The US-Israeli assault on Iran is an act of aggression that threatens to set the entire Middle East ablaze. A sovereign state has been bombed, its leader assassinated and 185 innocent schoolgirls killed. These are not defensive actions. They are the actions of powerful states acting in defiance of international law. Let me state very clearly: the Iranian Government is brutal and repressive. It has crushed protesters, oppressed women and jailed dissidents. That merits the highest of condemnation but the brutality of one government does not license another to set aside international law and engage in military aggression. Israel, already pursuing a genocide in Gaza, has widened its murderous campaign. Israel has no interest in peace, in compromise or in negotiation, and the United States has backed and enabled this escalation. This represents military aggression over diplomacy. This confrontation has already spilled into Lebanon and across the Gulf.

The UN Charter is explicit: force is prohibited save in the case of imminent self-defence or UN Security authorisation and neither is demonstrated here. Pre-emptive is not a substitute for legality yet the Government's response has been limited to expressions of concern and calls for restraint. Calling for restraint on all sides blurs the reality of who initiated this aggression. Only days ago, the Taoiseach spoke of Ireland being able to "stand militarily" with states engaged in conflict. This language undermines Ireland's neutrality and neutrality matters precisely at moments like this. It means we do not align ourselves with aggression, but more to the point, it means we robustly defend international law consistently.

Of course, we are already seeing the consequences of all of this here with fuel prices rising sharply in recent days. The price-gouging has started. This needs to be stopped in its tracks and the Government needs to drop any notion or plan of increasing carbon taxes in the coming weeks.

Ní mór don Taoiseach ionsaithe na Stáit Aontaithe agus Iosrael ar an Iaráin a cháineadh mar shárú tubaisteach ar an dlí idirnáisiúnta. Ní leor guaim a lorg. Caithfidh sé stop láithreach a héileamh ar an ionsaí míleata seo, agus comhrá agus taidhleoireacht a mholadh, chomh maith le hathdhearbhú ar an dlí idirnáisúnta. Léiríonn an iompar bagrach seo arís dúinn an fáth gur cóir don Rialtas gníomhú chun neodrachas na hÉireann a láidriú in áit bheith ag obair go náireach chun an bun a bhaint de.

I ask the Taoiseach directly if he will condemn the US-Israeli strikes without qualification. Will he state clearly that they are in breach of international law? Irish neutrality demands that the Taoiseach be unequivocal on both these questions.

Ireland is in favour of a multilateral, rules-based international order and has consistently advocated for same. We believe in immediate de-escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, and particularly in Iran. We believe these issues ultimately, in terms of a sustainable resolution, has to be via diplomatic channels. Diplomacy, ultimately, is the only route that can sustainably bring about a lasting peace.

It has to be also said that the multilateral order has been dysfunctional for quite some time. The Deputy referenced the UN Security Council. It has been paralysed and powerless for quite some time in the prevention of war and conflict and in holding repressive regimes to account or in any way intervening in terms of those regimes. For a long time now, Iran has been a very malign influence in the world and in the Middle East, and, as the Deputy has acknowledged, in its repression of women and the LGBT community. The regime has executed thousands of Iranians for advocating for freedom of speech and freedom of assembly, and for seeking change through democratic channels. The international rules-based order, if we are honest about it, was absolutely powerless and paralysed to intervene there to prevent the execution of thousands of people.

We believe in a multilateral-based order, but we have to see reality too in terms of the full picture in this regard. Let us remember that for decades, Iran has sponsored Hamas. It has sponsored terror all over the Middle East. It sponsored and armed Hezbollah. It supported Assad and was key to keeping him and his brutal regime in power for a long time. It sent drones to the Russian military to kill innocent Ukrainians. These are realities that the Deputy has glossed over. I know Sinn Féin does not support Ukraine.

That is not true. That is a terrible thing to say.

Deputy McDonald referenced Ukraine. It is the truth. Sinn Féin opposed the €90 billion loan from Europe to Ukraine. If we were to follow Sinn Féin's advice, it would have been tantamount to asking Ukraine to surrender now to the Russians.

No, no.

There is no way on earth that Ukraine could sustain itself in a budgetary sense or in defending itself if it did not get that €90 billion from the European Union. Putin was delighted. If everybody else took the Sinn Féin view, the happiest man globally would be Putin. That was Sinn Féin's contribution to trying to resolve injustice and conflict in the world.

The Taoiseach has not answered the question about international law.

The Deputy's party leader will respond.

She will respond.

We have had this in other parts of the world, including Africa and so on, where democratic governments have been overthrown and people have been powerless. That has happened in the Sahel and so on. There are issues, no question, about where we are. There was no UN mandate for this action. No one is saying there was, and there was not. However, it is impossible to get a UN mandate even for peacekeeping now so paralysed and dysfunctional is the Security Council.

Wow. That is really dangerous.

We are in a very serious and dangerous situation.

There has been no mention of Israel. It has been three minutes and the Taoiseach has not mentioned Israel. For three minutes, he has avoided using the word "Israel".

I think history-----

It is shocking.

-----in reflecting on this period will see 7 October as a disastrous catalyst-----

Sit down. You are a disgrace.

-----for the uncertainty and instability of the world.

So history started on 7 October, yes?

Before Deputy McDonald resumes, I am sure that she, as the leader, is capable of answering during Leaders' Questions.

If we are to make progress here today, we need co-operation from both sides of the House, with Members' to speak without interruption.