Thomas Byrne
Meath East · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“We are very proud of the work they do in what are often very dangerous circumstances. Let us be 100% clear: our troops will only ever do peacekeeping, peace enforcement or conflict prevention in accordance with the principles of the UN Charter and, of course, as with every action of this Government, in accordance with the Constitution.”
“To be clear on what our troops will be doing, they will be doing peacekeeping, peace enforcement and conflict prevention. That is what the law says; not what the Deputy imagines it to be. We are bound by our Constitution and international law. The legislation changes nothing in that regard.”
“We are bound by international law. We are bound by international law since our Constitution came into force and we continue to be bound by international law and always will be, no matter what happens to this legislation. International law governs what we do as a Government.”
“I propose to take Questions Nos. 125, 140, 157 and 185 together. I am taking this question on behalf of the Minister. A commitment to reform what is known as the triple lock was set out in the programme for Government.”
“-----in accordance with UN principles and, of course, in accordance with our own Constitution, which commits us to peace and friendly relations among nations. The triple lock is a statutory mechanism.”
“Switzerland, the classical neutral country that is not even a member of the European Union and will never join the European Union, it is so neutral and independent, accepts UN, EU and OSCE mandates. I understand the situation is similar in Austria, which is another neutral country. By the way, it is also similar in Germany.”
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“On a per capita basis, this equates to €806 - second only to Dublin, which is projected at €1,047 per capita in 2040. These figures show the significant economic impact of congestion on residents and businesses in Galway. Those of us who have the privilege to visit Galway are only too well aware of the congestion, so we can empathise and sympathise. The report indicates that Galway’s congestion costs will be notably higher than those in other regional cities. This reflects the growing demand on the transport network in the city as it assumes that Galway’s population and economy will continue to grow significantly over coming years. The pressure on transport infrastructure will then increase unless we take proactive measures.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta os rud é gur chuir sé an t-ábhar tábhachtach seo os comhair na Dála. Tá mise ag tógaint an ábhair seo thar ceann an Aire Iompair. I am aware of the Department’s recent report, The Economic Cost of Congestion in the Regional Cities 2022-2040, and the results pertaining to Galway. The report builds on an earlier study about Dublin published in 2023, which the Deputy mentioned. The same methodology was applied to Cork, Waterford and Galway, providing consistent and monetised examples of the costs of congestion across these cities. The cost of congestion is calculated on the basis of lost productive time due to increased travel times. In Galway, the cost of congestion is projected to rise to €106.9 million by 2040.”
“We all have these issues with Uisce Éireann in every constituency. Sometimes there is fantastic work done; sometimes there just is not. We have to praise the good when it happens and try to rectify the bad when that happens too. I thank Uisce Éireann for its work and thank the Deputy for highlighting this because it is important in a democracy to remember that Uisce Éireann is a public entity and is accountable to the Government and the Oireachtas through that.”
“Uisce Éireann has a strong - I do not like the word "customer" in relation to State bodies - resident service focus through its water plan and customer charter, which outlines the standard of service residents should expect to receive. It is open to any member of the public to lodge a formal complaint with Uisce Éireann if they are not happy with the service provided. Details on how to do so are on its website. Any issues which cannot be resolved by Uisce Éireann to the satisfaction of the resident can be referred under the formal complaints process of the CRU. The details of this are on the CRU website. Uisce Éireann has, as the Deputy knows, a dedicated team to deal with representations and queries from public representatives, and he will have the contact details for them.”
“Our water and wastewater infrastructure requires substantial and sustained investment over a number of investment cycles to bring the systems up to the standards required of a modern service that provides for population growth and to build resilience in the face of climate change. Uisce Éireann has ramped up capital delivery for water services and infrastructure and we as an Oireachtas and a Government provided €300 million in 2014. That went up to €1.3 billion in 2024. That has resulted in record investment over the last five years. The investments continued in this budget, with capital funding for Uisce Éireann of over €2.2 billion, and further funding for water infrastructure will be considered as part of the review of the national development plan.”
