Donna McGettigan
Clare · Sinn Féin · Ireland
“At a time when families should be proudly taking photographs of their children on their first day back at school, many parents are instead lying awake at night, wondering how they are going to pay the bills.”
“This year alone, at least 47 schools have been referred to the financial support services unit. That is a staggering 38% increase. While Government Members will stand up and list the things they have done, some which are very welcome, they will conveniently ignore the things they have done to make life harder.”
“The reality is that a growing digital divide is emerging in our schools, and while the Government celebrates its announcements, parents are being asked to pay more and more simply to ensure their child or children can fully participate in education. So much for free education.”
“I thank the Labour Party for this timely and important motion. Sinn Féin supports this motion because the cost of sending children to school has become an unacceptable financial burden on families across the State.”
“I thank Deputy Ó Snodaigh for this important, timely motion. I want to tell the story of Christina from Clare. Christina is an artist and like so many artists across this island, she spent countless hours creating work. She poured her talent, experience, emotions and imagination into it.”
“As an artist in wool myself, I am lucky that this AI cannot take my creativity and use it. I feel extremely lucky about that every day but across Ireland, artists, photographers, writers, and musicians are seeing their work taken without consent and used to train generative AI systems.”
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“The Government has been sitting back while schools are left with no choice but to pass the costs on to parents because Ministers have continually failed to properly fund our education system.”
“This year alone, at least 47 schools have been referred to the financial support services unit. That is a staggering 38% increase. While Government Members will stand up and list the things they have done, some which are very welcome, they will conveniently ignore the things they have done to make life harder. They have reintroduced State examination fees, increased school transport fees, and cut the school clothing and footwear allowance. Most importantly, research from the Economic and Social Research Institute, ERSI, and University of Limerick, UL, is now confirming what parents and teachers have been telling us for years, and what the Government has chosen to ignore, namely the digital divide is real, and educational inequality is growing.”
“At a time when families should be proudly taking photographs of their children on their first day back at school, many parents are instead lying awake at night, wondering how they are going to pay the bills. The Minister said school costs should not stand in the way of education but as she can see here today, they do, and she needs to listen and act on that. The State needs to step up and properly fund schools. We need an end to the so-called voluntary contributions. We need action to reduce school uniform costs, and we need proper funding for digital services so that all children can access them. We also need the expansion of a genuinely universal hot meals scheme. The truth is that schools are being so badly underfunded that parents are being forced to subsidise essential education activities.”
“The reality is that a growing digital divide is emerging in our schools, and while the Government celebrates its announcements, parents are being asked to pay more and more simply to ensure their child or children can fully participate in education. So much for free education. The Zurich cost of education survey shows that the annual cost to parents now is almost €1,800 for a child in primary school, and almost €3,000 for a child in secondary school. That is per child. Even more shocking is the number of parents taking out loans to meet these costs. That number doubled between 2025 and 2026. How on earth can that be described as free education?”
“I thank the Labour Party for this timely and important motion. Sinn Féin supports this motion because the cost of sending children to school has become an unacceptable financial burden on families across the State. While the free book scheme is very welcome, the problem now is that the savings that many families receive are being completely undermined by mandatory ICT costs. In her opening statement, the Minister said schools should use the ICT fund in this case but was this fund not cut by €15 million? You really could not make it up. The Government cuts the fund and then tells schools to use it.”
“We are a nation that treasures storytelling, music, poetry, and creativity, and if we fail to protect our artists, we risk becoming a land of saints and robots, where human creativity is pushed to the margins. Not all AI is bad and not everyone who is using it is acting in bad faith but the technology must serve the people, not replace it. Innovation must not come at the expense of consent or copyright. We must ensure that the creative work of Irish people is respected, protected, and valued in the age of AI. We stand with our Irish artists and we must make sure that while this motion will be passed, it is continued, worked on, and that actions are taken on it.”
“It is joy, grief, struggle and hope all captured through a uniquely human lens. AI can imitate styles and remix existing works but it cannot replicate human experience that gives art its meaning. Too often, AI-generated images have the same familiar look, and that same polished uniformity. They lack the personal, the imperfections and the authenticity that makes real art powerful. There is a worrying lack of public awareness about the impact this technology is having on livelihoods. Behind each piece is an artist trying to earn a living from his or her craft. Artists should be treated fairly. Ireland is known as the land of saints and scholars.”
