I call Deputy Connolly.

Gabhaim míle buíochas leis an Leas-Cheann Comhairle. Táim ag díriú isteach, a Thánaiste, ar an gcinedhíothú atá ag tarlú. Agus muidne i mbun cainte, tá cinedhíothú ar mhuintir na Palaistíne ar siúl. Táimid ag fáil na mílte aighneachtaí, gach Teachta Dála anseo, ag cur brú orainne ceannaireacht a thaispeáint agus rud a dhéanamh de réir ár mbriathar. There are many things I would like to engage with the Tánaiste on today but the ongoing genocide is uppermost in my mind, our colleagues' minds and, more importantly, in the thousands of emails that we are getting imploring us to do something in addition to our sweet words.

There is total disregard of international law by Netanyahu, the Israeli Government and its army. This is a body of international law that was developed to ensure that the very slaughter we are witnessing would never happen again, yet we are seeing scenes of horror and destruction in Palestine that were described by the UN rapporteur this morning and by an Irish doctor yesterday. In the past three days, we have seen the ceasefire ended unilaterally by Israel and an invasion by air and land. There are bombs dropping on defenceless civilians. We do not know the figure, but it is ranging up to 1,000 persons, 70% of whom are women and children. Of course, we have been told by the UN rapporteur that that is the ratio since the day Israel started its genocide. This is despite Israel being under a legal obligation by the highest court in the world to dismantle the occupation by the end of this year. We are not seeing that but an escalation in the violence and the genocide and we are openly informed that they are back to finish the job, back to ensure that no Palestinians will be left on Palestinian land. The people who are there are surviving among the dead bodies of their families and their people. There is no water, no energy, no hospitals and they are being starved to death, and we talk. What is Ireland doing? Along with our sweet words, we are actively colluding with genocide and with the slaughter of innocent people.

We are not.

I know it is difficult for the Tánaiste to hear this and I ask him to please not waste his reply, if he could, in telling me how grateful the Palestinian people are to us. I know that he is going to tell me that because I have been told it repeatedly.

Of course they are grateful and of course we should be proud that we recognise Palestine. That is the bare minimum we should be doing faced with a genocide.

We are doing much more.

What we could do is end the military use of Shannon Airport. At the very least use the legislative powers that are there to stop the transit of arms being reported on a regular basis by The Ditch. During the previous Government, Eamon Ryan told us there would be an inspection regime. I understand that is gone by the way. The leader of the Labour Party has welcomed the occupied territories Bill. I also welcome it, but I do not trust the Government parties. I absolutely do not trust them on the occupied territories Bill.

What is the point?

I ask the Deputy to conclude.

They could stop the trade agreement that Europe has with Israel. They could end the Central Bank issuing war bonds, and the Tánaiste might explain about the American Jewish committee that the Taoiseach met in America about the next steps of agreement. Please clarify that.

I am so sick and tired of the Deputy misrepresenting my position and demeaning all that we do as sweet words. I would really love - I am not sure I would actually - if some time she were in Brussels with me at some of these meetings where we are working extraordinarily hard on these issues. She could ask any other member state, or indeed the Israeli Government, if they feel Ireland is not taking action to support the people of Palestine. She asked me not to talk about what we have done in terms of recognition so I will not. I will tell her five things we are doing.

First, we are actively involved in the International Court of Justice case. That used to be the Opposition's demand. We took that decision as one of only a small number of countries to intervene in a case in the international court. At a time when international courts are coming under attack from others, we are proudly standing with the international courts and speaking up for international law. That is something I am proud we are doing. That is an action; that is not sweet words. I presume the Deputy recognises the importance of international courts. That is a practical measure.

The second thing we are doing is providing significant humanitarian aid. My colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, has responsibility for this. Today we have trucks in Jordan with enough aid for 6,000 people in Gaza. Those are practical measures taken by the Deputy's constituents and mine to fund and pay for aid. We need to get that aid into Gaza but it is a practical measure. It is not sweet words; do not be so flippant.

