Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire
Cork South-Central · Sinn Féin · Ireland
“That is important and the Minister and I share that view, much as we disagree on how it is not right to get rid of the triple lock. We have made that very clear and we think there is scope to deploy on peacekeeping missions elsewhere.”
“As I probably will not get more questions and it is my last contribution before the recess, I wish to take the opportunity to thank the staff of this institution and the Ceann Comhairle's office, who serve us so well.”
“We have all probably been guilty of the offence of going over time at different stages, I am sure. Despite our disagreements in relation to the triple lock, I think the Minister and I agree that peacekeeping missions are important.”
“In the context of the previous question, I submitted another question that was ruled out of order, which is fair enough. I probably did not word my question as precisely as Deputy Gibney worded hers. I record my concern about legal representation in that regard. It is important to say that. This question relates to another welfare issue.”
“The Minister said that she is not pushing anybody to the courts. I am not a doctor and cannot make a clinical decision, but if people suffered negative health outcomes that they believe have a connection to their clinical exposure, and they have never taken a case, how precisely is the Government going to help them?”
“The Minister talks about the need to ensure that Defence Forces personnel have the ability to deploy internationally and are not prevented from participating in rescue missions. I have no problem at all with head No. 7. Actually, most of the legislation is fine. It is just head No.”
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“We also need to ensure new markets are explored. A particular area in which there would be scope to explore is a new sanitary and phytosanitary agreement between Britain and the EU. That could potentially benefit the Irish agrifood business. I have spoken to people involved in the fishery industry both on the fishing side and the processing side. There is a feeling that they are always the bridesmaid - an afterthought of the Department. That is the feeling on the ground. An example is the issues around funding in recent times. The Brexit adjustment fund was an opportunity but there was a short timeline given by Europe - three to three and a half years. The Department of the marine took a year and a half for an announcement and to publish and open schemes to allow people in the industry to apply.”
“It would be a significantly retrograde step and I encourage the Government to be more proactive in opposing Mercosur. Similarly, on the global side of things, there are potential dangers to Irish food and drink produce off the back of a lot of the talk of the new US Administration. Obviously, nothing has happened at this point and the right approach is to wait and see, but preparation has to happen all the same. It is important to ensure that the Irish agrifood industry is supported in the best way possible, in terms of ensuring that key products in terms of food and drink, as well as pharmaceuticals and other areas, are a key priority in the EU negotiations with the United States. I am thinking particularly of food and drink products such as dairy and whiskey. Items like that need to be central to negotiations.”
“Déanaim comhghairdeas leis an Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I wish him the best in his new position. With the short amount of time I have, I will make some brief observations across the areas of both agriculture and fisheries. I echo the concerns that have been raised by others regarding Mercosur. The issues with Mercosur are wide-ranging and significant. It is difficult to see why anybody from an Irish perspective could even conceivably support it. It is clear to me, however, that the Irish Government has not been actively opposing it in the way that it should be if it is committed to ensuring it does not happen. I refer to the implications for Irish beef, the quality of our food, emissions in terms of deforestation of the Amazon and the quality and safety of the produce that could end up in the Irish market.”
“The direction of travel in education in recent years requires a certain amount of consideration. The playing pitch has changed. Many of the things we would have been examining still require examination but there is potential for discrepancies between our primary and secondary system and universities in terms of what is and is not permitted. We need a serious conversation about the skills we are trying to learn and whether we want people emerging from our education system who are the best at being able to manage AI or whether there are other types of skills. I am not being prescriptive in terms of solutions but it is a consideration. The other consideration is energy usage. Data centres need to be considered.”
“There are also significant social and economic opportunities to be gained from emerging technologies. State economic agencies like IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, and local enterprise offices need to seize on the opportunities that exist, particularly in knowledge-intensive sectors such as decarbonisation, clean tech, renewables, AI, machine learning, quantum computing, cell and gene therapy and other forms of advanced personalised medicine. Through doing this, we believe the State can minimise risk, maximise opportunity and put the economy on the front foot for the coming decades. There is a need for the State to get ahead of this, to exploit the economic opportunities that exist and to legislate, where necessary, to protect workers and society.”
“It is essential that State agencies such as the Advisory Council on Artificial Intelligence analyse, investigate and navigate the risks that accompany emerging technologies. This will also include the trade union movement. If one is talking about reducing the amount of labour that is involved in a process, that has implications for employees. While there is benefit from productivity, there are issues in terms of displacement of jobs and this needs to be reckoned with. We cannot adopt a position that this must be rejected and the rest of the world is going to march on in any event but we need to give clear consideration as to how we ensure that jobs are insulated to the greatest extent possible and that new opportunities are created off the back of this as well.”
