It is not agreed. The Dáil passed the occupied territories Bill in 2019. That is more than five years ago and the Government has blocked it ever since. In 2022, the Government supported the renewal of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, giving Israel, a State in continuous violation of international law, the most preferential trading relationship possible with Europe. The Government has not introduced a single meaningful sanction against Israel in response to countless war crimes and an ongoing genocide in Gaza.

It has used every excuse under the sun to block the occupied territories Bill and now it says it will pass it, but only after the election. The Taoiseach cannot be trusted on this matter, neither he, Fine Gael nor Fianna Fáil can. I want the game-playing to stop. This Bill should go to Committee Stage this afternoon. It should come to the floor of the Dáil this week to complete all Stages and when we go to the people for the election, it should be on the Statute Book. We have offered the Government time. Other Opposition parties have done likewise. The Government has our full co-operation. We all agree this needs to happen. The situation cannot persist where Israel acts with absolute impunity-----

Thank you, Deputy. We are out of time now.

-----in the face of such ongoing slaughter.

We do not agree to the Order of Business on this basis. It is disgraceful that, having conceded the need for this legislation and as people are slaughtered, the Government delays, dithers and prevaricates on this most serious of matters.

Similarly, I call on the Taoiseach and the Government Whip to amend the Order of Business so we can see the passage of the occupied territories Bill this week. We have agreement across the Opposition that we will facilitate it in every way we can. We have all offered Private Members' time and our co-operation to ensure it can now pass through Committee and Remaining Stages. We understand there have been Government amendments and that Senator Black has been working constructively with the Government on this. With the co-operation of the House, we can see this Bill passed into law this week. As the slaughter continues in Gaza and Lebanon, it is vital that we in this House and country can enact meaningful sanctions on Israel to try to stop the slaughter and send a powerful signal to the world that Israel cannot continue to kill civilians with impunity.

On the same issue, we have just about 48 hours until this Dáil is dissolved and we should make those hours count. With only a few days left in office, the Government has finally said we can enact the occupied territories Bill, but claims it has run out of time. Not only does it underestimate the strength of feeling on the need to enact this Bill, it also underestimates the public's understanding that the Taoiseach decides whether we have run out of time by virtue of when he calls the election, not to mention that the Social Democrats and other Opposition parties have offered time. We offered two hours on Thursday to help to enact the Bill. We are still willing to offer this time.

Inaction in the face of genocide is complicity and constantly comparing Ireland's strong language to a bar that is very low does not fly with the general public any more. They want concrete action on this, not promises before an election. Even at this late stage, the Government can do the right thing. Will the Taoiseach please reconsider and use the Opposition time offered to enact this Bill?

Will the Taoiseach also provide clarity on the concerning information published by The Ditch this morning, that the US ambassador contacted the Government about there being consequences if the Bill were to be enacted? Is that true? Did she offer to speak to the Attorney General? Did that happen? Is this the reason the Government is refusing to enact the occupied territories Bill?

The Government - Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael - has blocked the occupied territories Bill since 2018 by putting a money message in its way, allowing Israel impunity for the crimes it has been committing for years against the Palestinians. After a year of genocide, the Government is still finding legal excuses to say it cannot do anything about the occupied territories Bill until after the election. Now we have the revelation of the real explanation by The Ditch, that the US ambassador contacted Micheál Martin 90 minutes before he announced that there would only be a review of the occupied territories Bill, rather than its passage-----