Chris Andrews
Labour Panel · Sinn Féin · Ireland
“I want to move an amendment to No. 1 on the Order Paper, proposing an orderly winding down of the accommodation recognition payment scheme in a way that is fair and efficient. I note today is the last day of Dáil and Seanad sittings before the summer recess.”
“The Government can point to housing and claim that there are huge successes. There is only success for the wealthy, the well-off, the developers and the landlords. They are all delighted with Government policy.”
“Government will say, "Look at the positives", but there are a huge amount of challenges. You need not look any further than the housing crisis. Of course, the Government will point to an increased number of housing developments. However, those housing developments are for the very well-off.”
“We supported the development of housing on the Glass Bottle site. We worked hard to ensure to get more social housing. Unfortunately, the Government would not do that. Now it seems that the so-called "affordable housing" on the Glass Bottle site will be unaffordable.”
“I move amendment No. 14: In page 7, between lines 25 and 26, to insert the following: “Annual report 11. The Minister shall, within the first six months of the year, lay before both Houses of the Oireachtas a report outlining the application of this Act, providing an update on— (a) how many successful actions were brought under section 14…”
“I move amendment No. 2: In page 4, between lines 4 and 5, to insert the following: “ “settlement service” means a service provided in whole or in part within a postal code or relevant occupied territory to which this Act applies;”.”
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“I move amendment No. 1: 1. To delete all words after “That Seanad Éireann approves the following Order in draft:” and substitute the following: “Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 (Section 9(2)) (Amount of Financial Contribution) Order 2025 (Revocation) Order 2026, a copy of which was laid in draft form before Seanad Éireann on 2nd July, 2026, and further calls on the Government to provide that the Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP) Scheme shall apply only to: - existing recipients with respect to the beneficiaries of temporary protection currently benefitting from the scheme where those beneficiaries of temporary protection have satisfied a means test similar to those applicable for other housing assistance payments; - new applicants who propose to host a beneficiary of temporary protection in their property which is also their own primary residence and who have not availed of the Rent-a-Room Scheme in the previous 24 months; ensuring that the ARP does not further distort the rental sector; and - recipients who are not in receipt of any additional or ‘top-up’ payments from a beneficiary of temporary protection.””
“The Government can point to housing and claim that there are huge successes. There is only success for the wealthy, the well-off, the developers and the landlords. They are all delighted with Government policy. When you look at the 18,000 people on the homeless list, the 5,000 children who are homeless, whether the Government likes it or not, it is Government's responsibility.”
“We supported the development of housing on the Glass Bottle site. We worked hard to ensure to get more social housing. Unfortunately, the Government would not do that. Now it seems that the so-called "affordable housing" on the Glass Bottle site will be unaffordable.”
“Government will say, "Look at the positives", but there are a huge amount of challenges. You need not look any further than the housing crisis. Of course, the Government will point to an increased number of housing developments. However, those housing developments are for the very well-off.”
“I want to move an amendment to No. 1 on the Order Paper, proposing an orderly winding down of the accommodation recognition payment scheme in a way that is fair and efficient. I note today is the last day of Dáil and Seanad sittings before the summer recess. I thank the Leader, as Senator McDowell said, for his kindness and work, the Leas-Chathaoirleach for always being so helpful and supportive, and of course all the staff without whom we could not do our work. I acknowledge the work that the staff across the Houses put in. Of course, I wish all the Members well. I hope everybody enjoys the recess. I think everybody will do that. It is also important to recognise the amount of work we all have ahead of us when we come back in September considering the scale of the problems facing this country.”
“15 seeks to require a degree of transparency regarding the implementation of this legislation. The amendment would compel the Ministers for Finance and Foreign Affairs and Trade to publish information on their Department websites about any ban adopted regardless of its content.”
“I move amendment No. 15: In page 7, between lines 25 and 26, to insert the following: “Advertisement of prohibition 11. (1) The Minister for Finance shall ensure that the prohibition on trade in goods, or in services, and in the extraction of resources, with the postal codes to which this Act applies and to relevant occupied territories, is advertised on the website of the Department of Finance, and of the Revenue Commission, and wherever else he or she deems necessary. (2) The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade shall ensure that the prohibition on trade in goods, or in services, and in the extraction of resources, with the postal codes to which this Act applies and to relevant occupied territories, is advertised on the website of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.” Similarly to amendment No. 14, amendment No.”
