Simon Harris
Wicklow · Fine Gael · Ireland
“There are more than 10,000 routes and thousands of buses involved and the number of students using the services is not a million miles away from 200,000. The current terms of the scheme are going to continue to apply for the 2026-27 school year.”
“I thank Deputy McDonald for raising what is genuinely an important issue. I do take the point that when we talk about this in the abstract or from a process point of view in here, that for people watching this is their real lived experience.”
“There number of children who have been supported by means of the school transport scheme, as Deputy Fitzmaurice knows and has alluded to, has grown significantly in recent years. Since 2018, the number increased from 120,000 in 2018 to more than 181,000 now. Included in that figure are 24,000 pupils with special educational needs.”
“I knew the Deputy would have to mention the GAA, especially with Galway and Limerick playing at the weekend. I wish everybody involved the best of luck. We are very committed to the school transport scheme. If the Deputy wants to see our commitment, he should look to our budget.”
“An ageing population, increasing healthcare needs, the transition to net zero and the need for continued investment in housing, energy and infrastructure will place a significant demand on public resources.”
“There is also a legitimacy to the point the Deputy made about how it is a legitimate form of transport for some people. We see this working in other European countries. We see it in our nearest neighbours. I do not want to get the regime wrong, but I think they have registration at the point of purchase that allows people to track this.”
The complete record
Every one of 4,585 lines we hold for Simon Harris, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 64 of 92.
“I have been honest about this from the start, but we must continue to press for EU action in parallel with this. It is disappointing, although that is too weak a word, to note that, over a week since we published our Bill, we are yet to see any other member state do likewise. I reiterate my call across parties for all of us to use our political contacts in other member states to see if other countries would consider doing what Ireland is doing. Ireland believes it is possible for member states to move forward on this as a result of the ICJ advisory opinion. If we want to maximise the leverage to bring about the conditions for a ceasefire, it would be extremely helpful if other member states also produced legislation.”
“We are delivering on the commitment in the programme for Government to progress legislation prohibiting import of goods from the settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories following the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice of 19 July 2024. As members of the House are aware, the Government approved the general scheme of that Bill last week. I have referred the general scheme to the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade for pre-legislative scrutiny, which has commenced this week. I note the presence of the Chair of that committee, Deputy Lahart. I look forward to hearing the deliberations of the committee when it has completed its work. I know it is endeavouring to do so in a time-efficient manner and I am eager to work with the committee.”
“In her words, the two-state solution is on life support. We call on Israel to immediately halt these activities, and we continue to press the EU to urgently take forward further sanctions on violent settlers. A shared priority with both our European and regional partners at this time is the UN High-Level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution. Regrettably, the conference has been postponed as a result of developments in the region. It is important that the rescheduled conference go ahead when conditions allow. I have discussed this with my Saudi and French counterparts, who are co-chairing this initiative. Ireland will continue to use every lever at our disposal - political, diplomatic and legal - in our response to this situation.”
“This is in addition to a rising trend of settlement expansion and settler violence prior to 7 October, conducted within an environment of impunity. The West Bank Protection Consortium, a coalition of humanitarian organisations and international donors, now estimates that 58,000 Palestinians across 195 communities it monitors are at direct risk of forcible displacement. We are all alarmed by the recent announcement of the approval of a further 22 new settlements in the West Bank, an action openly described by the Israeli defence minister as “a strategic move that prevents the establishment of a Palestinian state”. The implications of this are clear for all to see. The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process has warned that if this trajectory is not reversed, it will make the two-state solution physically impossible.”
“I have also been clear with my EU counterparts that we now need to see options for follow-up actions. A country cannot breach an association agreement with the EU and it be consequence free. The EU’s credibility depends on what it does next. While the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza is rightly at the forefront of our minds, it is important not to forget or gloss over the extremely worrying developments in the West Bank. Since January, Israel’s military operations have displaced at least 40,000 people and caused widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure and homes. Refugee camps in Tulkarm, Nur Shams and Jenin have been rendered uninhabitable. The scale, speed and severity of displacement is unprecedented.”
