Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

We were all relieved at the ceasefire and the reaching of a tentative peace deal last week. The scenes of people held hostage returning to their families in Israel and Palestine in the past number of days were deeply touching. However, we still have profound human suffering, a humanitarian crisis and a fragile situation. Ultimately, peace can only be sustained through a peaceful political solution…

-----the Taoiseach's comments suggest he has had sight of the Attorney General's report.

I will finish on this. It seems plain to me-----

-----the Taoiseach is sitting on the Attorney General's report on the occupied territories Bill until after polling day on 24 October.

That is policy, not legal.

That is not a legal difference.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I will divide my time between some comments and questions. I thank the Office of the Ceann Comhairle for facilitating this debate. It is vitally important that we address this issue today on behalf of our colleagues, the Irish citizens and the citizens of the world. For the past number of years, people have monitored and looked at the situation in Ga…

Has the Tánaiste or the Department contacted the families of those who are confirmed to have been detained, or even those who are expected to be detained? Does he have confirmation on when staff on the ground will have access to those who are detained illegally by the Israelis, and when they might have access to lawyers?

Contact with the families is vitally important. It must be of the highest priority. I urge the Tánaiste to be the first to pick up the phone if there is any escalation or downturn in the situation. The families and people generally are concerned about when these Irish citizens can return home. Does he have any sense of a timescale about how long the process is likely to take and when these citizen…

On the wider legal international picture, does the Tánaiste agree that what happened in terms of detaining people in international waters is a breach of international law?

While I would not necessarily advocate that the Government would do something provocative for the sake of it, ultimately the flotilla is a consequence of what is happening internationally. There has to be a firm response from the Irish Government and from the international community. As a follow-up to the previous question, we rightly recognised the State of Palestine. I welcome that other countr…

The Tánaiste will be aware that the next ships that are part of the flotilla are only three or four days away. They contain other Irish citizens, including a colleague of ours, Deputy Barry Heneghan. We are all concerned that the same thing will happen. It is reasonable to ask: what action the Department is taking to prepare for this and what actions will be taken to ensure the welfare of Irish ci…

We touched on the proposal yesterday. We all want to see peace. Arab countries may have been part of the process but the Palestinians themselves were not. The Tánaiste made a point in relation to the genocide. This is a fundamental point. In lots of respects, the flotilla is a symptom. Ultimately, the disease needs to be cured. As long as there is a genocide that continues in Gaza, there will be …

On a point of order----

-----I just want to take the opportunity to make it clear that I was not aware when I rose to my feet of the appalling attack on the Heaton Park synagogue. I add our party's condemnation of an appalling attack on a holy day for the Jewish community. If it emerges that the motive is antisemitic, antisemitism is a scourge that must be rejected by all. Our thoughts go to those affected.

Can I bring to the Tánaiste's attention something that he would be interested and concerned by? It has been confirmed to me that those Irish citizens detained have been denied access to lawyers. Adalah, which is a legal firm and civil society human rights organisation that represents people in these situations, stated: Adalah has received phone calls from participants reporting that immigration a…

Very likely.

As we sit in this Chamber, the Global Sumud Flotilla approaches ever closer to Gaza. We do not know what the coming hours will bring. We wait with much trepidation and concern for our fellow Irish citizens, citizens of the world and our fellow Oireachtas Members, including my colleague Senator Chris Andrews, with whom I am in contact every couple of hours. Yesterday, along with some colleagues, I …

Deputy Ward is never happier than when he is following St. Pat's but I hope he is not too happy on Friday night. Best of luck to City. The growth in the League of Ireland is a welcome development in recent years. More and more people are interested in and are going to games. In terms of the League of Ireland and our national team, we need to examine the issue of academies. It is not for nothing t…

We are at a time of year when families are just coming up for air after paying the back-to-school costs and before long they will be looking at the big costs of Christmas and everything to do with it. Right now, there is very little air for them to get. They go into supermarkets and the grocery bill is higher than ever. If they are renting, their rent is skyrocketing. If they have mortgages, they …

This matter relates to issues that the communities in Mahon and Blackrock in the south-east of Cork city are experiencing. Fundamentally, the answers people are looking for is how and when the problem that exists is going to be fixed. They have not received such answers. When a resolution will be found is not something the communities in question have a sense of at this point. The main issue is a…

I thank the Minister of State. It is important that representations are made from the offices of the Minister of State and-or the Minister to Uisce Éireann in relation to this issue. I say this because the response seems to offer two potential causes for the malodour without necessarily nailing the company's colours to the mast as to whether it is the low water levels and the summer, the septicity…

The Minister will be aware that in April there was a lot of concern in the Cork city area about the amalgamation of units across four Garda stations into two units, in Carrigaline and Douglas, and Bishopstown and Ballincollig. Subsequently, and after many years of campaigning on behalf of the people of Cork, with public representatives and Cork Chamber of Commerce and so on, I am glad to see for t…

The summer months should be a time of respite and enjoyment for families. However, for far too many families it is a time of stress and worry as they try to figure out how to get on top of back-to-school costs. The costs are absolutely enormous, as the research by the Irish League of Credit Unions and others has identified. Many families are getting into debt or struggling with their savings to tr…

1. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence his plans to ensure sufficient funding is provided to resource Joint Induction Training Centre, JITC, Gormanston, Baldonnel, Haulbowline and DFTC infrastructure master plans. [49298/25]