“It is vitally important that this legislation is successful in preventing illegal occupation and illegal settlements of Palestine from profiting in Ireland and that these settlements are not sustained and facilitated by illegal commercial practices. The Government should be transparent in its level of success.”
“I move amendment No. 14: In page 7, between lines 25 and 26, to insert the following: “Annual report 11. The Minister shall, within the first six months of the year, lay before both Houses of the Oireachtas a report outlining the application of this Act, providing an update on— (a) how many successful actions were brought under section 14 of the Customs Act 2015 relating to the offences listed in this Act, (b) how many attempted actions were undertaken, (c) the monetary value of such attempted forms of trade, (d) the persons engaged in such trade and/or the bodies corporate who have engaged in such trade, and (e) any other the matter the Minister considers relevant or necessary.”. Amendment No.14 would compel the Minister to lay a report before the Oireachtas detailing the implementation of the Act and the listed figures and information.”
“13 would clarify that a corporate actor or an individual acting as a director or related position in that corporate actor can be found guilty of an offence for violating this legislation.”
“(2) Where an offence referred to in subsection (1) has been committed by a body corporate and it is proved that the offence was committed with the consent or connivance, or was attributable to any wilful neglect, of a person who, when the offence was committed, was a director, manager, secretary or other officer of the body corporate, or a person purporting to act in that capacity, that person, as well as the body corporate, is guilty of an offence and may be proceeded against and punished as if he or she were guilty of the first-mentioned offence. (3) Where the affairs of a body corporate are managed by its members, subsection (2) applies in relation to the acts and defaults of a member in connection with his or her functions of management as if he or she were a director or manager of the body corporate.”. Amendment No.”
“I move amendment No. 13: In page 6, between lines 12 and 13, to insert the following: “Penalties 8. (1) A person who has been found guilty of an offence under section 14 of the Customs Act 2015, shall, for the purposes of this Act, be liable— (a) on summary conviction to a class A fine or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both, and (b) on conviction on indictment to a fine not exceeding €250,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years or to both.”
“I mentioned in my last contribution, and I missed it in the Minister's answer, that Spain wrote to seven online tourism platforms and got them to block advertisements of settlement properties, yet we allow it. How can Spain do that? What is the process? What are the legal reasons Spain can do it and we cannot? We let the likes of Airbnb off the hook. As I said the last time, I still do not know why Spain can do something like that and we in Ireland cannot.”
“Will the Minister explain why Spain can write to companies like Airbnb, stop them from advertising and we cannot? I still do not fully understand that.”
“The Government regularly talks about the services element not being implementable, saying restricting trade in services is not implementable. In my view, that is misleading. Last December, the Spanish authorities wrote to seven online tourism platforms ordering them to remove hundreds of advertisements for tourism accommodation in illegal settlements. As of today, six of those seven companies have complied. Ireland is effectively proposing to let similar companies based here, like Airbnb, off the hook. Will the Minister explain because I still cannot figure it out how Spain can do it and Ireland cannot? It comes down to a political decision taken by the Government to try to not offend anybody and at the same time, in doing so, offend everybody. Why not do it right and include services?”
“Experts in EU law have told us that Article 62 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union enables Ireland to take this action and that there are notable examples of member states taking actions to restrict illegal external trade. Some of the most esteemed and recognised experts in European law say that Ireland is well within its rights to restrict trade and services within our borders, yet the Government chooses to put its head in the sand. To me this seems to be another example of the Attorney General's advice being used as a get out of jail card by Ministers looking to backtrack on their election promises.”
“I fully accept the need for this legislation to be legally sound and able to withstand a challenge within the courts. I also fully accept that trade with the Israeli West Bank settlements is illegal under customary international law, including trade in both goods and services. The Minister for foreign affairs has also stated that she accepts this ruling, yet by choosing to exclude services from this legislation she puts us further away from compliance with this ruling. The Government has stated that in an ideal world it wants to be in compliance with the legal ruling but that it is not allowed to take action at a domestic level solely because the Attorney General advised it that this is the case. Unlike the Minister, I do not take the word of the Attorney General as gospel.”