“At the EU level, I continue to advocate for our partners to increase their support to UNRWA, and I welcome the EU’s payment of €52 million to UNRWA last month. In June, we saw some progress on issues where Ireland had been at the forefront. I welcome that the review of Israel’s compliance with its obligations under Article 2 of the EU-Israel association agreement has been finalised. Ireland and Spain first called for this step in February 2024. I have always been clear that any such review can only reach one conclusion, namely, that Israel is in breach of its obligations under that agreement. This is a significant finding. Now that it is there, it cannot be reversed. That finding exists. It is a finding of fact. The High Representative has said she will communicate this clearly to Israel.”
“It was yet another example of the weaponisation of aid. I again implore Israel to facilitate the UN and humanitarian partners to deliver aid in accordance with international law and humanitarian principles. Time and again, UNRWA and other UN agencies have demonstrated their capabilities as humanitarian responders. This is the most sickening thing - we know how to get the aid into Gaza. It could happen today if UN agencies were allowed to do their job. We recall most recently, during the January to March ceasefire, how they were quickly able to feed and provide aid for more than 2 million people. Ireland has provided over €88 million in support for the people of Palestine since January 2023, of which more than €75 million has been provided since October 2023. This includes €58 million for UNRWA.”
“These are people who shoot others dead while they queue for food for themselves and their starving children. We must be clear. Life-saving aid must never be weaponised. Humanitarian principles must be followed. Hospitals must never be militarised or targeted. On 5 June, the World Health Organization warned that the denial of aid and restricted access had systematically dismantled the health system in Gaza. This, also, is unacceptable. At every possible opportunity, Ireland has called on Israel to allow unimpeded access of humanitarian aid at scale into and throughout Gaza. The announcement last week by Prime Minister Netanyahu that he had ordered that all humanitarian aid once again be halted from entering the Gaza Strip was more than deeply concerning. It was disgusting, despicable and illegal.”
“The Qatari Prime Minister and I were remarking today that no matter how unimaginably horrific the situation appears to be through what we see in the media, it can only be much worse on the ground, if that is possible to comprehend. We continue to see mass casualty incidents at distribution centres run by private contractors under the new Israeli-approved model of aid delivery. This model has rightly been described by the head of UNRWA as “a death trap”. Food distribution has been chaotic and has resulted in multiple violent incidents and people have been killed while queuing for food. Over 400 people have been killed and over 3,000 have been injured. I join the UN Secretary General’s condemnation of this situation and call for accountability. Perpetrators must be held accountable.”
“The current volume and pace of aid deliveries into Gaza under Israel’s so-called partial easing of its blockade remains critically insufficient and is an affront to any accepted understanding of the operation of humanitarian aid. It is a drop in the ocean compared to the vast and urgent needs of Gaza’s entire population for food, water, medicines, shelter and fuel - the very basic items necessary for daily life and items denied to the civilian population by Israeli restrictions. The assessment by the IPC global hunger monitor in May found that the entire population of Gaza was facing high levels of food insecurity with half a million people facing starvation. We are now in July. Two months have passed without adequate action. The humanitarian situation remains catastrophic.”
“I urge all involved to support and engage in the efforts that are under way to reach agreement on a new ceasefire and hostage release agreement. Today, I met with the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, which is one of the key interlocutors in terms of trying to bring about a ceasefire. I now believe based on that conversation that there is a real window of opportunity to get a ceasefire, to get humanitarian aid flowing and to get the hostages released and people need to seize this opportunity. Let us take this window of opportunity and let us see an end to the unimaginable suffering. I also reiterate that the Israeli response in Gaza is a despicable and clear breach of international law.”
“We have stayed true to our values of upholding human rights and international law even when it has sometimes been a lonely place to take leadership positions, which have subsequently belatedly gathered consensus. We have strongly condemned and continue to strongly condemn the continuing Israeli activity in Gaza and we have called it out for the genocidal activity that it is. We strongly urge the Israeli authorities to call a halt to these military operations. We need an urgent end to hostilities. I unequivocally condemn the terror attacks by Hamas in Israel on 7 October 2023. I unequivocally condemn the unconscionable taking of hostages by Hamas and have repeatedly called for their release. I repeat that call here today. Hamas has brought nothing but death and destruction to Palestinians and Israelis.”
