designated a terrorist group when we see what the IDF is doing. That needs to be acknowledger in this Chamber. The images coming out of Gaza and what is happening there trouble me. It is extremely emotive. I visited the University of Galway last week and had a really long conversation with a Palestinian girl who signed up to the youth wing of my party. It was really tough. We have a huge amount of work to do as a nation to try to help the people of Gaza in the aftermath of this. Our biggest role will be when the generations of trauma come out of it.
I want to pick up on something Senator McCormack said. She said the flotilla should not be doing the work; we should be. It is something we need to discuss. My granduncle was a proud servant in the navy. I am not sure of the sense of sending our navy over there with the equipment they have. It is something we need to be mature about when we are having these conversations. How do our Defence Forces create humanitarian corridors in Gaza without changing the triple lock? I ask that this conversation takes place properly. When we are discussing the Gaza issue, we need to have more mature conversations. It is completely atrocious. What the IDF is doing is genocide. Everybody agrees on that, but there needs to be a more mature conversation when we are discussing some of the details in this Chamber.
Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for his compassion and understanding, and his support for the motion. I thank my colleagues for participating, delivering and supporting this motion and I commend the Opposition as well. We are all on the same page. We are not on opposite sides. We want to do our very best as legislators and as a nation to support those who are displaced from Palestine, those who are bereft with grief and those still undergoing an incredible onslaught.
I want to address the point that Sinn Féin made. Yes, Fianna Fáil does have a very fine presidential candidate. His experience needs to be highlighted in relation to the UN mission in Chad because this speaks to his international credentials. That mission was established in response to atrocities and the refugee crisis coming from Darfur in Sudan. It is something I know about because my sister Noelle was a volunteer there with Médecins Sans Frontières for 12 months at the same time.
His role in leading the mission there was to protect civilians, facilitate humanitarian aid and support human rights. That all served to emphasise his credentials around leadership, global engagement and doing the right thing. How dare Sinn Féin try to use this platform to try to besmirch a good man that we are certainly proud to have as our candidate.
Senator Chris Andrew was also mentioned and we certainly send our support to him. We are very concerned by developments that have happened relating to the global flotilla. It is absolutely unacceptable. It is a clear breach of international law. The Tánaiste and the Taoiseach have taken this up with the EU High Representative, Kaja Kallas, and other counterparts in New York over the past few days. We wish Senator Andrews and all of those in the flotilla the very best. We want to see them all home safely.
The motion stands on its merits. We have had good engagement and a number of amendments have been made. With continued negotiation, we are happy to accept amendments Nos. 1 to 4, inclusive. We believe they will strengthen our motion. We are happy to accept them in the absolute spirit of collaboration and cooperation that we all need to have and show in relation to humanitarian crises such as this.
All sides of the House showed the same level of collaboration in relation to the motion that Senator McDowell had before us. I hope we can continue in the spirit collaboration and co-operation when it comes to issues such as this. I thank Members for putting their time and energy into this. I know they feel as strongly as we do. Other points were made that we have taken on board. The Minister has also taken the on board and will bring them back to the Tánaiste and the Cabinet. We should all hold our heads high in terms of what we are all doing both on the Government and Opposition benches to try to highlight what we can and to raise this everywhere we can with our counterparts in Europe and across the world. We used our time in Brussels yesterday to highlight this everywhere we could. I commend the motion, as amended with amendments Nos. 1 to 4, inclusive, to the House.
Patricia Stephenson (Social Democrats)
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I move amendment No. 2:
In the fourth paragraph under “acknowledges:” after “following the July 2024 International Court of Justice advisory opinion; and” to insert “the ban on trade with the illegally occupied settlements is based on the International Court of Justice and is required under international law;”.
Patricia Stephenson (Social Democrats)
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I move amendment No. 3:
After the last paragraph under “calls for:” to insert the following paragraph: “- sanctions on Israeli Government Ministers responsible for overseeing the genocide in Gaza and annexation in the West Bank.”.
Patricia Stephenson (Social Democrats)
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I move amendment No. 4:
After the last paragraph under “calls for:” to insert the following paragraph: “- sanctions on violent settlers responsible for violence against the Palestinian population in the West Bank.”
Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House, as well as all Members. When is it proposed to sit again?