“It was for this reason that Sinn Féin previously called for the establishment of a forum on AI with a specific focus on the technological surveillance of workers using artificial intelligence and machine learning to establish the benefits and risks of it. When she was spokesperson in this area, Deputy Louise O'Reilly said that the national risk assessment highlights the need to focus on securing future economic opportunities in emerging knowledge-intensive sectors. The national risk assessment for Ireland 2024 makes clear the delicate balance of opportunities and threats due to technological advancement. The report states that while emerging technology will bring many opportunities, they also bring threats in terms of social cohesion and inequality.”
“There is a need for the State to get ahead of developments in the AI space, to shape its direction of travel at a national and European level, to exploit the economic opportunities of AI, to harness its positive power and to legislate, where necessary, to protect workers and society. AI is not brand new. It is a technology that has existed for some time. However, the pace, scale and nature of its growth is close to being exponential. The speed of breakthroughs seems to surprise even those involved in the sector and the industries working with it. The job of politicians is to keep pace with the technology and where it is going.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. Tá AI linn agus cé go bhfuil leas le baint as, tá baoil ag baint leis freisin. Ar aon chaoi, tá sé ag tarlúint agus caithfimid cinnte a dhéanamh de go bhfuil ár bpolasaithe réidh le déileáil leis ó thaobh cúrsaí oideachais agus fostaíochta de agus ó thaobh seirbhísí poiblí agus go leor gnéithe eile. AI is a reality. It is pushing forward at a relentless pace. There are areas about which we would be concerned but there are also significant opportunities and potential for improving the quality of our public services as well as delivering economic growth so it must be carefully managed. We need a strategy for it. We are probably a bit behind the curve in that regard.”
“If we take Mahon Garda station as an example, there were 31 gardaí in 2009, 22 in 2017, and now just 17. Does the Taoiseach agree with me that Cork is not getting a fair share or anywhere near enough Garda resources?”
“I wish to be associated with the condolences expressed to Mr. Babatunde. While my party leader, Deputy Mary Lou McDonald, raised the issue of crime in the capital city, we have had some serious incidents in Cork city in the past couple of weeks. There were two arson attacks, including a petrol bombing, as well as a stabbing close to the Taoiseach’s own constituency office. Some 203 bus services were cancelled because of antisocial behaviour and there has been violence as well as some other serious incidents. This is in the context, and I have made this point several times before, of Garda numbers in Cork consistently not being what they should be. We have seen a 4% reduction in the number of gardaí in the Cork city division in the past 12 months.”
“One of the lessons that needs to be learned from Brexit preparedness, some of which worked and some of which could have been better, is that we need to support small businesses better in seeking out markets, including non-English speaking markets, for example, in southeast Asia. Supporting businesses, especially small and medium businesses, to reach non-English speaking markets is an area we need to work on.”
“This is an area that will require a great deal of careful consideration. I understand the point the Tánaiste made that pronouncements and policy are not always the same thing with this Administration. Nonetheless, preparation will be crucial. There are two elements to it. It is important we are clear-sighted without being defeatist. There are undoubtedly vulnerabilities. Notwithstanding that, there is no need to be alarmist without having seen any actions. Clearly, we need to do what we can, primarily at a European level because engaging with the US Administration on tariffs is a European competency. In terms of preparedness, however, we need to support businesses to potentially seek out new markets.”
“I agree with that. I welcome that meeting in relation to the association agreement which is something we have been raising here for the past two years or more. I will return to the debate we had earlier to make the point that for a long time the issue has been the challenge in trying to hold Israel to the norms of international law. It has acted with impunity and because of that has breached international law further. The settlements are contrary to international law. The International Court of Justice, ICJ, made a very clear declaration on that. The ICJ did not make any distinction between goods and services. The Minister gave me something of an answer earlier, so I will now ask why. Why is it the case that the Irish Government no longer wishes to pursue a ban on services from the occupied territories, including the West Bank?”
“That does not mean that I will not say if I am dissatisfied with certain areas, but I have said it recently. What is happening there at the minute where some 40,000 people have been evacuated in recent times and the scale of movement from the West Bank in the context of the violence is very considerable and is not properly getting the attention internationally that it ought to.”