“Services make up 70% of the trade with these illegally occupied territories and settlements. The Government needs to go beyond merely tokenistic gestures when it comes to sanctioning occupation and illegal settlements. If the purpose of this legislation is to have Ireland lead by example and build momentum on an international level by taking a strong stand against these illegal settlements, then diluting the Bill by excluding services can only cripple the leadership the Government claims to want to show. Ireland can be a leader when it comes to sanctioning these settlements but not when we back down at the slightest whiff of opposition. Likewise, if the purpose is to inflict a real economic penalty, then excluding the vast majority of economic activity from the sanctions makes this legislation practically useless.”
“It is disappointing that the Government chose to ignore the conclusion of the foreign affairs committee when it conducted pre-legislative scrutiny on this topic. Amendment No. 2 defines "settlement service" as "a service provided in whole or in part within a postal code or relevant occupied territory to which this Act applies". Likewise, the other amendments in this group relate to reinserting a ban on trade and services into this legislation, as was proposed in Senator Black's occupied territories Bill, and introducing a ban on the advertising of services originating in the occupied territories. From the Dáil debates on these points, I fail to see any compelling, legal, political or moral reason for services not to be included within the scope of this Bill.”
“He has huge humanity, which is something that is lacking from the Israeli Government and the IOF. Dr. Abu Safiya served the sick and the dying and he dedicated himself to his people, the Palestinian people. He was beaten in detention and there are serious fears for his life. For many Palestinians, their life means nothing to the Israelis. The Government needs to add its voice to the condemnation of the treatment of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya. It is really important this happens. In relation to these amendments and amendment No. 2, the vast majority of trade between Ireland and the occupied Palestinian territories takes the form of services. To purposely exclude this trade from the Bill undermines the spirit and purpose of the Government's effort here. This is the fundamental issue with the legislation.”
“We are also here because of the brutal treatment of Palestinians by the Israel occupying force, IOF. One person who probably represents the horror that Palestinians are facing is Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, a paediatric doctor, who was kidnapped by the Israeli authorities. He had no charges and he has been beaten and tortured daily. His legal team has stated that he believes, with good reason, that he is going to be killed. It seems to be only a matter of time before he will be murdered by the Israelis unless there is some sort of intervention by governments. I ask that the Irish Government intervenes and makes it known that the treatment of Dr. Abu Safiya is completely unacceptable. He is a man of huge humanity. He stayed when many would have left.”
“I move amendment No. 2: In page 4, between lines 4 and 5, to insert the following: “ “settlement service” means a service provided in whole or in part within a postal code or relevant occupied territory to which this Act applies;”. Regarding the comment the Minister made a few minutes ago when she said people would feel the Bill is not going far enough, that is an understatement because clearly, and by the Minister's own admission previously, we are not complying with the ICJ judgement or with international law. We are here because you would imagine we would be trying to comply with international law. We should be complying with it, not trying to. We have an opportunity to comply with international law. As this occupied territories Bill has been watered down, it is not going to comply with international law and the ICJ judgment.”
“For this reason, I believe it is important to define "illegal settlement" to allow for more precision in the measures proposed by this Bill and to ensure that the legislation does not have an inverse effect than that intended by discouraging trade with Palestinians suffering from occupation and apartheid.”
“1, as has been referred to by previous speakers, seeks to address the potential flaw with the Bill in that Palestinians who are living in a postal code shared with illegal settlements could be denied the opportunity to trade. The postcode labelling is flawed. Clearly, the EU updates it and it is a moving process. There needs to be a double safety net to ensure that the occupied territories Bill that Europe is opposing is effective. Clearly, Palestinians who want to export their goods and services to Ireland should be facilitated in doing so.”
“This was discussed extensively in the Dáil and in the foreign affairs committee but I do not see a strong legal argument to exclude services. There is certainly no moral argument to do so. Instead, I see a political argument, designed to put the Government on the path of least resistance. We are all united in wanting to ensure that those involved in illegal occupation and illegal settlements in Palestine are not profiting in Ireland and that these settlements are not sustained and facilitated by illegal commercial practices. With this in mind, I hope the Minister will keep an open mind during today's debate to ensure this Bill is as effective as possible. Amendment No.”
