It is shameful that the Taoiseach and other Government and Opposition representatives are going to the White House to celebrate St. Patrick's Day with Joe Biden who he is complicit in the genocidal massacre Israel has conducted against the people of Gaza. It will be even worse if it is revealed the recent massive jump in the number of flights carrying weapons through Irish airspace has anything to do with the massacre in Gaza.

There was a significant jump in the number of flights carrying weapons that went mostly through Shannon last year in comparison with previous years. There was a particular jump in October, when 180 flights went through the airport. Is this a coincidence in the context of the escalation in US military support for Israel's genocidal slaughter in Gaza?

I thank the Deputy. The Tánaiste to reply.

Are we checking this? Are we complicit with the genocide?

I do not believe it is shameful for the Taoiseach to go to the White House. The Palestinian ambassador believes we should go the White House, and we should.

She did not say that.

I did not interrupt the Deputy.

Deputy, please.

Sorry.

I went to Washington three weeks ago and met officials in the White House. I also met Senators and Congressmen. Why? I did it to give them our perspective, but also to get their sense of what is happening. The Deputy will not like to hear this, but notwithstanding everything and the politics of America and Israel and the strength of Israel in American politics, many American politicians want this to end. They want it to end quickly. That is the first point.

The Deputy lacks some degree of credibility in the sense that he correctly condemns what is happening in Gaza but has never publicly condemned Hamas for what it did on 7 October. In fact, his party and others have used language that is tantamount to condoning what Hamas did, or at least they give it as a background-----

Absolute nonsense.

-----for why the attacks on 7 October happened.

I thank the Tánaiste. We are over time.

What about Shannon?

I am assured that no weapons-----

No, we are over time.

-----are going to Gaza via Shannon.