Like me and most Members of the House, the Taoiseach will have been horrified by the cold-blooded murder of Palestinian journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh. To compound that misery, the Israel Defense Forces attacked sympathisers just for waving the Palestinian flag. Some 50 Palestinian journalists have been systematically murdered by the Israel Defense Forces over the past 20 years. Many people in this country will say that we have to go beyond condemnation and sanction the Israeli state on the basis of systematic murder, occupation and brutality. While the world looks on, lip service is paid in that regard. What is the Government going to do? We did it in the 1980s in respect of apartheid South Africa. Why can we not do it to apartheid Israel?

Again, I strongly condemn the killing of the Al Jazeera reporter, Shireen Abu Akleh, in Jenin on 11 May last. As I have said time and again, media freedom and the safety of journalists must be paramount and must be protected. We have called for an immediate impartial, independent and effective investigation. Ireland's representative in Ramallah attended Shireen's funeral. The excessive use of force by the police at her funeral was disgraceful and totally unacceptable. Through the European Union, bilaterally and directly, Ireland will continue to raise these issues. We are concerned about a range of things that are taking place. We issued a statement on 13 May on the construction of more than 4,000 new housing units in the West Bank. We are endeavouring to accelerate funding from the EU to Palestine. The delay is unacceptable at present.

What about sanctions?