“The vast majority of Irish people want the Government to take action to hold Israel to account. There has been huge frustration over the many years during which the Government has sought to delay, if not outright oppose, the occupied territories Bill. We should remember that the Government parties gave a commitment before the last election to enact the occupied territories Bill, no doubt taking into account the level of support for Palestine among the electorate. It is enormously disappointing that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have backtracked on this commitment and are instead pursuing a critically weakened version of Senator Black's Bill. I will speak to this point later on but the choice to exclude services from this legislation is clearly its most serious flaw.”
“Israel is doing everything in its power to wipe Palestine and Palestinians off the map. It has slaughtered tens of thousands in Gaza and displaced, starved and tortured hundreds of thousands more. In the West Bank, Israel is accelerating its settlement policy, with settlers acting with sickening impunity, killing and maiming any Palestinians they wish to without any fear of legal repercussions. It is pure state-sponsored terrorism on the part of Israel and the international community has done next to nothing to condemn or punish it for its breaches of international law. Ireland should be stepping up and showing leadership at an international level, taking real action to oppose Israel's crimes and showing that some countries are willing to stand up for what is right. Ireland has decided not to do that, however.”
“Very few Bills from Independent Senators make as lasting an impact on the public as the occupied territories Bill. It is a testament to Senator Black's commitment to this cause and to the Irish people's strength of feeling when it comes to Palestine. This issue has been prominent since the Bill was introduced in 2018. Back then, Fianna Fáil was happy for the Bill to pass through the Seanad, only for it to be stopped by Fine Gael in the Dáil. In 2018, the occupied territories Bill was hugely important in the context of blatantly illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank and the clear attempt by the Israeli state and Netanyahu's Government to undermine any potential for an independent and viable state. Since then, the need for legislation imposing sanctions on these illegal settlements has become all the more urgent.”
“I welcome the Palestinian ambassador to the Chamber. It is an important day for Palestinians and for the ambassador, who has put in a huge amount of work advocating for Palestine over the years. I acknowledge the work and determination of Senator Frances Black on the occupied territories Bill over the better part of the last decade. I am pleased that the Opposition is unified in supporting and co-signing her amendments to this legislation. I also acknowledge Conor O'Neill from Christian Aid, Eoin Hamill from Trócaire, and Sadaka. I also acknowledge the work and commitment of the general public in campaigning for and supporting the occupied territories Bill and supporting people in Gaza and the West Bank. Without that pressure, we would not even have the watered down legislation the Government is proposing.”
“The Aviva stadium management previously agreed to ensure sufficient Portaloos would be in place for those arriving. Apparently, some 3,500 people can arrive into that area through buses and cars. Deke’s Diner, located at the Seán Moore roundabout, can only do so much with the limited toilet facilities it has. He does what he can to support people, but he is being overwhelmed. Aviva management and Dublin City Council need to ensure that previously agreed arrangements are in place. It is unacceptable and the amount of public urination causes poor health standards. This is because the Aviva management is not doing what it agreed to do. It is important that Dublin City Council holds it to account and that the Aviva management steps up to its responsibilities in this regard.”
“It should be about people such as Jodie. Those people got the news last night that the medication they need, namely, Skyclarys, was again further delayed by the HSE. This is devastating for all those with Friedreich's ataxia. The Government needs to make the right call and ensure that they get the medication they need. The HSE needs to stop stalling. Time is precious and the decision has been pushed out for another four weeks. People with Friedreich's ataxia do not have that time. They desperately need a better quality of life. As I said, they are unbelievably positive despite the challenges they face. I also raise the issue of the South Bank and Whitebank roads off the Seán Moore Road in Ringsend. Some 65 buses, along with cars, arrive when there are concerts in the Aviva stadium. They park at one end of the Seán Moore Road.”
“I start by wishing Argentina well tonight against England in the World Cup semi-final. I will support anybody who is playing England until England is not occupying Ireland. I wish Argentina well tonight. Yesterday, I met 21-year-old Jodie Donovan, who, at the age of 14, noticed that her mobility was not like that of her friends. It took doctors five years to diagnose that Jodie has Friedreich's ataxia. It is a devastating diagnosis. Despite this, Jodie has a lovely, bright, warm personality, and despite all the challenges, she is a happy and resilient young person. It is truly amazing in light of what she is going through. Across the floor, there have been calls for Jodie and others with Friedreich's ataxia to get the medication that will significantly slow its progress and give them some hope. This should not be about politics.”
