Cian O'Callaghan: Broken Promises, Where is the Occupied Territories Bill?

Gealtainis briste, Broken Promises. Ar fudin tíre tá daoine t-irseachtam níos mó agus níos mó gealtainis briste. Bhris Fianna Gael rinnt gealtainis arinne sa tóg cháin dearrach. Fianna Gael has broken promise after promise made in the last election. Parents, students, disabled people were all told that help was on the way. Election commitments were swept under the rug once the government was formed. There is palpable anger and frustration at this government's failure. The failure to deliver on your word. Minister, the last election, Fianna Gael promised affordable childcare, costing €200 per month. You quickly forgot that promise. Fianna Gael promised to phase out third level fees. Do you remember that? Instead, you increased them. Fianna Gael promised a €500 cost of disability payment. Instead, what you did in the last budget is you cut the incomes of disabled people by up to €1,400. Your party leader, Simon Harris, promised to pass the Occupied Territories Bill within the first year of government. And yet day after day, week after week, month after month passes. And yet there is still no sign of the Bill in the Dáil. The Occupied Territories Bill was initiated in 2018. We are waiting more than eight years for the government to progress this Bill. Eight years. Last year, the Tánaiste promised that the Occupied Territories Bill would be brought to the Dáil by the end of November. We are now half a year past that deadline. That's yet another promise made by Fianna Gael that is broken. Minister, the horrors in Palestine continue. The killing has not stopped. And the illegal occupation is intensifying. Two weeks ago, Aus al-Nassan, a 14-year-old boy, was murdered. While he was standing at the gate outside a secondary school in the West Bank, he was shot dead by an Israeli settler. This was part of a wave of settler violence in the occupied West Bank, primarily targeted at schools and children. Minister, Palestinian children are being murdered as they go to school. And yet, Ireland is still doing business with the companies profiting from this illegal occupation. We have a duty to stand up for the Palestinian people and we have a legal obligation to act when a genocide is taking place. So Minister, why does Fianna Gael keep on making and breaking promises? And when will the Occupied Territories Bill be brought to the Dáil? In relation to what is happening in Gaza and specifically what's happening in the West Bank, I am as appalled as you are. I think everybody in this House, we have what is supposed to be a ceasefire. And having visited the region and having been to Rafa only just the beginning of this year, it's very clear that the terms of the ceasefire are not being adhered to in many instances. It's very clear that what's happening in the West Bank is only escalating further. The level of settler violence is increasing. The level of destruction of homes, communities is increasing. And it's for that very reason that Ireland has acted throughout all of this conflict and has led in many instances in trying to provide support first and foremost, to bring the conflict to an end, to provide humanitarian aid where it's needed, but to make sure that those who are responsible, that they're held accountable. So whether it's recognising Palestine, we led efforts at a European level and we're one of the first countries to do so. Whether it's the focus on the association agreement, only last week at a foreign affairs council, having written to the chair of the council with my Slovenian and Spanish colleague, I asked directly that the association agreement and the suspension of that agreement between the EU and Israel would be up for discussion and on the agenda, or partial suspension when it comes to goods, but also that we would focus on sanctions when it comes to violence and settler violence in the region. And I believe for the first time in a long time, we're now starting to see movement and we're starting to see countries who hadn't supported any kind of progress in this regard moving as well. But what I also know is that they need our continued support and funding. So when I was in the region in January, I announced a further funding, which brings to about 144 million of support and aid that we are providing to the region. So I don't think it's fair for anybody to say that when it comes to Ireland, that we are not front and centre in making sure that where we can provide support, that we can lead, but where we can actually bring about real change, that we're doing so and that we're working with other colleagues. When it comes to the Occupied Territories Bill, I came into this department in November and at that point, Arthanasio prior to me had worked with the committee very clearly, where there had been an ask for services to be included in the bill that had been presented previously. That work had been done and I received advice from the Attorney General before Christmas, as is the case with any legislation, particularly where you have complex elements to it. I asked further questions and that has come back to me now. And of course, I will now make a decision in terms of the timelines and how we progress with this. What I would like to see happen and what we've seen in the past where we have worked together, where countries have come together and made progress on issues, whether it's recognising, whether it's working on the association agreement, whether it's providing aid, whether it's calling out where issues have emerged, where we've worked together, we have made a greater impact and we've seen greater progress. So I've been engaging with colleagues across other countries where they have introduced or where they're progressing legislation as well to see what progress we can make here. My objective and that of governments has always been to make sure that this war comes to an end, to make sure that people who are being murdered, people are being killed, those who are innocent civilians here, that we do everything possible to support them. But that a two-state solution, which has always been this country's focus and priority, that that remains a viable objective. And the more what happens in the West Bank continues, that becomes less and less viable. That's why we're taking the actions that we are and that's why we are still committed to progressing the legislation. Minister, we have to act. The situation is too extreme. Not to have schoolchildren being murdered standing outside their school is absolutely horrendous. And that's taking place in the occupied territories, that Ireland is still trading with companies, profiting and operating in the occupied territories. That has to stop and it has to stop now. This bill was initiated more than eight years ago. Fine Gael has been in government for all of that time. So you've had ample time to get legal advice and to do all of that. But eight and a half years later, you need to act on the Occupied Territories Bill. You've said yourself that you got the advice, you saw a clarification on the advice and now that all we're waiting on is for you to make a decision. That's what you've said. So when are you going to make a decision in terms of progressing this bill? Are you going to bring it to the Dáil in the next few weeks? Will you get it passed before the summer recess? And are you going to act on this urgently now? We cannot afford to wait on this any longer. When are you going to bring this bill that we've been waiting eight and a half years for to the Dáil to get it passed? Deputy, what you've outlined in terms of the timeline, in that timeline and more recently, particularly as this conflict has escalated and as more and more people have been brought into the conflict, we have acted in a way that many other countries have not. We have led when it comes to recognising Palestine. We have led when it comes to advocating for more support, financial aid and assistance. We have led when it comes to the suspension of the Association Agreement, which I believe would have greater impact and greater effect in supporting people in the West Bank and in Gaza more generally. That is why I wrote to my colleagues from Slovenia and Spain more recently to put this back on the agenda. That is why I've advocated to ensure that those who are engaging in violent settler actions in the West Bank, that there are sanctions applied there. But also that's why I'm engaging with my European colleagues so that as we progress this legislation, that we are working collectively together and that we have an impact. The objective here has to be to make sure that we have an impact. So, what I said, I have received the advice, so we're at the stage where I've received the advice. I have to finalise and assess that and we'll then move forward on it after that. I've only received that advice in recent weeks. I will be able to make progress and to move on. Again, everything that we do has to make sure that we have a positive impact, that we're able to make an impact and a positive impact for people on the ground. That's always going to be my priority when it comes to this.