“I welcome this opportunity to set out the Government position on the situation in the Middle East. The region is experiencing a period of significant jeopardy and instability with multiple crises playing out, many of which are interrelated and all of which threaten further escalation, further destruction and further devastating loss of civilian lives. I will turn first to the appalling and deteriorating situation in Gaza, where we continue to witness the unending horrors of a brutal onslaught - a clear genocide. More than 56,000 people are reported killed and over 132,000 injured. Behind these stark numbers are scenes of almost unimaginable suffering, both physical and psychological. In the first instance, let me recall Ireland’s position, which has been considered, consistent and compassionate.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. I do not have much detailed information before me so I will have to get the relevant Minister to come back to him. I will arrange for that to happen. My understanding is there are two priority deliverables under the strategy for this, 5f and 5g. The first is the development of planning guidelines to support the local authorities, as the Deputy suggested, when assessing the plans for planning applications and the second is the review of the resourcing requirements for key Government agencies in relation to the development of the industry in an appropriate way. I will ask the relevant Minister to come back to the Deputy with timelines for both.”
“The depth of feeling there quite rightly is around this country about the genocidal activity by Israel and support for the Palestinian people is real, guttural and heartfelt. There should always be a very high bar before interfering on anybody’s clothing. In the first instance, these are always matters for boards of management. In light of the Deputy bringing this information to my attention, let me discuss the matter with the Minister for education.”
“We are also absolutely committed to expanding both the sexual assault treatment unit, SATU, facilities and, indeed, women's refuge spaces across the country. The programme for Government is clear on that and on supporting the work of Cuan. We established for the first time ever in Ireland, under the Minister, Deputy McEntee's leadership, the first domestic, sexual and gender-based violence statutory agency to co-ordinate our work on this.”
“I thank Deputy Ó Muirí for raising this matter. The Deputy is so right too because one of the big findings that emerged yesterday from the Women's Aid report - I thank it for the great work it does - is the stark need here to act on the domestic violence register and what is often called "Jennie's law". I had the honour of meeting Jason Poole, an incredible man, in relation to his sister, Jennie. The programme for Government commits to working with An Garda Síochána to ensure that a person in an intimate relationship can be informed of a serious risk to them where a new partner has a history of domestic violence. The Minister for justice has requested his officials to examine proposals to establish a register or mechanism which would allow for the disclosure of this information. That is an important step.”
“I would hope, certainly, I believe, within a matter of weeks, we will be able to bring forward a plan on a way forward that better manages and points out the future direction of how we manage the Curragh Plains.”
“I thank Deputy Ó Fearghaíl for keeping in touch with me on this. Let me say to anyone who wishes to illegally camp on the Curragh Plains that it will not be tolerated. We went to the High Court this week in relation to the situation. The Garda has been there. Bailiffs have been there. If you come there illegally, you will be moved on. That is absolutely crystal clear. I thank my officials, the Defence Forces, the Garda and everybody else who are making sure that the laws of this land get upheld. Of course, Deputy Ó Fearghaíl is correct. This is a national resource. It is an incredible resource, not only for the people of Kildare but for the people of Ireland. The programme for Government does give that commitment. There has been good work done. I and the Minister of State, Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan, are in advanced discussions.”
“The special purpose vehicle will be under the remit of Dublin City Council and it will be about the city councillors and the directly-elected representatives of the people of Dublin city leading on this project. I am happy to ask that the officials involved engage with the Deputy directly.”
“We do not disagree on this, because it is possible to do quite a number of things. As Deputy Gannon will be aware, and I will not tell him about his own constituency, the GPO is a massive site. Many people, when they walk down O'Connell Street, see the GPO as the historic piece and as the post office. The GPO site goes significantly far back. This recommendation flows from the Dublin city centre task force, which outlines a number of suggestions. I absolutely believe there has to be a cultural civic element to this. I heard bizarre comments about Abrakebabra and all this sort of stuff being made, although not from Deputy Gannon. Let us get real here. There is a suggestion here of how one best utilises that space and Dublin City Council will be in the driving seat on this.”
“I thank Deputy O'Gorman. I do not want to bluff; I have not read that report but I will make myself aware of it now that the Deputy has brought my attention to it. I will also discuss the matter with the Minister for the environment. The Deputy's suggestion is a constructive one. On foot of the Deputy raising it today, I will ask the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, to consider that request that it would visit and I will come back to the Deputy.”