The third thing we are doing is supporting UNRWA. The Deputy should talk to the director general of UNRWA and ask him how supportive this Government has been. Not only have we provided €38 million at a time when others have walked away and walked off the pitch from UNRWA, we have provided €38 million on behalf of the people of this country. I have also announced in my role as Tánaiste a further €20 million in support to keep UNRWA working in Gaza and the Middle East. That is a practical measure and not sweet words, or the flippant point the Deputy made

. The next thing we have done is work with Arab countries. I have met the minister in Jordan, the minister in Egypt and the Palestinian Prime Minister in recent weeks in Munich and Johannesburg. I have met these people and we are supporting the Arab plan for reconstruction. We are saying to people, including the United States, that we see their plan on the displacement of people from Palestine as utterly unacceptable and in breach of international law. We want an alternative plan for Gaza that sees no role for Hamas, a brutal and illegal terrorist organisation. I am sure the Deputy will agree with that. However, it sees the reconstruction of Gaza and a new governance and security arrangement in place. That is the fourth thing.

The fifth practical thing we are doing is engaging to advance the commitment in the programme for Government to legislate on the occupied territories. Those are five practical measures that do not include the recognition of the State of Palestine, and that we are taking to help them. They are not sweet words, but real action. You know what? Diplomacy is tough. It takes real action. In fact, if anyone is talking sweet words, it is only the Deputy.

I would prefer to stay in silence at the Tánaiste's failure to respond-----

Come on.

Sure, the Deputy does not trust me.

Please.

-----in recognition of the genocide that is taking place in our name.

So dismissive.

The words the Tánaiste is not using are "genocide in our name".

All the Deputy wants is words.

The Tánaiste has refused to condemn the genocide. He has refused to condemn Trump and the American Government for fully backing genocide. We have called out Russia for its illegal invasion. We have supported the Tánaiste on that, and he has utterly failed to call out what Israel is doing. They are ignoring all international law. They are committing genocide in our name while he talks about silly words-----

It is not in our name.

That is shocking.

-----in our name.

Deputies, please.

Thank you, Leas-Ceann Comhairle.

It is a disgraceful slur. It is not in our name. How dare you.

Stop using Shannon Airport to carry destructive weapons. Enact the occupied territories Bill immediately. Stop trade with Israel. End the export of dual-use products.

I ask you to conclude, Deputy Connolly.

The interruptions by all of the Government Members are a measure of their absolute absence of realisation of what is happening on the ground. It is easier to join in with a Tánaiste who is utterly failing to answer the questions. Can he please go back to the committee that the Taoiseach met when he was in America-----

Deputy Connolly, I ask you to conclude, please.

Commitments were given, and it was reported in the paper that agreement was made-----

Deputy Connolly------

I was interrupted.

And I have allowed you over time.

Thank you for that. I appreciate it. What was agreed and what commitments were made?

The Taoiseach is entirely correct to meet representatives of the Jewish community, as do I. Antisemitism is disgusting and despicable. There are hostages who have been taken from the people and families of Israel and they need to be freed. The carry on of Hamas is utterly despicable, parading children's caskets like some sort of sick, twisted act of propaganda. Hamas needs to be condemned and we here in this Government will always engage proudly with the Jewish community at home and abroad but we will also speak the truth. We stand up for international law. We utterly condemn the actions of the Netanyahu government.

Do something on the settlements.

We condemn it. If the Deputy wants to talk about genocide, read our submission to the ICJ.

Act on Shannon.

It must be exhausting for Deputy Connolly to think she alone carries responsibility and care for this. We care passionately and we are acting. I am proud of the actions of the Irish Government, and so are many people across the country and so is the government of Palestine.

We now move to Questions on Policy or Legislation. Will Deputies leaving the Chamber please do so in an orderly fashion? Yesterday we had a stampede to the exit gates. I would prefer if they were to do it quietly and orderly.

Are we supposed to fly?

The Minister of State wants to know if he is supposed to fly. Try it.