“Uisce Éireann would like to thank elected representatives for highlighting the issue to its teams and is grateful for the support of South Dublin County Council crews in attending the site and carrying out the repairs. Uisce Éireann is reviewing the burst history in the Knocklyon area and will develop appropriate works programmes. Uisce Éireann understands how disruptive unplanned outages are and it has informed the Minister that it regrets the inconvenience caused to customers and residents. A full review is ongoing relating to the delay in dispatching crews to the site to ensure that this does not happen again.”
“A number of customers were impacted following that burst water main, which resulted in low pressure and water interruptions in the area. Local Uisce Éireann service crews should be immediately dispatched when an unplanned outage occurs to do repair work as soon as possible. This did not happen, and Uisce Éireann acknowledges that it did not meet the service expectations as regards that localised burst. A leak detection crew was mobilised to find the burst on the Tuesday morning, 22 April, with the repair completed by the Tuesday evening. Following the repair, Uisce Éireann was made aware that some customers experienced airlocks in their households and deployed a plumber to further help those householders and water was returned to all properties.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. As he will understand, the supply of public water and the provision of water services are matters for Uisce Éireann. Uisce Éireann has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local level. The scope, prioritisation and progression of individual projects are matters for Uisce Éireann and approved through its own board and internal governance structures. Under section 7 of the Water Services (No. 2) Act, the Minister has no function regarding Uisce Éireann's specific operations at Dargle Wood. However, the Minister has made inquiries and my understanding from the information provided is that an unplanned outage occurred on Sunday, 20 April.”
“I again thank the Labour Party for tabling the motion. I look forward to continued co-operation between the Government and Deputies as we strive to secure peace for Israelis and Palestinians alike.”
“We will absolutely continue to take pressure from the Opposition and all of that but I am proud of the work the Government has done. We want Palestinians and Israelis to live in peace and security through the two-state solution. To put it bluntly, we need peace, we need food, we need humanitarian assistance and we need to see the war end. We need to see urgent humanitarian aid at scale into and throughout Gaza and we need to see the release of all hostages. We need to see a pathway to a political process that can lead to a solution to the conflict that has gone on too long and for which the people are paying too high a price. Ireland will continue to use all the political, legal, diplomatic and humanitarian tools at our disposal towards these goals. The Irish people support these goals.”
“The world does see that the Irish Government is one of the strongest supporters in the western world of the people of Palestine, of the State of Palestine and of the two-state solution. That is simply a fact. I have no problem with the Opposition telling us we need to do more but I reject the idea, which I heard once here today, that somehow the Government is complicit in this. It is not the case. There were media reports only last month that Benjamin Netanyahu did not fly over Irish airspace because he feared arrest. Among the biggest critics of the Irish Government's response to this has been the Israeli Government. The ambassador was recalled after we recognised the State of Palestine. While there will always be politics in Dáil Éireann, we are doing a huge amount.”
“People are killed in the six figures in Sudan and Ireland has been really strong on that as well in terms of humanitarian aid and on using diplomatic initiatives. We are not afraid to take action on these global issues that we are appalled by. We are leading the way in terms of domestic legislation. The Government has agreed to bring forward the occupied territories Bill, which is coming, and it will work with Members across the House as the Bill advances to pre-legislative scrutiny stage in the coming weeks. The horrific scenes we continue to see cut across politics, including party politics. The world is appalled by what it is seeing. The House is united in its desire to find a lasting political solution.”
“There may be others to come. Ireland unequivocally supports the right of the State of Israel to exist. From what I am seeing in its media, certainly not all of the Israeli people support what is happening. There are many who are extremely critical within Israeli society. We have also unequivocally supported the right of the State of Palestine to exist. This was not always the norm. We want the Palestinian people to have peaceful self-determination. Some 12 months after Ireland recognised the State of Palestine, we see the question of recognition again at the centre of the international debate. Malta is going to do it and others may as well. Despite our small size, Ireland has not been afraid to speak out loudly or to take action. Deputies O'Donoghue and McGrath mentioned other conflicts.”