“The local authorities, funded by the State, have bought this building back to build offices for Dublin City Council. Of course, that is another issue. The fact is that selling off public buildings like the post office in Rathmines is, in my view, a huge mistake. In generations to come we will recognise that this was a huge mistake. I would like really like to see the Government put in a huge effort, together with Dublin City Council, to ensure it is kept in State ownership.”
“In the meantime, this magnificent art deco building, which has been in the hands of the local community and An Post for 90 years serving the community, is going to be gone. It is a magnificent building. It has huge opportunity to be the jewel in the crown in Rathmines but unfortunately, it is going to be sold off and God knows what will happen to it then. It is a huge loss to the Rathmines community. Letting properties like this go is a huge mistake. We do not have to look any further than Kevin Street. The college in Kevin Street was serving the public and it was a Department of education building. It served generations of people in educating communities. The Government decided to sell it off to a private developer to pay for the Grangegorman campus but now the State has had to buy it back.”
“We support this legislation. It is really important. I have an observation on the comment the Minister of State made about the post office in Rathmines. It will go to a private operator and he will be very good. He puts customer service at the front of his business model. The difficulty is that were that business model to change over time ,where then would the post office go? There is a real concern that it is privatising that postal service. It is about ensuring that while it is there in the Centra in Rathmines, it will operate well for residents. The difficulty is that if the model changes, it is probably gone. This is what happened in Sandymount, in Harold's Cross, in Donnybrook and in Kevin Street. The model of the private operator changes and then the post office is gone. It is nigh impossible to find an alternative operator.”
“We need to see ambitious forward-thinking action taken by the State to ensure this property remains in public and community use and the long-term good of Rathmines is not left to chance.”
“There is a real risk that the building will be sold off to a private developer and left to lie derelict for years on end, or otherwise be removed from public or community use. Rathmines post office is a vital part of the social infrastructure in the Rathmines community, which has already lost a number of important services over recent years. This building needs to be kept in public ownership for the use of the community. To sell it off without a plan would be an act of recklessness. There are some proposals from local community activists about what might go into the space. It should be a central community hub for Rathmines. It could be the heart of cultural or community activities, or both.”
“For this reason, it is vital that the Government commits to a structured multi-annual investment that would safeguard these services well into the future. I raise the issue of Rathmines post office, which will close this Friday. This is a devastating blow for the local community and staff alike. The building is likely to be put on the market in the middle of next year but, as of now, there is no plan for this historical building to stay in public hands. It would be a huge loss to allow a building as magnificent as this to leave public ownership. An Post is planning on selling off this beautiful Art Deco building, which has been the home of Rathmines post office for almost 90 years and is an iconic feature in the local community.”
“Sinn Féin welcomes this Bill and its proposals to support the post office network. This needs to be supported across the State in both rural and urban areas, which was why we proposed an investment of €15 million in funding for postal services in our alternative budget last year. Sinn Féin has long supported a new public service mandate for our post office services, backed by strategic investment in an expanded range of services and better conditions for postmasters, to ensure that the existence of post offices is safeguarded in the long term. Post offices are often the last remaining public service in many communities and play a proven and irreplaceable role in supporting social cohesion, offering critical services and access for older people, vulnerable citizens and marginalised communities.”
“The housing action group, which has worked really hard, is open to discussions and to finding solutions but the Minister has been disrespectful to them from start to finish and refused to meet them. He should agree to meet them.”
“The Government already undermined this by making these affordable rental as opposed to affordable purchase, which was a huge disappointment to residents. Of course, affordable purchase would have been a far better option for working families looking for long-term stability. Now, it is looking increasingly likely that affordable rentals will not be delivered. This is beyond disappointing and very unfair on the residents and those who fought for the local community to get a fair share of those homes on the site. Once again, the community has been let down by the Minister and he still refuses to meet with the residents of the Irish Glass Bottle site. It is so disrespectful. It is hard to understand why he would not just sit down with, meet and speak to the residents of the Irish Glass Bottle site.”
