To the Taoiseach, I say that nobody has a monopoly on compassion for any tragedy to be discussed in this House, no less one that incorporates a genocide that is being inflicted on the people of Gaza, so let us just park that issue there.

Equally, few of us have had the opportunity that the Taoiseach had in the past week to stare square in the eye the people who are arming those perpetrating the genocide. Two things the Taoiseach failed to mention were first, genocide, and, second, the sale of arms.

The Taoiseach has brought to the House the opportunity to bring forward the occupied territories Bill, which is, of course, welcome but we are very close to the calling of a general election. The Taoiseach said he will engage with the Opposition next week. What does that mean in reality? He said that there will be amendments to the Bill. As the Taoiseach is in government, why does he offer this faux attempt at a sort of reunification of the House at this point? He can tell the House what amendments are necessary, whether the Government will bring them and when we can pass them, because the situation is too urgent for any more equivocation.

First, I wish to object to the use of a number of guillotines this week. Second, I make the point strongly that we need a debate or a question-and-answer session this week on the issue of munitions flying through Irish sovereign airspace. We have been requesting this debate, as have others, since the Dáil came back and all the evidence suggests that munitions continued to fly through Irish airspace on their way to the Israeli army to be used in the horrific, barbaric genocide that is unfolding before our eyes involving the burning of people to death while they are connected to intensive care units. This is absolutely horrific. We know that the number of airlines involved in this has expanded. FedEx, Lufthansa and Delta Air Lines are the ones which have been added. The Taoiseach told us earlier, and this is the answer we get every single time, that permissions are required to fly through and that no permissions have been granted, as if that is the end of the story. That is far from the end of the story, however, because the point is that the permissions have not been granted and yet the munitions have still gone through. What are we going to do about it? Weeks and weeks are passing and at the very least, we need a debate about this issue this week.

There are thousands of restaurant owners and small business people outside the Dáil, including pub owners, hotel owners and representatives of the catering industry. This is a vital industry to rural Ireland and it is a slap in the teeth for them that the Government totally turned its back on them and it did not reduce the VAT rate to 9% in the recent budget. I am appealing now, on behalf of the Rural Independent Group, that we have a proper debate on this and that something be done. There are 270,000 people employed in this business, 69% of whom are outside of Dublin. This is a vital part of our rural economy and to our recovery here also in this country. They expected to get some lifeline. Already, 615 restaurants have closed in this year alone, that is, over the past 12 months. I and they cannot imagine this. They are completely flabbergasted that the Government did not give them some sop in the budget to try to keep them alive. They needed a lifeline and they did not get it. We are appealing here now for a debate on this issue and that the Government make some amendments in the Finance Bill. I also object to that Bill being guillotined, as well as the guillotining of the Social Welfare Bill. The Taoiseach is seeking short-term electoral gain rather than securing businesses, many of which are family businesses of second and third generation, which give of their time and provide employment. The employees are also here with the restaurant owners today and this is a very serious situation for rural Ireland.

I also fully support the opposition to the guillotines that are being used this week. I also call for a debate on the occupied territories or on the transfer of munitions through Irish airspace to Israel. That is very urgent and pressing. The Government should recognise that it is happening at this stage and should do something about it.