“I am pleased today to tell the Dáil and to tell Deputy Ó Murchú that, following an meeting with my officials yesterday, I have now directed them to prepare legislative change so that this pension allowance can be paid in the case of a dependant. It will require legislative change. I have to be honest about that. I will look for the appropriate vehicle, whichever is the quickest vehicle, to bring it in. We have two defence Bills likely in the coming period of time. I see Deputy Conway-Walsh is here and I am sure we will work constructively on trying to make progress in getting this through as well. I am happy to keep in close contact with the Deputy on it.”
“I sincerely thank Deputy Ó Murchú for raising this case on a number of occasions and for the positive engagement that we have had. I want to put on record today my sympathies to the McNeela family and, in particular, to John McNeela on the loss of his wife, Kathleen, and, indeed, their son, Michael, who died while on peacekeeping duties in Lebanon. He served the State with distinction and I want to thank him for his service and acknowledge that as well. This is a hard case and it relates to a request to transfer a dependant's allowance. I have been convinced, though, that the current system is unfair. It is mean-spirited and we need to fix it.”
“Our new programme for Government states we will continue to provide the nationwide network of post offices with the funding needed to ensure its sustainability and the value they bring to local communities. The relevant officials in the Department are now working under the leadership of the Minister of State to deliver on this and are engaging with relevant stakeholders in relation to funding. I would just make one point. Any such funding is going to be to provide space for An Post to continue its own transformation journey. It is a semi-State commercial company and we do need to see that journey of transformation continued.”
“I thank Deputy Murphy for raising this issue. Indeed, I was talking to the Minister of State, Deputy McConalogue, who has responsibility in this area. Let nobody be in any doubt: this Government remains fully committed to a sustainable An Post and to a sustainable post office network as a key component of our economic and social infrastructure right across the country. The programme for Government is clear in our commitments. I am proud the previous Government agreed an amount of €10 million per annum would be provided for a three-year fixed term to An Post and that that funding was dispersed across the post office network. That has made a very big and significant difference.”
“I thank Deputy Cahill very much for raising this issue. It sounds like a very stressful situation for the school principal, the teachers and the parents and students involved. I will certainly ask the Minister, Deputy McEntee, and the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan, who has special responsibility for special education needs, to engage with the Deputy directly and to look into the issues raised in relation to how we better support that school. I will ask the Minister and the Minister of State to revert to the Deputy.”
“I thank Deputy O'Hara. My understanding regarding Portumna Forest Park is that this is something at the very early stages and that there will be extensive engagement. I will take his feedback in relation to Coillte and its need to engage and listen. The Minister of State, Deputy Canney, has also updated me on this matter. Regarding the former Shannon Oaks hotel, I have heard about it directly in relation to Galway East. I do know it is an eyesore and a source of great frustration, and I will certainly engage with the local authority. We do now have powers concerning derelict sites. I think there is a significant question regarding those powers and where their enforcement lies. I expect this is something the Government will consider in the coming weeks and months.”
“I thank Deputy Clendennen very much for raising this issue. I have just been talking to the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, who also has responsibilities in this area. I wish everybody well in Ballybritt with the tractor run. I also assure the Deputy there are no plans to do anything that would discommode our farmers or farming community in relation to this issue. As part of the Government's road safety strategy, we are looking at the issue of how we can support farmers in the safety of their tractors. This should be done from a position of wanting to be supportive rather than causing any difficulty, challenge or unnecessary bureaucracy. I know the Minister of State will be eager to keep the Deputy up to date on this matter.”
“The Deputy will understand that I cannot comment on a decision of An Bord Pleanála because of its quasi-judicial nature and where things may go next. I do not want to comment on the specifics. On the broader point about housing in Ballina, I will certainly ask the Minister for housing to engage with Mayo County Council and the people the Deputy mentioned. Housing is in an emergency situation. We need to deliver 300,000 homes over the next five years. I will make it my business on my next visit to Mayo to inquire specifically about Ballina.”
“I absolutely will look into it. Will the Deputy send me the specific details today? I am conscious that I have answered a parliamentary question on the case, but if the Deputy could send me the specific details, I will personally look into the matter today. We are planning changes in one of the forthcoming defence Bills. There are powers available to the Garda Commissioner that I believe the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces needs. Where allegations are made against somebody, the Chief of Staff needs to be able to take action in terms of his or her service in the here and now. There are other arrangements in place in the interim, but I would like that to be on a statutory basis. I will come back to the Deputy directly on the matter.”