“Lots of people and residents have contacted me really worried that their new beginnings will go up in smoke. It is important, in light of these revelations, to reassure those who have already been allocated their homes that those homes will be safe. The contract has been signed and they should be moving into those homes in the coming weeks. The existing social homes are safe. It is really important to stress that. What is happening for the next phase of social and affordable homes is very unclear. Negotiations are ongoing and the article in the newspaper was referring to the next phase rather than the current phase of allocations. However, this is, in itself, a real worry and there are supposed to be 550 affordable homes on site to give relief to working people.”
“I have consistently raised the issue of the Irish Glass Bottle site on behalf of residents there. The Irish Glass Bottle site offered huge hope for families in Ringsend, Pearse Street and Sandymount. The residents fought really hard to have homes for the local community. However, the homes they hoped and fought for were undermined by the Government's bond with the big developers and the commitment to the market, as if the market was ever going deliver homes for the local community and those who need to secure a roof over their heads. A relatively small number of homes on the site have recently been allocated to social housing applicants but, in the last few days, details have emerged that the future of affordable and social housing on this site is at risk.”
“Before the Minister rises, I want to welcome the members of the IFA's national ready to lead group, who are guests of the Ceann Comhairle, Deputy Verona Murphy. She is obviously keeping them on a tight schedule.”
“What is worse than that, however, is the completely broken traceability system. Disgracefully, it cannot account for thousands of greyhounds and has failed to cut down on the hundreds of greyhounds dying as a result of racing every year. The current State policy of unconditional funding for the greyhound industry undermines efforts to improve transparency, welfare standards or value for money within this industry. I urge the Minister for agriculture, Deputy Heydon, to initiate an independent review of Greyhound Racing Ireland in order to assess its economic viability and record on animal welfare.”
“This is as a result of dogs outside the State being included in the calculations, dead and exported dogs not being excluded, the career length of racing greyhounds being overestimated and hare coursing litters being included in the costings relating to the breeding and rearing of pups. There is also the issue of the greyhound care homes set up by the industry. There was a commitment in 2021 for Greyhound Racing Ireland to open four care homes. However, only two such homes have opened to date. There is a shocking lack of value for money in these homes. They only manage to care for a tiny number of dogs in comparison with voluntary rescues and dog shelters despite having vastly more funding. When it does care to rehome rescues, it costs Greyhound Racing Ireland’s care homes €6,000 per greyhound to do so.”
“I again want to raise the shocking animal welfare and transparency concerns relating to the greyhound racing industry. Every year, the industry is handed millions of euro by the State. There is no expectation of accountability or efficiency in how that money is spent. It is handed to the industry on the assumption that it contributes to economic activity and that Greyhound Racing Ireland has a functioning system for protecting greyhounds. Unfortunately, the truth in that regard is far from clear-cut. The greyhound industry has essentially been allowed to make up its own figures regarding its economic and financial importance. Unsurprisingly, it grossly overestimates its relevance. Analysis of the most recent figures from 2021 shows that the value of the industry was overstated by upwards of €60 million.”
“The world's powers are failing in their collective duty to stand up for the principles of international law and human rights that were supposed to underpin the modern era. We hear the Government talking about international law and building towards compliance, and saying it has been great to the Palestinians, but it is not great at holding Israel to account. With this flimsy piece of legislation, the Irish Government is also failing in its duty. We could and should be leading the way. As Senator Conway said, this is gesture politics at its best.”
“Ireland has the opportunity to show leadership on the global stage by leading by example and taking a stand against Israel's crimes. The international community, the US, the EU and much of the Middle East are happy to sit idly by while Israel bombs and murders without restraint. Tens of thousands have been killed in Israel's genocide in Gaza. Over 25,000 children have been slaughtered by Israel. Hundreds of thousands more have been subjected to the most inhumane conditions, deprived of basic levels of food, water and shelter, and that continues. The genocide might not be at the chaotic level it was at previously, but there is still genocide happening in Gaza. That makes it even more important that measures be taken to ensure Israel is held to account.”
“It has been putting significant pressure on the Irish Government to put its morals to one side and give up any attempt to stand up against Israel. This Bill, which is now weak because of what the Irish Government has done to it, is an example of it caving in to American pressure while trying to save face with the Irish public. The only reason the Government is introducing this watered-down, gutted version of the occupied territories Bill is the Irish people. They recognise that the Irish Government is not willing to confront and hold Israel to account. In reality, this Bill will fail to appease the radical Zionists in America, and it will not appease those in this country and abroad who care about human rights.”