“Ireland, together with Spain, called for this last year when the then Taoiseach and the Spanish Prime Minister wrote to the President of the European Commission requesting an urgent review of whether Israel was complying with its human rights obligations. At the time, we were the only ones. Last Tuesday, a clear majority of member states voiced their support for such a review. To Deputy Heneghan, who stated that this was what we should be doing, this is a strong example of what we have been doing in various forums at various levels. We have been clear-eyed in our assessment of the facts and regarding our objectives. It speaks for itself that steps being taken now by Ireland and international partners were proposed by Ireland months ago. That includes the recognition of the State of Palestine on which other countries have followed suit.”
“We know that the policies of the Israeli Government, and nobody else, have led to a looming famine in Gaza. We have witnessed innumerable breaches of international law and international humanitarian law and we have called them out. We respect the authority of the ICJ on the matter and await the outcome of the South African case. We are using all of the diplomatic channels available to us in response to the situation in Palestine. As has been mentioned, last week, a majority of EU foreign ministers - not all, but enough - called on the EU to conduct a review of the EU-Israel association agreement. This is important because it reflects the grave concerns held by member states regarding the ongoing war by Israel, the blockade of humanitarian aid entering Gaza and the horror at seeing this.”
“The overall aim of the conference is to forge a pathway towards a sustainable peace in a comprehensive manner. This will be an important moment for the international community to come together, demonstrate the political will to implement the two-state solution and bring an end to the current cycle of violence. Our focus is on preparations for the conference, as is the focus of Palestine at the moment and like-minded partners. We are also working in other international forums on initiatives aimed at addressing the situation in the Middle East, including through the international courts. In this regard, Ireland filed a declaration of intervention at the International Court of Justice in South Africa’s case against Israel under the Genocide Convention in January.”
“At the resumed session in May 2024, shortly before we, along with Spain and Norway, recognised the State of Palestine, Ireland strongly supported a resolution to upgrade Palestine’s rights at the UN as an observer state. Ireland urged the Security Council to give favourable consideration to Palestine’s request for full membership. This Government and our diplomats, on behalf of all of us, are currently playing a leading role in the preparations for the UN high-level international conference for the peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine and the implementation of a two-state solution. This includes the Government supporting the conference cochairs, France and Saudi Arabia, by acting as cochair, with Türkiye, of one of eight working groups at the conference.”
“Indeed, some of the initiatives are taking place within the framework of the uniting for peace Resolution 377. For example, there is already an emergency special session dedicated to the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory. This is the tenth emergency special session, which was established in 1997 under the uniting for peace resolution, the same one to which the motion refers. At the resumed tenth emergency session in October 2023, Ireland was among the first countries in the world to call for a ceasefire. Our leadership contributed to momentum towards the eventual call by the General Assembly for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in a resolution adopted by an overwhelming majority in December 2023.”
“We reject proposals to distribute aid that do not conform with humanitarian principles or that undermine the UN or other humanitarian partners. Ireland has, both bilaterally and multilaterally, including yesterday while I was at the General Affairs Council, called on Israel to comply with international law while stressing the universal applicability of international law, including humanitarian law, and the Government fully concurs with the sentiment of the Labour Party’s motion in this regard. We will double down on our calls. We will continue to use all the tools at our disposal to hold Israel to account. It is for these reasons the Government is not opposing the motion. The motion raises issues that are already being addressed by existing initiatives at United Nations level, including by Ireland.”
“We all unequivocally condemn the terror attacks by Hamas and other terrorist organisations against Israel on 7 October 2023. We unequivocally condemn the taking of hostages and we have consistently called, and still call today, for the release of all hostages. Let us be clear that Hamas is not the future for the Palestinian people. It offers no future. We have consistently called for all parties to return to talks aimed at immediately agreeing a ceasefire and hostage release deal. We have called for a massive, unimpeded scale-up of humanitarian aid into and throughout Gaza in accordance with international law and humanitarian principles. The Taoiseach has been one of the strongest voices on the global political stage on this matter. The UN and other humanitarian organisations must be enabled to work independently and to do their job.”