“I will talk to the Taoiseach about how best the Government might take that forward so that, within this relatively new Oireachtas, we can together mark out how we intend to make progress on this.”
“Yes, we will. I am not aware of the background as to why statements did not take place. They should have taken place and it is important that they do. I genuinely take the Deputy's point about symbolism and flags and accept it. However, this year more than ever, at a time when people across the world are speaking in more hushed tones about inclusion, it is important that this weekend Ireland march proudly in support of Pride, love being love and marriage equality. We have made progress but it is ongoing, as the Deputy said, and in some areas it is under threat. I accept that. We should arrange an engagement on this issue between relevant Ministers, me and others.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue about BusConnects. I will ask the Minister for Transport to engage with him directly. Perhaps I could also arrange through my office for the National Transport Authority, NTA, to engage and sit down with the Deputies for the area, including Deputy Smith. I am conscious, particularly in his part of Dublin, of how reliant people are on public transport. There has been very significant population growth in that area. I will arrange for the NTA to meet the Deputy and others on the issue.”
“It is a Republic that your party worked to undermine. They collected the killers of Detective Garda Jerry McCabe from the gates of a prison. Do not dare present yourself as a defender of the Republic.”
“On the GPO, I will first say this. The Deputy's party welcomed the publication of the Dublin city centre task force report, which the recommendation he is now criticising was in. Maybe he should read the documents in future. Second, the GPO is always going to be preserved under this plan as the historic cultural institution it is.”
“If the Deputy wants to talk about the type of people his party commemorates, here is a photo of his party chair with a member of Hamas. Get over yourself, giving me a history lecture. Here he is - Declan Kearney meeting the leader of Hamas. I think your man from Hamas is dead but Declan Kearney is still here. The Deputy should not lecture me considering the sort of people his party hangs around with.”
“Deputy O'Sullivan raised the issue of DMD in the House last week and we went to the North-South Ministerial Council. In fairness, it was also raised by Deputy Crowe. At the North-South Ministerial Council we immediately started a conversation about how our two departments of health can work together. On part of the island you might have the medication, while on another part of the island you might have the professionals. Particularly given that we live in a small country, collaboration at European level, across the island of Ireland and across Ireland and the UK are going to be important steps. The Minister is committed to continuing close engagement with the Deputy on it. On the reimbursement piece, we have significantly increased the staff to try to speed up the timelines. We will keep in close contact.”
“I thank the Deputy for referencing Les Martin, a person I know well from County Wicklow and somebody who has done incredible advocacy work in relation to this based on the lived experience of his two sons. I thank Les for that work too. The points Deputy O'Sullivan makes are fair. The Minister has rightly reminded me that she is committed to a root-and-branch reform and examination of all the various processes in place in relation to rare diseases. The opportunity to bring forward the new rare diseases plan will be a chance to turbocharge our focus on some of these issues. However, we are already beginning to look at how we can do this in new ways. For example, the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, had engagement with her Italian counterpart in recent days on how we can co-operate and collaborate more across the European Union.”
“In terms of the rare disease action plan we have made a number of commitments in the programme for Government and the Minister for Health will bring the new rare diseases strategy to Government for endorsement in the coming weeks. I expect it will be published shortly thereafter. We will look at how we can advance some of the points made through that structure. In terms of a timeline for the talks on the reimbursement framework beginning, we are eager for that to happen as quickly as possible. We are currently working to identify how quickly that can happen.”
“We have two population-based newborn screening programmes now and the programme for Government is committing to continually reviewing the number of conditions babies are screened for. Of course, that will help in terms of the early detection of rare diseases as well. Since May 2022, babies have been screened for nine conditions. The previous Minister for Health endorsed the recommendations from the screening advisory committee to add two new conditions. Once implemented, this will bring the number of conditions screened for as part of what is commonly known as the heel prick test in Ireland to 11. Last year, work also began on a complex and detailed process of introducing screening for spinal muscular atrophy, SMA, and for SCID to the national newborn heel prick test.”