“The sanctions that have been there are necessary but it is vitally important the EU as a whole politically raises its concerns. I urge the Minister in his role to encourage the EU to make strong statements against what has been happening in the West Bank since 30 January. UNRWA no longer has any contact with the Israeli authorities because of their ban. It has made it impossible for UNRWA - a UN agency, lest we forget - to raise concerns about civilian suffering in the Palestinian territory which is putting the lives of Palestinian refugees and UNRWA staff at risk. I welcome the increase in funding by the Irish Government. I said last week I do not have a problem recognising where the Government does the right thing. I said that last week.”
“We touched on this briefly. It is a grave situation. The Israeli Prime Minister is threatening to end the ceasefire and reopen a conflict that has claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people. Hamas is threatening not to release hostages. Both threats are to be condemned. It is a very worrying situation. My question relates to the West Bank. I invite the Minister’s commentary in relation to that because off the back of the ceasefire there was almost a sense that the world was looking the other way. Much has been happening in the West Bank that is unacceptable as well as breaches of the ceasefire in Gaza.”
“The Department of Justice has a job to do with Garda opening hours in that regard, and there is also a legislative case for allowing civilian Garda staff to be part of this process, freeing up gardaí. In the meantime, though, there should be some mechanism for the Passport Office to ensure people are not starting right at the start again in order to fix the issue that arises because a witness, that is, the garda, is not contactable.”
“I thank the Tánaiste. Most of the instances we deal with - I am sure it is the same throughout the House - relate to people who submit an application but receive notification from the Passport Office that something is not right or, very often, that the person who provided a signature on a consent form is not contactable. Typically, that is a garda. This can be an issue. We have Garda stations that are open 24-7 but we also have many Garda stations that are only open for certain office hours and the landline is answered for only a couple of hours a week. This can cause an issue when somebody gets a form signed at one of these locations, with something that was not urgent at the start then becoming urgent. It is a bit like snakes and ladders, with people ending up right back at square one.”
“There may be a bit of an issue at times in terms of the feedback loop when communicating with Garda stations, but I will return to this point. I would like an update on how the Passport Office responds in these circumstances.”
“I echo that. The sooner people check, the less likely there are to be difficulties. In most instances, the passport service works quite well. It can be very efficient at times, with a significant improvement in recent years, especially for renewals. People are often impressed at the speed at which the passport arrives. This is a huge credit to the staff and the development that has gone in there in recent times. The issue is that, when problems arise, they can be devastating. Sometimes they can arise in the context of holidays. More severely, it can result in people missing weddings or, most particularly of all, there are issues in circumstances of severe illness, funerals or other things that, unfortunately, happen in the course of life. We need to ensure we have a system that is as close to perfect as possible.”
“I commend the staff in the Passport Office. They are often extremely busy and do an important job. Sometimes they have to produce passports under difficult circumstances and at very short notice. We have all here probably added to their burden at times, dealing with urgent cases. It is early in the year yet but I am sure the office will get busy. Will the Tánaiste ensure there is sufficient staff in the Passport Office to deal with demand during the busy summer period?”
“The point is that technical issues are being used as a ruse or distraction from the fact that the policy of the Government has changed since the election. The Government's policy is now to ban only goods. If it was Ireland, 30% of our trade is in goods. I will put the question again simply. Does the Government intend to have a ban on the trading of services with the occupied territories? That is a very clear question; the Minister has an opportunity to answer it.”
“I understand Senator Black has been in contact with the Minister and has not been able to get an appointment as of yet. I hope that will happen very shortly. I will keep asking the question. This has not been addressed; I have not been given an answer. I raised it numerous times in the course of the last debate. I have raised it twice here already. Technical issues can be overcome. They are overcome frequently. God knows how many amendments came into the planning Act on Committee Stage during the last few months of the previous Dáil. That kind of stuff happens regularly. Is it possible to engage with the Bill and adjust? Technical issues were advanced with the drafter of the Bill but they were not huge. There were technical issues and technical reviews from the Department of Foreign Affairs but they were entirely reachable.”
“In order to clarify, I ask the Minister to set aside the vehicle for a moment and answer the clear question. In terms of the programme for Government commitment, is it the Government's intention to have a legislative ban on trading of services with occupied territories?”
