Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 36 and 37 together.

I announced on 27 March that Ireland will intervene in the case initiated by South Africa against Israel under the Genocide Convention at the International Court of Justice. We intend to make our intervention under Article 63 of the Statute of the Court. This Article allows states that are parties to a convention (in this case, the Genocide Convention) to intervene in a case where the construction of that convention is in question in a case before the Court.

Government has agreed that Ireland will file a Declaration of Intervention once South Africa has filed its Memorial setting out its legal arguments with the Court. This will take a number of months.

In the meantime, I continue to follow this case closely, including the most recent order for additional provisional measures delivered by the Court on 28 March. I welcome in particular the measure requiring Israel to ensure the unhindered provision at scale of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance. This is a recognition by the Court of the dire situation unfolding in Gaza. The Court has given Israel a month to report on its implementation of its order.

Ireland does not impose unilateral sanctions regimes, but implements UN and EU sanctions. Ireland is currently pushing for agreement at EU level on sanctions against violent settlers in the West Bank in addition to further sanctions on Hamas, and we hope to see these adopted as soon as possible.