“As an artist in wool myself, I am lucky that this AI cannot take my creativity and use it. I feel extremely lucky about that every day but across Ireland, artists, photographers, writers, and musicians are seeing their work taken without consent and used to train generative AI systems. Their intellectual property is being treated as free raw material for powerful technology companies. At the same time, generative AI raises serious concerns about copyright infringement, increased carbon emissions, misinformation and the loss of creative jobs. The danger is that we become so exposed to AI-generated content that we begin to normalise it and that we begin to see art created in seconds and then ask why we need artists at all. That art is not simply the final image. Art is a lived experience, a culture, and a memory.”
“I thank Deputy Ó Snodaigh for this important, timely motion. I want to tell the story of Christina from Clare. Christina is an artist and like so many artists across this island, she spent countless hours creating work. She poured her talent, experience, emotions and imagination into it. Christina reflected something uniquely human in that, plus it was hers. Without her consent or permission, that work was taken and fed into an AI system. That system processed it, altered it and reshaped it to fit the image it was generating. The finished product no longer reflected Christina's vision. It reflected the priorities of an algorithm. For Christina, this was deeply hurtful, not because the technology exists, but because her creativity was treated as a resource to be harvested, rather than a work to be expected. Christina's story is not unique.”
“Is it that they are letting one person who may well soon be consigned to episodes of "Reeling in the Years" ensure they vote against their very hearts? If that happens, how will they explain that to people in their constituencies, namely that they voted against them being able to make their voices heard? How will they stand at the next commemoration with a true speech? Will they then be claiming they are for a united Ireland but against having to plan or a discussion it?”
“We hear this in our communities and in workplaces and around kitchen tables across the land. Now is the time to prepare. We all have a responsibility to engage honestly and openly, and we need to listen to every voice and tradition. This is not about forcing a united Ireland on anyone but shaping a new Ireland together. There are those here who call themselves republicans, who stand at the graves of our patriot dead claiming they want a united Ireland, who in their hearts believe in a united Ireland and who know the hope they give people when they talk about bringing about a united Ireland but who are the very people who may vote against a very simple thing - a plan and discussion for everyone on a united Ireland. I do not get this. What are they afraid of? If they are so concerned, they can bring it forward for amendments.”
“It gave people hope and a peaceful and democratic pathway to shape our constitutional future and it recognised that every voice matters and every identity deserves respect. The future of this island must always be decided by the people who share it. For me that hope is deeply personal. Having been born in Belfast, I have lost family and had family interned and tortured, so I know well what partition has done. We were made to feel we did not belong. We moved South and were told to go back where we belong. Am I not Irish? Where do I belong? I want to belong to an island where my family can share the same health service, education and currency and where no matter where you are born, your future is equal. The conversation is already happening and no matter which way this vote goes, this will happen.”
“I am proud to be able to contribute to support this Bill, and that our leader, Mary Lou McDonald, brought this Bill forward. It is a Bill of hope in our future. It is about planning responsibly, producing a Green Paper, which is a report used to start a public discussion, and establishing a citizens' assembly so that people can have a fully informed, inclusive and respectful conversation about Irish unity. Almost 30 years ago people from different political traditions came together through difficult and sometimes extremely intensive negotiations. They listened to one another and found common ground and out of that came the Good Friday Agreement. That agreement has changed lives.”
“At the end of the day, however, as the Minister mentioned earlier, the lack of student and affordable accommodation is an issue, particularly when it comes to trying to resolve the situation in its entirety.”
“I very much welcome the NTA, local councils and students being brought together. That is going to be very positive in terms of helping those who are commuting. The TU students' union also brought out a report. It states that approximately 25% of students say they have to commute for two hours or more. When I spoke to students about having to commute on buses for that length of time, we discussed whether they could use it as study time. However, it emerged that travel sickness would prevent some people using it for that purpose. That is on top of everything else. It will be great if that group works out and if helps students, because then will then be able to enjoy some of the overall college experience.”
“One of the issues they spoke about was having to get public transport at times that do not match up with their lectures. They get to college very early and do not get home until late at night. They have to leave early. The Minister says he wants them to enjoy the whole college experience, but they are not able to do this. Because of the issue with buses, some of them are missing lectures. There is a poor outcome in some data which shows that those making long commutes are suffering.”