“I share the Tánaiste's concern about the ceasefire. I might say some more on that, as I have another question later about Palestine and the Middle East. I urge people on all sides of the conflict to step back from the brink. With the limited time I have, I will return to the legislation. It seems that there is an attempt to obscure issues of substance with technical issues. There may be technical issues that can be worked through. That argument was not advanced by the Department of Foreign Affairs in discussion with Senator Black in advance of the election. It was felt that it was possible to make those changes within the body of the existing Bill. The Minister's position in political debate and discussion in advance of the election was to pass the occupied territories Bill.”
“As this is our first question time in our new roles, I wish the Tánaiste well in his new role. While I will hold him to account, I also look forward to co-operation where appropriate. We had a lengthy debate on the occupied territories Bill last week. There was a fair bit of discussion about the vehicle but, to my mind, a change of substance is afoot in what the Government is proposing. I will put the question simply because I do not think it was really answered. Is it the intention of the Government to ensure an effective ban on services from occupied territories?”
“I will give two examples of sports clubs. These are run entirely on a voluntary basis. A huge effort goes into fundraising to ensure that jerseys and footballs are bought and insurance is paid and so on. When something like this happens, it sets clubs back hugely. Everton AFC had about €5,000 worth of damage done. Fencing, dugouts and goals were all upended. The club's neighbours, Ballyphehane GAA club which plays at the old Red Mills GAA pitch, also had fencing, goalposts and railings upended. This is a huge cost to these growing and developing clubs, which will set them back significantly. It is not right that there is no scheme available for them. It is not fair. I urge the Minister to open a scheme for sports clubs, community groups and businesses that have lost money and incurred significant costs because of this very severe storm.”
“It is during storms like these that we really see the value of public services, especially our front-line public servants, those from the ESB, local authorities, emergency services and An Garda Síochána. They were out in all weathers, in very difficult circumstances, to ensure that people were safe, looked after and were reconnected. We owe them a huge debt of gratitude. The storm wreaked havoc across the State. In many areas, people are still without power and that, undoubtedly, is very worrying and requires consideration. Cork city was probably not one of the worst affected areas but nonetheless, damage was done. One of the causes of frustration and the reason I am raising it is that while schemes are available for householders, as of yet, there is nothing for community groups, sports clubs and businesses. That is a huge problem.”
“Unlike the report of the Housing Commission, the programme for Government is completely silent on the issue of apartment complexes outside Dublin. There is nothing at all in this regard. I hope the Government will rectify it because these apartment complexes need a complete overhaul. The Housing Commission recognised that. We need to see urgent action in this regard. Regarding housing generally, if the rates of increase in house prices, rents and homelessness continue during the lifetime of this Government in the same way as they did during the last Government, I dread to think what kind of housing crisis we will have. It continues to escalate. In my view, if the Government keeps on taking the same policies, adding fuel to the fire with house prices and throwing renters into the fire, the situation will only get worse.”
“In Cork city and other areas too, I am sure, there are huge issues in terms of the regeneration of flat and apartment complexes. In Togher, at Togher Road, Clashduv Road, Sycamore Place, Hazel Road, Cherry Tree Road and Maple Place, and in Desmond Square, Peter Street, Francis Street and several other locations across the city, these apartment complexes have gone well beyond their lifespans. The conditions in them are not good enough. In some instances, there is subsidence. There is a great deal of cold and damp. There have also been issues with rodent infestations in some blocks. There are issues with loose masonry. Iron bars surrounding balconies have rusted and are jagged and dangerous to children because of the condition they are in. There is a dire need for the regeneration of these complexes.”
“In the programme for Government there is talk about the Government continuing to significantly increase the income disregards for carer's allowance in each budget with a view to phasing out the means test during the lifetime of this Government. In my view, that is a watering down in terms of language. It is crucial that the Government makes it very clear what the roadmap is for the ending of the means test for carer's allowance. That is not only the right thing to do but the wise thing to do to ensure the sustainability of our system of family care. Another area that the programme for Government is not even so much quiet on but silent on is the regeneration of flat and apartment complexes outside Dublin city centre.”
“Simon Harris, in particular, placed great emphasis on it. It is important to remember that carers do the crucial work they do, not out of any expectation or because they are looking for payment or anything else but out of love and a sense of responsibility. They deserve respect and recognition but also support. There is no other payment made by the Department of Social Protection or any other Department under which people are obligated to work for at least 35 hours a week but may not work more than 18.5 hours outside the home. These are people who put in the hours providing care for their loved ones and get nothing at all or very little in return.”