“It is tragic and unacceptable for the people of Gaza and the West Bank and it has deteriorated considerably since we recognised Palestine. The House is united in our collective outrage at the scenes we continue to witness every single day of innocent civilians being bombed out of their homes, of children starving and of people fleeing their homes time after time. On behalf of the Government, I thank the Labour Party for tabling this motion today. Every Deputy has spoken sincerely. As I said last week, the Opposition is entitled to criticise, call for more or say we have not done enough, but there is sincerity on behalf of the Government and its backbenchers, and sincerity and genuineness in the leadership Ireland has shown on the international stage on this issue. We are united on the fundamental view of the conflict.”
“I thank everybody for contributing today. All of their contributions have been genuinely heartfelt and reflect the established opinion in Ireland for quite some time, which is the opinion of the Irish Government, too. It is a year ago to the day that the Government took a very important decision to recognise the State of Palestine. The decision was taken in the spirit of peace, in the spirit of keeping hope alive and in the spirit of believing - we have always believed this and were the first county to propose it - that a two-state solution is the only way for Israel and Palestine to live side by side in peace and security. As outlined by Deputies across the political spectrum, Government and Opposition, over the course of the debate, the situation is one of horror.”
“On this idea of being complicit, the Opposition should just stop using these words. It can criticise the Government, hold it to account and ask it to do more - that is what oppositions do. However, to say that somehow we are complicit is just disgraceful language from the Opposition. We will continue to speak as loudly as we have been and we will continue to be that voice that has been recognised all over the world.”
“It was a whole-of-government approach and thanks go to everyone involved. This is consistent with our support for the people of Palestine. I have to reject this thing that keeps coming up that somehow Ireland is complicit in this, or the Irish Government is complicit in this. It is completely and utterly unconscionable that that would be said in this House. We have led the way on this. We are doing absolutely everything we can. It requires decisions at the Security Council, over which some countries have the power of veto, at the UN and at the European Council of Ministers, where everybody has power of veto over foreign policy. We are absolutely steadfast in our support for the Palestinian people and for a peaceful two-state solution and in our opposition to anti-Semitism in this country and around the world, and are working hard on that.”
“The long-term impact of the physical and mental scars being inflicted on children in Gaza is totally unconscionable and others have mentioned this. It is difficult to imagine the untold suffering they have experienced. Government approval was secured in September last for Ireland to evacuate a number of sick children from Gaza for treatment and care, following an appeal from the WHO to address the current health needs of people from Gaza. To date, 12 children and their family members have come to Ireland under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. I am sure everybody is proud that Ireland was able to offer these children the care they desperately need. Both medical evacuations required the efforts of numerous Government Departments, led by the Department of Health, and our embassy team in Cairo.”
“People were asking us to bring resolutions to the General Assembly and this is one that Ireland co-sponsored last December following the adoption in October 2024 of legislation by the Israeli Parliament which in effect prohibits the presence and activities of UNRWA. It is a considered set of legal arguments which cogently reflects our national position. I strongly reject suggestions some have made that by only doing written statements, which is the normal procedure, that we are somehow deficient in our support. We are leading the way at EU and UN levels, exactly what the Opposition is accusing us of not doing. We are being criticised by the Israeli Government for all of this. I stand over everything we have done and will continue to do in the court.”
“We have seen incidents of aggression by the Israeli army against UNIFIL forces in its area of operation and that is unacceptable. Our solidarity is with all of our soldiers and all of the other soldiers working under the UN flag. Any deliberate targeting of UNIFIL personnel or installations is a violation again of international humanitarian law. We have been active at the ICJ. We have filed detailed written submissions with the ICJ in advisory proceedings concerning the obligations of Israel in relation to the UN and other international organisations in the occupied Palestinian territory. Those proceedings arose from a UN General Assembly resolution.”