“I take this opportunity to mention a study by Professor Liz Thomas that was informed by a commitment to institutional change rather than just expecting commuter students to fit in with unreformed higher education institutions, HEIs, which states: This would be facilitated by an institutional enabling environment which involves aligning institutional policies, processes and organisations, and engaging with stakeholders from senior leadership to staff and students around a shared goal of an inclusive experience and equitable outcomes ... I have spoken to students about this. I spoke to students at Jigsaw yesterday who informed me that they feel that nobody seems to be talking or speaking to them about this and that they want to be recognised as a group. They said it is a burning issue for them.”
“Some of them were former senior Government authorities, appointed to the very institutions they were responsible for regulating. A report on the whole needs to be looked at.”
“As I said, this all started before this Department was created but there are a few outstanding questions. There is a difference in the salaries of TU graduates compared with those from the university sector. A total of €363 million was spent. Does the Minister think that represents value for money? The Minister talked about research students, but there is a difference in this regard. Smaller institutions seem to be losing out while the larger ones seem to be gaining in some cases. That causes implications for the balance of power within the university sector and poses significant challenges to regional provision. There are questions around fees for consultants. It is a massive issue, particularly when some consultants were appointed outside the procurement process.”
“There was very little meaningful engagement. In their applications for TU designation, all consortia stated that they expected increased student numbers and all except Technological University Dublin, TUD, stated that they expected an extra increase over the short term due to TU designation but this bounce never came to pass.”
“I am not sure if the Minister is familiar with the recent report published by two Munster Technological University researchers. When asked if Irish TUs are failing, they concluded that the Irish TU project has been characterised by financial pressure, the death of regional provision in higher education, mission drift and confused policymaking, and that it has failed to meet any key targets. I acknowledge a lot of this was carried out before the Department of further and higher education was even established but it is still important to reflect on the success or failure of the concept. Reading the report, the Higher Education Authority, HEA, was set on forcing IoT mergers through impoverishment of smaller institutions, and that there was a drop of 38% in State funding. Academic staff issues were largely ignored.”
“The Government can double down on imported fossil fuels and higher bills or it can choose a renewables-led system, rapid offshore wind delivery and grid upgrades. It can demand side measures that cut bills, partnerships with communities that give people a stake and a say, transparent Government and value for money. Sinn Féin chooses energy sovereignty and common sense. We choose to invest in Ireland's future, not in yesterday's fuels and lower bills over levies. I am saying clearly that we need to oppose the LNG terminal as a so-called strategic gas reserve, end the exemptions, respect communities in County Clare and across the island, redirect the €1 billion to help accelerate offshore wind and grid resilience and deliver an energy system that is clean secure, affordable and Irish.”
“It is planning with communities, not against them. It is ending the stop-start short-term fixes and finally delivering the long-term infrastructure this island needs. That is why Sinn Féin supports greater public investment and public ownership in renewables to achieve genuine Irish energy dependence. It is critical for our security and it is the surest way to bring down costs for households and small businesses. We want expanded public local community and domestic ownership so that our vast natural resources become a national wealth for all. Community engagement must be real and respectful, not to stymie progress but to ensure fairness and accountability and that is not what we have seen in County Clare. The choice is stark.”
“While hundreds of thousands of people struggle to pay their energy bills, which are the highest in Europe, those with disabilities cannot reliably charge vital machines. This LNG plan will drive bills up even higher. The estimated €60 million annual running costs will be socialised through an additional levy on household bills. Ordinary people should not be forced to foot the bill for Fianna Fáil's and Fine Gael's energy security failures. The Government should be bringing prices down, not adding new hikes. Any State-led facility must be subject to full democratic oversight and scrutiny, not exemptions or shortcuts. Real energy is energy for homes and businesses delivered by accelerating renewables, modernising the grids, prioritising storage and energy efficiency and insisting on proper community benefit and ownership.”
“Ireland is among the most fossil fuel dependent countries in Europe and we have fallen behind because too many Government plans exist only on paper. We might look at offshore wind. We have an incredible untapped potential. We have 640 GWs, yet how much is being delivered? Absolutely nothing - zero. Instead of harnessing that massive natural resource, the Government is rolling out the red carpet for commercial LNG, disapplying the planning Acts, carving out exemptions from normal conditions and, as we have seen in County Clare, failing to properly engage with local communities. That is not democratic participation. It is bypassing the very people who have to live with the consequences.”
