Chris Andrews (Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Minister of State for coming in. I suspect he is in to defend the indefensible because genocidal Israel will be coming to the Aviva Stadium to play Ireland. I find it absolutely staggering that the Government will welcome Israel here with open arms. It is beyond belief. The Government constantly expresses concern and condemnation over what apartheid Israel is doing in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran but never acts to ensure Israel faces consequences. Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and has starved Palestinians to death. It is a terror state and it has dismantled international law. It has faced no consequences for all the terror it has inflicted on the world.

What I cannot understand is why the Government, which regularly condemns Israel, never takes action. Words are meaningless to Israel. It needs to see action. The game with Israel is a prime example of the Government speaking out of both sides of its mouth. On one side of its mouth, we have the Government saying it is going to pass the occupied territories Bill and suspend the trade pact with Israel but, on the other side of its mouth, it will welcome Israel to come here and play football. In what word does that make sense? Israel flouts international law every hour, day, week, month and year. The Irish Government is spineless and does nothing to hold Israel to account. In fact, it does not do nothing - it welcomes Israel here to play, which is worse than doing nothing.

Israel should not even be in UEFA and FIFA. We hear people saying that politics and sport should be separate and never mixed. The reality is that sport is political and there is no changing that fact. With genocidal Israel using football to sportswash their apartheid and genocide, sport and politics are intertwined whether people like it or not. The Palestinian Football Association has said that 565 Palestinian footballers, coaches and referees have been killed in Gaza by Israel's genocide, one of those being Muhammad Khalifa, who came here to play teams across Ireland. He is remembered fondly by his family and also by his Irish football family. The killers of Mr. Khalifa could be here in Ireland when Ireland plays Israel. That is just not acceptable.

Given this fact, how can UEFA and FIFA allow Israel to take part in world football? Poland refused to play Russia when Ukraine was invaded and there were no consequences for Poland, so why can Ireland not refuse to play Israel? The reason is that the Irish Government is spineless. That is what the evidence indicates. If the match goes ahead - and I sincerely hope it does not - what plans has the Government in place for screening of Israeli players, management and supporters? What security screening does it have in place for the team, management, players and supporters of Israel? Will players, management and supporters who have participated in genocide be allowed to come and go without any consequences? Will the killers of Mr. Khalifa, if they are here, be allowed to come and go without any consequences? Will the Government just turn a blind eye to those coming here to play and support genocidal Israel? If it does come to light that one of the team or supporters were involved in genocide, what proactive steps will the Government take to ensure they are held to face the consequences?

The Football Association of Ireland, FAI, president and CEO need to ensure that they do not facilitate sportswashing by genocidal apartheid Israel. Senior management in the FAI knows what is going in Gaza and that hundreds of footballers have been killed by Israeli forces, so they need to listen to their own members and stop the game. The FAI congress said no to Israel, and the CEO and president need to listen to their own members and not do the Government's bidding.

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Senator Andrews for raising the matter. The performance and integrity of our top athletes on the international stage has had a very positive impact for us, as Irish sport provides the world with a window into Ireland and the Irish people, both at home and abroad. International success for our top sportspeople enriches our country in a variety of ways. Many of our fondest memories are centred on Ireland’s achievements on the global sporting stage. These achievements have been a cause of both celebration and inspiration for the public and will continue to do so into the future. This is why the Government is committed to supporting Irish athletes competing at the highest level of international competition.

There have been many calls for Irish sporting organisations to boycott or exclude Israel from international sporting competitions in the context of the genocide in Gaza. They include calls for the Football Association of Ireland not to fulfil its UEFA Nations League fixtures against Israel this autumn. All national governing bodies, NGBs, including the FAI, are independent, autonomous bodies responsible for the governance of their own sports, including the organisation of sporting fixtures, whether in domestic or international competitions. The Government and Sport Ireland have no role in determining or supporting the organisation of such fixtures. In addition, neither the Government nor Sport Ireland have a role in determining who can participate in international competitions organised by international sporting federations. International sporting federations are responsible for determining the composition of their membership in line with their own internal rules. The international federations, in this regard UEFA, have a leadership role for their global games, and it is at this level that strategic decisions should be taken rather than by individual countries’ NGBs.

The FAI has decided to fulfil its UEFA Nations League fixtures against Israel in September and October, in accordance with its obligations as a member of UEFA, and having consulted with An Garda Síochána and other key stakeholders. The Government respects and supports the FAI’s decision to do so. The FAI has briefed both the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan and the Minister of State, Deputy McConalogue on this matter, and I understand it will be engaging with the Norwegian Football Federation to learn from its hosting of a match against Israel last year.

I should also be clear in that Ireland continues to have grave concerns about the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and the need to ensure that the people of the Gaza Strip have adequate supplies and services. The Government remains committed to working with key partners to end the conflict in Gaza and to advancing a sustainable peace plan. Ending the conflict and addressing the huge challenges facing the Palestinians in Gaza has implications for regional security and stability. We want all parties to adhere to their commitments in full, desist from any actions inconsistent with what has been agreed and to continue to negotiate in good faith to ensure implementation.In relation to this match, however, the FAI has made its decision to honour its fixture commitment and has set out its reasons for doing so. We must acknowledge its independence and autonomy in arriving at this decision.

Chris Andrews (Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Minister of State. The Government is trying to defend the indefensible. The Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, lost the plot a few weeks ago when a few idiots threw flares onto a pitch. He threatened every organisation and he was going to ban footballers and football teams, yet he has no issue playing Israel which is committing genocide and has killed 565 Palestinian footballers. He has no issue with that, but at the same time there have been no answers. When visiting team supporters, management and players come here, what security screening will be in place to ensure that if somebody has been active in genocide they are held to account? The Government are like spineless ostriches with their heads stuck in the ground, not willing to do anything to upset the Israelis or the US. There needs to be security screening. That is the very minimum the Government should do.

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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The Irish Government, and the Irish people in particular, have been very much to the forefront in advocating for Gaza and the Palestinian people going back over many generations but particularly over the last number of years. We have been one of the leading countries within Europe in voicing the huge concerns we have and the huge humanitarian crisis that is continuing there. We have been very much to the forefront in relation to it. We were probably one of the first to raise it and have continued to raise it. The Government is acutely aware of the challenges within Gaza and of the huge humanitarian crisis that continues to be there.

On security, we have a very robust security system at our ports and airports for people coming through. That will be upheld by the various authorities; I assure the Deputy of that. As a Government and as a people, we have been very strong in our concerns and challenges in relation to what has been happening in Gaza, not just over the past number of years but going right back over generations.

Alison Comyn (Fianna Fail)
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I will turn to our Distinguished Visitors Gallery once more now that I have the names of our visitors, who are the family of a very key member of our staff in the Houses of the Oireachtas, one of our ushers, Darren. I welcome his wife, Tina, and their nine-year-old daughter, Caoimhe. I understand poor six-year-old daughter Oonagh drew the short straw and she is in school today. I have no doubt we will welcome her again one day. All of us are so grateful for the wonderful work Darren and all the other ushers do in the Houses of the Oireachtas. Welcome and enjoy the rest of your day.