“Again, we have supported UNRWA. We have been steadfast in our support at an EU level and not everybody has been in the same position. We have provided humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza through other agencies, including the World Food Programme and the Red Cross and the Red Crescent societies. Through our rapid response initiative, 116 tonnes of relief supplies, including family tents, tarpaulins, blankets, water cans and hygiene kits have been provided. There are currently two consignments of humanitarian aid in Jordan awaiting entry to Gaza. Both consignments have received permission to enter Gaza but they cannot do so because of the blockade. UNIFIL was mentioned. It is very important that we remember our colleagues in UNIFIL because we welcome it continuing to play an important role next-door in Lebanon.”
“Yes, I think the word came through during this debate. I only heard about it when I came into the Chamber. As I say, we have taken leadership on the EU-Israel Association Agreement. The Taoiseach was very strong again in calling for that agreement to be suspended while the review takes place. The EU must use all the levers at its disposal with the urgency that the situation demands. We in Ireland will use all the tools at our disposal to respond to this dreadful conflict and work towards achieving the aims. We have provided over €87 million in support of the people of Palestine since January 2023. Of this, more than €75 million has been provided by Irish taxpayers through the Government in humanitarian assistance in response to the suffering caused by the conflict in Gaza since October 2023. This includes €58 million for UNRWA since 2023.”
“It is absolutely disgraceful today that two Irish diplomats were part of a planned diplomatic visit by a group of diplomats to Jenin with the Palestinian Authority when the Israel Defense Forces shot at them. Thankfully, no one was harmed. However, it is totally unacceptable to shoot at anybody but putting diplomatic representatives at risk, ordinary civil servants who are just going about their job on behalf of their country, we condemn in the strongest possible terms. It is absolutely outrageous.”
“This was made clear by Ireland and other EU member states recently at the EU-Israel Association Council in February. I am glad that this particular agreement is being reviewed. People can criticise it. Ireland was the first country along with Spain to look for this review and we have worked really hard as everybody in the Opposition has asked us to on a multilateral basis using our reputation and our neutral status. We have done all that and that has led to this today. However, it takes time with other member states of the European Union. We have been consistent in our leadership at EU and international levels in response to this conflict and our diplomats work really hard under the policy direction of Government.”
“It has not been possible to get unanimity on some of the actions we would like to take in this situation and the reasons have been well set out. I welcome that the High Representative, Kaja Kallas, issued a joint statement with Commissioners Šuica and Lahbib on 7 May stating that the new mechanism that Israeli was engaging in was counter to humanitarian principles as underlined by UN agencies and humanitarian partners. We call upon the Israeli Government to immediately reverse its current policy, lift the blockade and let the humanitarian aid in to everybody. We are also absolutely clear - we cannot be clearer - that there cannot be any forced displacement of civilian populations anywhere, let alone in Gaza, and that Israel cannot occupy the Gaza Strip.”
“The UN's humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, said it was a "cynical sideshow". Ireland has been clear from the outset. We get criticised a lot by the Opposition but we get equally trenchant criticism from the Israeli Government. When we meet people who have similar views to us on the situation there in terms of supporting a two-state solution and having huge empathy for the people of Palestine, I certainly get thanks from other ministers from other governments for the actions and the leadership of this particular Government. The EU must of course speak clearly on this worrying development. The Taoiseach and others today, Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl in particular, have said the EU works on the basis of unanimity.”
“The humanitarian situation is horrific and the continuing blockade of humanitarian and commercial supplies for Gaza is rapidly deepening the hunger crisis in Gaza that has been outlined across this House. The UN World Food Programme has said that food stocks in Gaza are now depleted. UNICEF has warned that children are experiencing severe malnutrition. Israel must lift the blockade immediately. The obstruction of lifesaving aid by Israel is a violation of its international obligations. The Taoiseach said very clearly that it was a war crime. Israel must fulfil its obligations under international humanitarian law. The Israeli security cabinet decided on 4 May that it would take control of the distribution of humanitarian aid as a condition of lifting the blockade. The UN has described this as unacceptable.”