“I am speaking in support of the Sinn Féin amendments. The Minister has failed in his job to guarantee the energy security of our people. He cannot guarantee that the lights will stay on. Now we are in a position where the Government intends to spend €1 billion to facilitate the development of a liquefied natural gas, LNG, terminal, as a so-called strategic gas reserve in County Clare, where I am based. That is wrong for our communities and wrong for energy security and climate obligations. Even the Minister's own energy package is clear that the best way to support energy security and meet climate commitments is to build a renewable-led energy system, not a fossil-led system, and prioritise reductions in gas demand. More gas is not the same as more security. Dependence on imported fossil fuels is precisely what has left us exposed.”
“Today, let us celebrate how far we have come, honour those who paved the way and, most importantly, remember those we have lost. Let us recommit ourselves to the work that continues. The struggle for equality is not over. Solidarity matters and an Ireland of equals must mean equality for everyone.”
“They are not a matter for culture wars and should not be used as a political football. I stand firmly with LGBTQI+ individuals and families. We support equality and respect, strong protections against discrimination and the right of every person to live free from fear and hate. The hatred shown by those who seek to attack or intimidate people has no place in Irish society. We reject it. We cannot stand by while any community is targeted because of who its members are or whom they love. Pride is a positive force. It is about dignity, visibility and building a society in which all people can reach their full potential and live with respect and equality. When LGBTQI+ people thrive, our communities are stronger and our society is richer.”
“We remember the people who felt they had no place in the world after experiencing rejection and bullying. Every single one of those lives mattered and is a reminder that equality on paper does not always mean equality in practice. While we have moved forward in many respects, there are areas where we have gone backwards. Rights that many believed were secure are now being questioned. Across the world, we see attempts to roll back protections, restrict healthcare and target transgender people. Those developments should concern us all. The lesson of history is clear: progress is never guaranteed and rights won through struggle can be eroded if they are not defended. As proud republicans, Sinn Féin's position is unequivocal in that the rights of LGBTQI+ people are human rights.”
“While we celebrate progress, we must also be honest about the challenges we face today. Across Ireland and internationally, we are witnessing a disturbing rise in anti-LGBTQI+ rhetoric. Online abuse and intimidation have become all too common. Both my son and I have personal experience of being at the end of such hateful attacks. Social media platforms are awash with hateful attacks directed at LGBTQI+ individuals, particularly young people and transgender people, and their families. Behind screens, some seek to spread fear and division. Words matter and hate has consequences. LGBTQI+ people have been subject to violent attacks and, tragically, lives have been lost. We remember those who have lost their lives through murder or suicide.”
“As we mark Pride, we celebrate courage and resilience. However, Pride is not simply a celebration; it is also a call to action. For decades, LGBTQI+ people across Ireland were told they were less than equal. They were criminalised and excluded. Yet, through sheer determination and solidarity, they changed society for the better. We have come a long way. We have seen marriage equality become a reality. We have seen greater visibility and acceptance. We have seen countless people being able to live openly and in a way that is true to themselves, which is something of which previous generations could only dream. That progress belongs to those who fought for it, to those who marched when it was unpopular and dangerous to do so and to those who never lived to see the equality they helped to secure.”
“The standard IS 465:2026 is welcome and should be included. Professor Paul Dunlop has to be commended for this. I commend Deputy Ward on the motion.”
“There are families out there living in crumbling homes and homes affected by fire safety regulations who have no choice but to continue living there until they fall down, because of the failure of this Government to make them feel they can rebuild with a 100% redress scheme and move on with their lives. We have repeatedly raised this issue with successive Governments for years now. I have attended protests over the years with those in Clare who are affected. The light-touch building regulation, poor oversight of construction products and the reckless practices of some manufacturers, builders and developers have left thousands of homeowners with the devastation of crumbling or unsafe homes. They did not ask for this, and it is time the Government gave a genuine, 100% redress scheme delivered by the State from end-to-end.”
“The Taoiseach promised 100% redress and he has let the people down. The Government talks about changes and that a new standard could entail significant financial implications, but those who are actually responsible should be held to account. The homeowner should never have to be the fall guy when they are already the victim, but of course, it is easier to lay it all in the hands of families who just want to live in a home that is safe and secure. Does the Government even care that they have to borrow? Some couples I have met are in retirement and cannot get a loan. At a time in life when they should be enjoying the time they have, they are spending it in constant worry.”
