Richard Boyd Barrett on Occupied Territories Bill being dropped
Richard Boyd Barrett criticised the Government's decision to drop the Occupied Territories Bill and called it a betrayal of the Palestinian people. He asked whether the omission was the price of securing a seat on the UN Security Council and demanded disclosure of communications with the Israeli Ambassador and US congressional representatives.
Accusation over dropping the bill
He described the decision by Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Greens to leave the Occupied Territories Bill out of the Programme for Government as an "absolute disgrace" and a betrayal of Palestinians and any semblance of commitment to human rights.
Demand for lobbying records
He asked the minister to furnish the Dáil and the public with any and all records, memos and communications between the Government or civil servants and the Israeli Ambassador, and similar communications between the Government and representatives of the US Congress or Senate.
Government reply on settlements and legal advice
The minister replied that the Government's position opposed settlements and supported a two-state outcome for Palestine and Israel. The minister said the Occupied Territories Bill raises EU-competence issues and that the Attorney General's advice on the matter is clear and unchanged.
UN Security Council seat and international engagement
The minister said he was not aware of ongoing lobbying, noted the Tánaiste had said the Government received votes from many Middle Eastern countries, and described gaining a seat on the UN Security Council as a positive development that places the State in the heart of international decision-making and offers an opportunity to press the issue further.
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Minister, in my opinion, the decision of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Greens to drop the Occupied Territories Bill, to leave it out of the Programme for Government is an absolute disgrace and a betrayal of the Palestinian people and any semblance of commitment to human rights for people generally and specifically for the long persecuted Palestinian people. But what I want to ask is, was this the price of getting the seat on the UN Security Council to drop this bill? And given the report of lobbying by the Israeli Ambassador and by US Congress people, can we have, will you furnish to this Dáil and to the public, any and all records, memos, communications between the Government and the Israeli Ambassador, or civil servants for the government and the Israeli Ambassador, and similar communications between the Government and representatives of the US Congress or Senate. We need to have transparency about who lobbied you, what you said, what the conversations were which led you to sacrifice the Palestinian people in this appalling way. Thank you. Our position on settlements is absolutely clear and we were opposed to them. My outline earlier and the Government's outline on our position on what we would like to see happen is as two states dilution for Palestine and Israel. The Occupied Territories Bill is different. What we're talking about here is something that essentially moves into an EU competence. The Attorney General's advice and this is clear and that's not going to change. I'm not aware of any lobbying that's been ongoing. In fact, I think the Tánaiste himself said that we had received votes from many of the Middle Eastern countries and from across the globe, obviously, given the overall figure that we received. I think this is a very good thing that we have now gained a seat on the UN Security Council. The Attorney General puts us at the very heart of the decision-making process. I think in terms of the big international peace issues, including this, it gives us an opportunity to be around the table with the key member states in this regard. I think it gives us an opportunity to try and progress this issue even further. Thank you very much. Thank you.
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