“The programme for Government is pretty thin gruel when you sit down and look at it. There are commitments to "examine", "consider", "evaluate" and "assess". Where the people of Ireland would have hoped for a significant radical shift in some areas of policy to resolve the challenges we face, particularly in housing and health, they were met with a programme for Government that resembled nothing so much as a question mark rather than definite statements. One particular area over which there may be something of a question - I hope the Government can offer some reassurance on it - is regarding ending the means test for carer's allowance. This was a significant election issue. It was a proposal brought forward by Sinn Féin as well as other political parties before being adopted by the Government in the later weeks of the election campaign.”
“If the Government is committed to the purpose, even if as the Minister of State says technical changes need to be made, I am sure that engagement can be sought on that. That is the purpose of Committee Stage and Report Stage. The Government should reconsider its position and allow a substantive debate on it instead of bringing in a weakened Bill that is not even committed to the same objectives and ultimately I think will fail to meet the needs that are there. While this is not the only element of the policy, this matters because for international law to be applied, sanctions need to be applied. We cannot ignore half the picture when it comes to sanctions which is what the Government is proposing to do.”
“Since then, not only are we now talking about a new Bill, but all the wording including the amendment here today talks about a watered-down Bill which is essentially flying on one wing. In talking about the substance of this, the Minister of State and the Tánaiste were very keen to emphasise that we must do this, we must do that, and it must be right and effective. It must be right, it must be effective and it must carry the substance of the International Court of Justice decision. For it to be effective it should not exclude half of the purpose or perhaps more than that depending on what trade comes out of the occupied territories. I believe this will not be voted on for a week and a half. I urge the Minister of State and the Government to reconsider their position.”
“As most Irish trade comes through services, why are we making this distinction? The Minister of State put considerable emphasis on Ireland's role in pushing the International Court of Justice and the need for a definitive decision on that. The International Court of Justice said there is no distinction to be made. The Minister of State may dispute this, but it is very hard to conclude anything other than the Government is changing course. It had opportunities to clarify this. Before the election we had the Tánaiste and Taoiseach, in reverse positions at the time, stating that they were committed to the occupied territories Bill. No distinction was made at that time.”
“The Minister of State cannot say the Government is as committed as ever when Ministers, including the Taoiseach and Tánaiste, have clearly said there would have to be a new Bill. It is very clear from the Government amendment that it is walking away from the proposition to ban trade in services. The Minister of State has not addressed that. I have heard the Minister of State and the Tánaiste speak about technical issues and legal issues, and trying to create some kind of distinction. I have no problem - nor does Senator Frances Black or anyone else - in navigating issues. Of course it has to be legally sound. That is not the objection. The Minister of State has not addressed the objection here. A euro, a dollar, a pound or whatever that is gained in trade in services is the exact same as a euro, a dollar or a pound gained in goods.”
“From both the Minister of State and the Minister, Deputy Harris, we have heard lots of fine words from the Government benches. There is a lot of talk about the things that have been done. I will not gainsay that some of what the Government has done has been important. Some of that came about because of Opposition pressure and public pressure, but no doubt there was motivation from people in government to do the right thing as well. However, much of what we have heard tonight is dancing around the issue. This motion relates to the occupied territories Bill and it has not fundamentally addressed what is happening here. The Government cannot expect us or the Irish public to believe that black is white.”
“On a point of order, that paragraph was removed and is not in the motion before the House. There might have been an earlier draft in which an error was made. That has been rectified and we are not debating the motion the Minister is referencing. That error has been removed. It is not before the House.”
“This Bill has been before these Houses for six or seven years and we cannot allow more excuses and prevarication. It has to be done right. Dropping the Bill and dropping the ban on services is not only morally wrong, it is contrary to the International Court of Justice decision. Doing so would be incompatible with that decision.”
“When I spoke to her earlier, she made it clear that she will not stand for any watering down of the Bill or any distinction between goods and services. She has been waiting for a meeting with the Government since she requested one in January. The very existence of the Palestinian state has been brought into question in the past 24 hours. Now, above all, is the time to stand with it. If the Government is going to be consistent with its past positions, there needs to be an absolute ban on trade with the occupied territories and the occupied territories Bill needs to be progressed. It must not be dropped. We should not opt for a new Bill or drop the ban on services. We will gladly deal with debates on technical issues on Committee Stage.”