“In his opening statement, there was no mention of 100% redress, and I have yet to meet anyone going through this scheme who has not had to pay tens of thousands out of their own pockets to fix or rebuild their homes. The Minister of State also said the DCB scheme is actively helping homeowners rebuild their homes, allowing them to move on with their lives. Has he gone out to meet these people? The process they have had to go through on a rebuild is not that simple. I have met them and they actively cannot just move on with their lives; it is not that simple. They have had to spend years fighting the system and many hours learning what it is that is destroying their homes, and they have had to beg and borrow in order to rebuild their homes. The mental scars they have been left with mean they cannot just simply move on.”
“Thousands of homeowners affected by defective concrete have spent many years living with uncertainty in their homes. They have constantly worried every time there is a storm whether their house is going to survive, and I have helped some of them as they navigated the inadequate remediation options. I have watched as they have become experts in what is destroying their homes. When they finally get approval for a scheme, they are left with decisions on whether the existing foundations should be retained or not, or whether they can even afford to get the foundations removed on top of all the other costs involved in a so-called 100% redress scheme. In the Minister of State's amendment, he states that 3,500 homeowners are now at various stages of the DCB scheme and will be supported with grants for 100% of eligible expenditure with a cap.”
“Redundancies targeting support personnel will directly trigger high drop-out rates among students with disabilities and those from marginalised backgrounds. The Psychological Society of Ireland and the Irish Association of Social Workers have repeatedly declared a crisis due to critical backlogs in health, education and mental healthcare. Winding down these specific programmes directly starves the south-east region of professionally trained graduates. It will worsen unacceptably long waiting times for vital mental and educational care for vulnerable service users.”
“Facility and support staff will return in September with zero clarity regarding their exact workloads, module allocations or scheduling. The sudden exit of specialist experts right at the start of an academic year ensures immediate systemic disruption to lecturing, dissertations, supervision and placement mentoring. Carlow College serves a unique, non-traditional student demographic that the university sector regularly fails to reach. In the social care cohort, over 80% are non-leaving certificate students. I was one these in a different college, Limerick College of Further Education. I was given a second chance through that college. Carlow College has tailored supports that face the acts. Students have succeeded because of the college's hyper-tailored specialised support staff.”
“I hear that this a private entity and the State could not step in, but the State is about to get a multimillion euro campus for free. That is my understanding of this. That does not seem to be clear in any of these discussions. Does the Minister of State even know the cost of this campus? She said there was clear talking with the staff yet conditions were laid down regarding this campus that are not being met. One of the conditions was that staff would be integrated with SETU. That does not seem to be happening. Staff were shocked to discover this, so there was no clear conversation with staff. Losing this campus will affect many students in the future who depend on a small personal environment - a place that they feel they belong and a place for them to flourish.”
“The planned wind-down of Carlow College requires strict adherence to CORU regulations for students in the BA on applied social studies and the professional social care. This means that the degree programme remains fully accredited and recognised for statutory registration as long as the student completes it within a two-year period. Why are students not told of this sooner, so they may choose to not start in the first place? If a student is entering year two in September, this means that they face a very tight timeline because of the wind-down, which has to be done fully by 2028. A standard four-year BA track cannot be completed on the Carlow campus in its current form. What will happen to those students?”
“The Department claims that student welfare is paramount, yet redundancies will be announced in August - a week before the September term begins. I spoke to students who said that because of the nature and smallness of Carlow College, they were given a chance at the college. This closure is being felt by the neurodivergent community. The smaller class sizes and tight knit, friendly, personalised environment meant that many students with additional needs thrived. This small group learning meant that there was a reduction in sensory overload and academic anxiety compared with larger impersonal university settings. Where will these students find a place where they can thrive and flourish?”
“Will there be ring-fenced funding for Carlow College's tailored student supports, which serve an exceptionally diverse and non-traditional student body? Will there be unnecessary duplication of expenditure involved in dismantling an established highly successful infrastructure just to recreate it at SETU? What will happen to those students who are expecting to do a four-year degree and come out with a level 8 qualification who will now only come out with a level 7 and have to do one year less? According to replies at a meeting of the public accounts committee to Deputy Paul Murphy, there is an asset, which is the buildings, and this will be used to look after staff redundancies. What is the worth of this asset? Why can it not be used to integrate, or at least give the choice to integrate, staff into SETU?”