“I thank everyone for their contributions. I will be clear from the outset, the attacks by Israel, which have all been detailed in this debate, are a further erosion of the principles of international humanitarian law that Israel is bound to comply with. People have been clear, as I am, in our condemnation of Hamas for its terror attack, for keeping people in captivity today and for the death and destruction it has brought to Palestinians and Israelis alike. Those hostages who Hamas is holding need to be released. We cannot be clearer about that. Israel's plans to expand its military operation in Gaza and establish its prolonged presence is deeply alarming and will further compound an already dire situation.”
“It is not a question of not being neutral or joining military organisations. It is simply a question of working together to protect our independence. That is what we must do. The purpose of our military is to defend and secure this country and its citizens.”
“The co-operation will continue. We are a militarily neutral country. We are not joining NATO but we talk to it and we want our military to be able to operate to NATO standards and to have equipment worthy of a modern army. Tá sé an-tábhachtach go ndéanfaimid é sin agus go bhfuilimid ar an eolas go bhfuil bagairtí amuigh ansin ag teacht ó thíortha ar nós na Rúise agus áiteanna eile. Tá na bagairtí seo ag tarlú gach uile lá ar fud na Mór-Roinne agus ar fud na farraige in aice leis an Mór-Roinn. What the Senator said about co-operation is important. I note that the EU-UK co-operation and common understanding agreement, which was concluded yesterday, contains reference to co-operation on maritime security, including cables and other aspects of maritime policy, which is positive.”
“Crucially, patrolling of the Irish Sea in the vicinity of priority offshore infrastructure continues to take place by a mixture of air and naval platforms and the naval operations command centre in Haulbowline remotely monitors vessels in the Irish exclusive economic zone on a 24-7 basis.”
“The purpose of this was to gain a better understanding of the subsea market as a whole, as well as to gain more insight into individual cable systems at firm level to ensure Ireland is served by a suitably diverse, resilient and reliable cable system. The consultation received strong feedback from subsea cable owners, operators and developers. In light of threats to EU critical infrastructure arising from geopolitical developments and subsequent attacks on pipelines in other jurisdictions, the Department engaged directly with the owners of subsea telecoms cables to obtain up-to-date mapping information so that relevant State entities have this on hand. The Department of Defence continues to work with the Department of the environment on this and the results of the tests have been shared with the Commission as part of a cross-EU process.”
“A subgroup of this task force produced the first guideline document on critical infrastructure resilience in February 2019 and it was updated in July 2021. While the primary responsibility for safeguarding critical infrastructure rests with the owner or operator, the guideline document provides the methodology for operators of essential services to follow to enhance resilience. It also outlines that it is the responsibility of each Department to foster links and work closely with semi-State and private sector operators of our critical infrastructure to enhance protection of that infrastructure from a wide variety of threats. Last year, the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications ran a consultation on international connectivity for telecommunications.”
“Ireland is observing on the PESCO project on critical seabed infrastructure protection, which aims to increase the EU's operational efficiency in the protection of critical maritime infrastructure. Participation in the project will help in Ireland's mitigation of the risks posed to subsea architecture. This PESCO project will examine the strengthening of capabilities with regard to protecting critical undersea infrastructure, thereby increasing its security and resilience. Government and Dáil approval has been granted for Ireland to join the project. The process of requesting participant status has started. The Minister for Defence chairs the Government task force on emergency planning.”
“Protecting such infrastructure requires collaboration within the State and, as the Senator mentioned, between states to develop a full understanding of what is occurring in the sea. The Tánaiste has recently approved Defence Forces participation in the common information sharing environment, CISE. There was a bit of criticism of this as well. It is an EU initiative that enables structured and secure information sharing among EU maritime authorities, both civil and military, allowing for more effective operations at sea. CISE will play a crucial role in increasing awareness of maritime activities and improving responses to growing threats at sea, including physical and cyberattacks on our critical undersea infrastructure.”