“The recognition of the Palestinian state was significant to a large extent because it made clear that occupation was wrong and illegal. On this issue, the Government cannot pull the wool over people's eyes. If we wish to see a two-state solution and sustainable peace, international law must be respected. If we wish to see international law respected, illegal occupations must be unacceptable. If illegal occupations are unacceptable, how can we allow services to be traded and companies to profit by trade of services with Ireland without any sanction or disincentive? That is an absurd suggestion. I note the Government's amendment to the motion, which references one of the occupied territories Bill's sponsors, Senator Frances Black.”
“If the Government intends to exclude services, it will be saying it is acceptable for companies to profit from businesses in financial services, call centres and other businesses not trading in goods. If we believe that occupation is wrong, surely profiting from it is also wrong. The people want a legislative ban in line with the opinion of the ICJ. The Government's current position is walking away from past Government policy. When sanctions were put in place on Russia, the Government correctly did not make any distinction between services and goods. The inconsistency here is remarkable. The Government will try to pretend there is nothing to see here. It will point to past actions it has taken. I would point out those actions have often been taken under pressure from the public and the Opposition. Nonetheless, we welcomed those actions.”
“It is now crystal clear the Government does not wish to progress the occupied territories Bill and that a ban on profiting from services in occupied territories will be dropped. The simple crux of the matter is that illegal settlements are wrong and abhorrent, and profiting from them is wrong and abhorrent. The people recognise this and want action. To some, the distinction between goods and services might seem technical, but it is not. Such a distinction is fundamentally undermining the International Court of Justice decision. It did not make fish of one and fowl of the other. This is not the 1930s. We are not talking about a world where trade is dominated by coal, steel, cotton and so on. Approximately 70% of our trade is in services.”
“In truth, whether sincerely or as a matter of lip service, all we have seen over the past six or seven years has been excuses. They have varied over time. We have been told it is not the right time and that we do not have enough time. When time was offered, it was not taken up. We were also told there was not a shortage of time after all but there were technical issues. Since the formation of this Government, we have seen the walk back and the walking away. A mounting list of Government sources indicate a new Bill with not just technical but fundamental differences to the occupied territories Bill. Unless the Government changes policy, that Bill is being dropped. That is why, despite some of the high-minded prose, we cannot accept the Government amendment to the motion.”
“"To those who have tried to dissuade us from supporting the Bill and say that it is not the time for such a Bill, I say if this is not the time to act, when will that time come?" Those were the words of Deputy Niall Collins on 23 January 2019. "The time for waiting is over now ... The time for waiting for a pan-European approach is over at this stage." Those were the words of Darragh O'Brien, TD, now Minister, during the same debate. The 2020 Fianna Fáil manifesto contained a commitment to progress the occupied territories Bill. Fine Gael, for its part, has long committed to this, including during the recent general election, as has the Tánaiste himself. If anything, the case has grown stronger over the years as the International Court of Justice decision came forth.”
“It is about applying international law. This is about the International Court of Justice, ICJ, judgment and nothing less. It is long past time for the Government to commit, finally and at last, to enacting the occupied territories Bill. The Government, or constituent parts of it, have already committed to this numerous times over six or seven years. Now of all times, when the very existence of the State of Palestine is being questioned, is not the time to walk away. Now is the time for the Government to put its money where its mouth is. Commitments were made by Government Deputies quite robustly on some occasions.”
“If we have learned anything in politics in recent years, however, it is that no matter how outlandish a prospect something may seem, it cannot be ruled out. What President Trump has proposed is utterly unacceptable and treats the Palestinian people as pieces on a board rather than a people living in their homeland, as is their right. I urge the Taoiseach not only to make a strong statement himself but to seek a strong EU statement in opposition to any such proposal and to push for a recommittal to a two-state solution by the United States. The ceasefire, such as it is, is fragile. We have seen breaches in Gaza and, most particularly, in the West Bank. In the past, Israel has acted with impunity due to much of the international community looking the other way. That is why the occupied territories Bill matters.”
“I will start by reflecting on the events of the past 24 hours with President Trump effectively endorsing the erasure of Gaza and the displacement of the Palestinian people living there, contrary to all international law and to any sense of what is right and wrong, what is sensible and workable, or what is acceptable. After all the bombing, death, destruction and devastation the people of Gaza have faced in the past year and a half we finally saw a ceasefire and the release of hostages on both sides. Some relief and some respite after carnage and misery has now given way to worry about what President Trump, and Netanyahu by his side, intends to do. Earlier today the Tánaiste said that he intends to adopt an approach of responding to the actions of the US Administration rather than its words. So be it.”