“There are many questions on this issue. On what date did the Department or SETU formally advise Carlow College's senior management that staff and programmes would not be transferring into SETU? At what point did the Minister notify Carlow College and advise that it engage with staff? Was formal notice given to the Central Applications Office that Carlow College would not be in a position to accept students for the coming academic year? Was an independent valuation conducted on Carlow College's lands and buildings? What were the terms of agreement transferring this multimillion euro asset to SETU? What exactly what the Minister's understanding of the original merger plan? Why did we have a complete pivot on that? Will there be transparency on staff layoffs in August to prevent operational disruption when the semester opens in September?”
“I want to talk about the job losses at Carlow College, St. Patrick's, and the severe impact on students and the regional workforce. The recent announcement of the phased wind-down and closure of Carlow College over a two-year period marks a devastating blow to higher education in Carlow. Initially, staff and students expected that the college would merge under the South East Technology University, SETU, umbrella. I recently visited the campus and spoke directly to those affected by this decision. There is genuine shock and disbelief about the closure. There is an attempt from the Government to play down the reality that there may be 87 staff members facing redundancies with a phased termination process beginning as early as August. This decision has come as a shock to staff who were given absolutely no prior consultation or engagement.”
“It removes the State-imposed delay and allows a woman, in consultation with her healthcare provider, to decide what is right for her and when. The legislation recognises a very simple truth, which is that women are capable of making decisions about their own lives and their own bodies. We said during the referendum campaign that we would trust women. If we meant these words, then we must mean it now. The question in the Bill is straight forward. It is whether or not we trust women. We have heard from countless women who have been forced to endure this waiting time. They have told us it did not change their minds and that it did not provide comfort or offer reassurance, it simply prolonged what was already a difficult experience. This legislation is not radical but it is compassionate and it gives women the respect they deserve.”
“There may also be women in situations of rape or sexual assault who find out late about their pregnancy due to the trauma they are enduring. Making them wait could mean them reliving the trauma for days more than they should. We all know that accessing a GP in a timely manner is becoming increasingly difficult. This also causes delays and anxiety. The mandatory waiting period does not ease this burden but prolongs it and extends the agony at a time when compassion should be the guiding light. We must also remember that some women could be going through this alone. The Bill does not require an abortion to take place at the first consultation. It does not remove the option of taking more time. Any woman who wishes to wait three days can still do so. This choice will remain entirely hers. What the Bill does is remove the mandatory wait.”
“The State should not be in the business of imposing barriers based on an outdated notion that women cannot be trusted to make decisions about their own healthcare. For some women this delay can be particularly cruel. Think of those experiencing coercive control, women trapped in abusive relationships, and victims of domestic violence, rape and sexual assault. For these women every extra day can mean further distress and trauma. Imagine the courage it takes for a young woman who has been sexually abused to come forward to seek medical help and to make a decision about her future. The last thing she needs to be told is to go away and wait. We cannot justify forcing victims of rape, sexual assault and abuse to endure additional waiting periods that serve no medical purpose.”
“I thank my colleagues in Sinn Féin for the Bill. At its heart, this legislation is about one simple principle, which is trusting women. The mandatory three-day waiting period does not provide care and it does not provide support. What it does is make women wait. It delays access to healthcare at what is already one of the most difficult moments in their lives. Do we really believe that women have not already thought long and hard about this decision before they walk through the door of a GP or consultant's office? It is not an easy decision and it is not one taken lightly. By the time a woman seeks an abortion, she has already gone through an agonising process of reflection and consideration.”
“We need to speak up and we need action to confront this suffering. We cannot allow a business-as-usual attitude. This is more than a football match. It is about whether we are prepared to act according to our values. If we believe that sport should not be used to normalise or distract from atrocities, then this match should not go ahead. Stop the game.”
“UEFA and FIFA moved with remarkable speed when it came to Russia. Within days of the invasion, Russia was suspended from international competition and countries that refused to play Russia were not penalised. What is the difference? Why is it not the same in this case? The principle was clear then. There are moments when the values sport claims to uphold must be defended. Why should a different standard apply now? Penalties and sanctions that may or may not happen can be appealed, but the consequences facing Palestinian families cannot be appealed. The loss of life and destruction of communities cannot simply be set aside because they are politically inconvenient. There is a moral obligation here. A genocide is being played out before the eyes of the world, yet those responsible appear untouchable.”