“It will be for the Minister to outline how she intends to take that forward, with Government colleagues, in the time ahead, but the points the Deputy made here today are very fair. If it is to be an early access scheme that is to make a difference, that is to be somewhat of a disruptor in terms of making sure people can get access to those medicines much more quickly, it will have to be not just a carbon copy of the existing structures or a parallel process with the same likely outcome. Let us take that away and make sure that is a factor. Another commitment in the programme for Government that is worth commenting on is the commitment around the heel prick test.”
“While accepting we have a lot more to do, we are beginning to make progress in relation to access for rare diseases. The last budget allocation was €30 million for new medicines, to come from within the HSE. We have doubled the capacity of the HSE pricing and reimbursement system. Some of this is about the quantum of funding but, in terms of speeding up the process, it is also about making sure there are enough people working in the system. I am very pleased that we have almost doubled the capacity of those now working on the reimbursement system for new medication. We now have a medicines application tracker to try to increase the transparency because we want this country to do even better in these matters. The programme for Government commits to an early access scheme.”
“When I heard the Deputy would be asking a question today I did not have to ask what topic it was likely to be about. I want to acknowledge that, probably more than any other Member, he raises this issue on a very consistent basis. I acknowledge he is a passionate advocate for those with rare diseases. I thank him for the focus he is keeping on that. I know he has had good engagement with the Minister for Health on this matter and I am very pleased with the work she is doing and her determination to make more progress on the issue of rare diseases and early access to medication for people with rare diseases. I will say that, at a high level, we have over the past four years delivered access to 194 new medicines, 74 of which were for cancer, but 49 of which were for rare diseases.”
“The Mazars report, from inception to its actual publication, took the best part of four or five years. We have committed to this in the programme for Government as a provision. We need to actually start the process of reviewing the current reimbursement system now. If we wait a further two years, we are not going to see the full published review by the end of this Government's term. Today I ask for two things. Will the Tánaiste give me the direction of any thinking in respect of an early access scheme? How quickly can that come on stream? With regard to the overall review of the reimbursement system, will the Tánaiste give a commitment that it will start urgently so that we can at least have it published in the next couple of years?”
“Specifically in respect of early access schemes as a focus in the programme for Government, I need to emphasise how important it is that any early access scheme needs to be decoupled from the existing reimbursement process. If we are going to put drugs through a process that essentially has to run through the same hoops as the system that is currently in place, it will be doomed to failure. That is my concern. Typically you are looking at 600, 700 or 800 days for reimbursement for a rare drug. As I said, any system that provides for early access will have to radically overhaul that. The second point in the programme for Government is a commitment to a review of the reimbursement system as a whole. Again, that is something I have sought for a number of years. Any review we undertake cannot be a carbon copy of the Mazars report.”
“She represents them. That is how it works. She is their representative in this country. We made her an ambassador by recognising the State of Palestine. On the occupied territories Bill, let me be clear. There are legal issues about services. We will tease through them and, if we can make progress on them that is what we intend to do, but we need other countries to move. If this is not about performative politics and actually about helping to save lives in Gaza, today we need to call on other EU member states to join us and bring forward their own legislation and stop waiting for EU unanimity. Let us get on with the job. I must give her credit for that.”
“-----to thank the people and Government of Ireland. Funnily enough, I attach a greater value to her view, as the representative of the people of Palestine, than I do to the Deputy's view on behalf of the people of Palestine.”
“The people of Palestine know we are standing up for them. Deputy Coppinger might not want to acknowledge or appreciate that. The Palestinian ambassador wrote to Sligo County Council in the past week and said Ireland's commitment to international law and human rights will always be seen and commended by the Palestinian people. Every effort by the Government of Ireland to stop Israel's genocide and war crimes on the Palestinian people is highly valued. The person who is in our country representing the people of Palestine wrote to Sligo County-----”
“I would appreciate if the Deputy would agree with me on that. She certainly has no evidence of that either. We will pass a Bill that shows solidarity with the people of Palestine and the ICJ. What we are also going to do is what the Taoiseach is trying to do today, that is build an alliance to try to get other countries involved. The Deputy is right on this point, that we cannot wait for EU unanimity. We waited far too long and we have to move on. I am asking like-minded countries today to move with us and I would appreciate the Deputy's support on that.”