“Our approach to the protection of critical subsea infrastructure is multifaceted and includes enhanced monitoring, robust regulatory frameworks and strengthening co-operation with stakeholders. The security of Ireland's subsea infrastructure is a matter of most importance, with maritime security representing a priority action area for this Government. The Government has underscored the importance of maritime security through the commitment of the Department of Defence to lead in the co-ordination and development of Ireland's first national maritime security strategy. It is being prepared in co-operation with national and international stakeholders and the private sector. It will take account of recent geopolitical developments, which have demonstrated the importance of the protection of critical undersea infrastructure.”
“I thank Senator Conway for raising this issue. The Minister, Deputy Harris, cannot be here but I am very happy to be here. I am also very happy to hear a good explanation of the need for defence policy because many of the Senator's colleagues on the Opposition benches often openly question the need to spend anything more on defence than we are spending now. The Senator has set out correctly why we have a defence policy. It is to protect the island and everything about it and connected to it. The Government is taking measures to safeguard subsea communication cables in Irish waters. Obviously, we cannot comment on specific security actions, but the following examples highlight the Government's commitment to enhancing the protection of undersea cables through our broader security initiatives.”
“We will be doing our best to highlight the work we are doing within the European Union, not just in pursuing our interests, which we do day in and day out around the European table, but also in leading the European Union’s interests during that Presidency. I look forward to that whole process over the next period of time.”
“The actions the Irish Government has taken have been very much appreciated by the people of Palestine, not only in the context of our practical, financial and humanitarian support, but also by our recognition of their country as well. We are very much an outlier in the European Union in that regard. While we will keep talking to our European colleagues on this issue, there are different views around the European table. That is a reality we must live with. I look forward to our Presidency of the Council of the European Union. It is important. To touch on what Deputy Toole said about talking to the people, I will be engaging in a public consultation throughout the country about what our priorities should be.”
“They must be allowed to coexist together where human rights are upheld. The actions the Government of Israel is taking, and its proposals to clear people out of Gaza and to remove and prevent food getting in, are war crimes. The Taoiseach has been very clear in that regard. We cannot just decide at a European level that this is our position, however. Other countries simply do not take the exact same position. There have been some references to that effect.”
“It is about making sure our military neutrality is respected, which it is, but that we are also living up to the commitments which we owe ourselves and nobody else. On the situation in Palestine, I am glad Deputy Lahart mentioned the Taoiseach's comments yesterday. They were extremely strong. We tend to get very strident criticism from some of the Opposition in relation to the Government's stance on Palestine. We also get strident opposition and criticism from the Government of Israel about what the Irish Government has done and said. The Irish Government has been one of the strongest advocates for the people of Palestine and for a two-state solution. We have been very clear in that regard. We have a consistent political and moral position that there must be two states.”
“It is contributing to a European Union military operation under the umbrella of the common security and defence policy. It is protecting us from these illegal weapons shipments but it is also very humanitarian in terms of helping some of the poorest of the poor who are found in the Mediterranean, who are on ships they should not be on, who are being trafficked and who are completely hopeless. Members of our Defence Forces over there, there are not too many of them, are doing tremendous work. We need to get real about the complexities of security and defence. It is not simply about neutrality or not, it is about protecting ourselves and making sure we can keep the peace that we all value and fight for.”
“It is different in Greece from how it is in Lithuania, and different there from how it is in Ireland. Too frequently in this House, investment in our security has been presented as a binary choice as to whether we are in favour of military neutrality or not. We need to move away from this false dichotomy. I heard the Social Democrats' Deputy Gibney citing the use of arms on a number of occasions. She also cited the situation in the Mediterranean Sea. She is right to do so, but it would be welcome to hear Deputies recognising and commending the involvement of members of the Irish Defence Forces in Operation IRINI when comments like this are made. Members of our Defence Forces are contributing to this effectively humanitarian operation to prevent arms coming from Libya.”