2026-05-07

7. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if he will call for a boycott of the upcoming Nations League matches between Ireland and Israel on the grounds that Israel is an apartheid state that has engaged in ethnic cleansing and genocide; his engagement with an organisation (details supplied) on this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32981/26]

Will the Government call for a boycott of the upcoming Nations League matches between Ireland and Israel on the grounds that Israel is an apartheid state that has engaged in ethnic cleansing and genocide? What engagement has the Minister of State had with the FAI on the matter? If he thinks it is okay to ban Russia from international sport, why can the same rule not apply to Israel? Will the Minister of State stop the game and refuse to play ball with genocide?

I thank Deputy Ward for his question. National governing bodies of sport, such as the Football Association of Ireland, are independent, autonomous bodies responsible for the governance of their own sports, including the organisation of sporting fixtures, whether in domestic or international competitions. The Government has no role in deciding who plays who in international sports. The FAI is within its rights to decide to fulfil these upcoming UEFA fixtures and I note its intention to fulfil both fixtures against Israel in September and October. I support the FAI's right to make this decision and the Government will not be calling for a boycott of these games. The FAI has made this decision in accordance with its obligations as a member of UEFA, the governing body and confederation for football in Europe, and having consulted with An Garda Síochána and other key stakeholders. The FAI has also briefed myself and the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, on this matter, and I understand that it will be engaging with the Norwegian Football Association to learn from its hosting of a match against Israel last year. I understand that the FAI is also continuing to engage with An Garda Síochána to ensure appropriate preparation for, and policing of, the home leg of the fixture. On a wider note, I want to reiterate that the Government remains committed to working with key partners to end the conflict in Gaza and to advancing a sustainable peace plan. We want all parties to adhere to their commitments in full, desist from any actions inconsistent with what has been agreed and continue to negotiate in good faith to ensure full implementation.

Let us get real here. The Minister of State is ducking any responsibility. If the Government opposed Ireland playing Israel in an international soccer match, the FAI would follow suit. Yesterday a campaign was launched to stop the game between Ireland and Israel. An open letter was signed by many people in Irish soccer, including Brian Kerr, Joe Redmond, Pico Lopez, Louise Quinn and Roddy Collins as well as people outside soccer, including Christy Moore, Senator Frances Black, Kneecap and the Fontaines DC. I am a season ticket holder for the FAI. As a basic human being, I will not attend that match. Last year, the FAI passed a motion to suspend Israel from UEFA competitions. The Government and the FAI must respect that mandate. The signatories are calling for the game to be stopped on the basis that Israeli teams are playing on occupied Palestinian land and that Israel has a brutal system of apartheid and has committed acts of genocide. The Government accepts that Israel is an apartheid state and is committing acts of genocide. It is inconceivable that the Irish Government is willing to stay silent on this matter while these crimes are going on in the name of football.

The Deputy made the comparison with Russia in his contribution. To tease that out, the Russian exclusion from sporting events was a decision that was made by UEFA, the sporting body. It blocked and barred Russia from participating in competitions as did FIFA. The footballing body decided to do that as well. As we well know, in the European Union at political level, we have sanctions imposed on Russia. In regard to the participation of Israel, there is no such ban by UEFA or, indeed, FIFA. The FAI brought a motion or proposal to UEFA, which was not supported by other member countries. The FAI, as is its prerogative, is working within its footballing union. It is an independent body within this country. It has taken up the matter within UEFA and is fulfilling its responsibilities in that regard and the Government supports its right to do so.

The Minister of State mentioned sanctions on Russia. The Government has still not enacted the occupied territories Bill. We are still waiting. That was a promise in the programme for Government. What the Government has responsibility for is who comes into our country. Can the Minister of State guarantee that those arriving to support Israel have not taken part in or supported genocide? What security measures will be in place to stop people who have taken part in or supported the slaughter of 75,000 Palestinian people from entering Ireland? How will the Government screen for those who have committed the most barbaric crimes from entering the country? Will they be arrested at the airport for crimes of collective punishment, mass displacement or genocide? Can the Minister of State even guarantee that the Israeli players themselves are not or were not members of the Israel Defense Forces? Are we going to stand by and allow supporters and perpetrators of genocide to enter our country? This part of it is the Minister of State’s responsibility. I urge the Minister of State to stop the game: do not play ball with genocide and be on the right side of history.

From a political point of view Ireland and the Irish Government has led out internationally in relation to the atrocities we have seen happen in Palestine as part of the conflict and in terms of providing leadership and trying to bring about a peaceful settlement to the conflict. We have set the agenda in many ways at European and international levels in relation to the approach and stance we took which subsequently many other countries rallied around as time went on. We continue to play our role internationally to try to ensure there is a sustainable peace settlement in Palestine. As a country, we have also led out on the development of and are assessing the legal challenges around implementing an occupied territories Bill.

What about the security measures?

The FAI is an independent organisation working within the footballing and governance structures internationally. UEFA has not prevented Israel from taking part in competitions such as happened in the case of Russia. The FAI is engaging with An Garda Síochána in relation to the appropriate policing arrangements for the game.