On Saturday aircraft of the Saudi-led coalition bombed a community hall in Sana'a, the capital city of Yemen, where thousands of people had gathered for a funeral. Bombs from the aircraft struck the hall four times, killing more than 140 people and wounding over 500. One local health official described the aftermath as a lake of blood. Multiple bomb fragments found at the scene appeared to confirm the use of United States' produced NK-82 guided bombs - 500 pound bombs produced by Raytheon in the United States. The ITV news correspondent Neil Connery visited the site and confirmed the evidence. Saudi Arabia's bombing campaign in Yemen began in March 2015 after Houthi rebels deposed the US and Saudi-backed dictator. Since the war began, Saudi Arabia has intentionally targeted numerous homes, factories, markets, schools and hospitals. Given the larger number of US military Hercules C-130 and C-40 Clipper transport aircraft transiting through Shannon Airport - I saw them myself last Sunday - there is the likelihood that some, or even many, of the munitions being supplied to Saudi Arabia by the United States are passing through Shannon Airport.

It is disgraceful.

In addition, the United States is supplying most of the mid-air refuelling planes for the Royal Saudi Air Force that is bombing Yemen. In June this year I asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade about the number of US mid-air refuelling planes that had passed through Shannon Airport. The Government denied that these planes were engaged in NATO exercises; therefore, it is increasingly likely that they are in the process of being delivered to refuel Saudi warplanes that are bombing Yemen. Ireland is almost certainly assisting the United States and Saudi Arabia to kill thousands of innocent people in Yemen. When I raised the issue last week, the Leader stated:

The issue raised by the Senator regarding American troops has been well documented ... The important point is that the airport is the gateway to Europe.

With respect to the Leader, that is not the important point. The important point is that we are assisting the United States and Saudi Arabia to commit massive atrocities.

And have done so for years.

That is a source of shame. We have not had a debate in this Chamber about the use of Shannon Airport. I again ask the Leader to invite the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to come to the House to allow us to have that important debate. What is he afraid of? He will have to do better than mouth platitudes about Shannon Airport being the gateway to Europe. It is a gateway to the deaths of thousands of innocent Yemeni citizens and it is high time the Leader and the Government stopped turning a blind eye to what is really going on at Shannon Airport.

Well said. The Senator would want to watch the Shannon councillors. They defeated it here.

Order, please.