86. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the situation in Sudan, and the Government's position on same, in particular the need to ensure access to aid in El Fasher, and the flow of weapons to the conflict. [57183/25]
Sentiment score: -0.25
Baineann an chéad cheist leis an tSúdáin, that is, the humanitarian situation in Sudan which has been going on for two years now. There are many millions of people displaced and many millions facing severe malnutrition, even famine, particularly in the city of El Fasher in Darfur. This has been laid siege to by the RSF armed group and the Janjaweed. We discussed this in the past, but I am asking today specifically about the situation in El Fasher and the concerns that exist about the humanitarian situation there.
Sentiment score: -0.10
The Minister of State is likely aware that in the English-speaking world, one of the most prominent journalists drawing attention to this situation is Declan Walsh, a journalist from The New York Times. Mr. Walsh, an Irishman who has written extensively on this conflict, wrote a piece at the start of the month describing the situation in El Fasher. He interviewed a gentleman, Dr. Omar Selik, who cried during the interview as he described "how a pregnant woman had bled to death in his care for want of simple medicines". The article explained that Dr. Selik's lunch consisted of "a plate of lumpy brown mush, animal fodder normally fed to camels and cows." This was the situation. Dr. Selik was killed several days later during an attack on a mosque by the RSF which killed 75 people. The situation in that part of Darfur and in Darfur generally is very severe. I understand there have been negotiations involving President Donald Trump's envoy to Africa, Mr. Boulos, for increased access of aid to El Fasher and the surrounding area. Is the Irish Government aware of whether there has been any progress on that or if there is any relief regarding what was effectively a complete blockage on aid into that area?
Sentiment score: -0.08
I appreciate the Minister of State's comments and agree with him. It is an extraordinarily severe humanitarian situation. People are facing starvation and dying for lack of food and medicine, while the conflict carries on unabated. This is being exacerbated by the flow of weapons. It has been alleged that certain countries are continuing to supply a significant amount of weapons both to the Sudanese Government and to the RSF. The Irish Government is likely aware of some of these reports. Some of the countries in question deny they are supplying arms but they are coming from somewhere; that is for sure. Has the Irish Government directly raised with the governments of the countries in question its concerns regarding the continued flow of weapons to the area, which continues to exacerbate what is an appalling conflict that is causing enormous human suffering?
Sentiment score: -0.16
Have we raised it directly with the governments in question?
Sentiment score: 0.00
That would be appropriate.
Sentiment score: 0.00
88. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the current progress of the drafting of the Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025. [57184/25]
Sentiment score: 0.14
Like many others in the House, I welcome the fact that a peace plan has taken some form. I am very concerned about the fragility of it. Dozens of people have been killed even since the ceasefire. As the Tánaiste noted, extra-judicial killings are to be condemned as well, so undoubtedly the peace is very fragile. As with any peace, a ceasefire is only part of it. A political solution needs to be a part of it too and part of that needs to be ensuring the application of international law. Therefore, it should remain the position of the Irish Government that in the occupied territories, the illegal settlements need to be treated as illegal and the occupied territories Bill needs to give effect to that.
Sentiment score: 0.01
What is planned is perhaps not crystal clear to those of us on this side of the House at this point. I think many people would have been concerned by the Taoiseach's comments last week that seemed to suggest that it was simply not practical to ban services. A number of questions arise in relation to that. The Tánaiste has said in the past that there is no difference between the Government and the Opposition in relation to policy on this. Much of what the Taoiseach seemed to flag were differences of policy in relation to implications and so on, rather than legal issues. Regarding the practicality of the legal issues, it is the case that the sanctions that were placed against Russia and Russian occupied parts of Ukraine, did include a ban on services. While I appreciate that this came a European initiative, ultimately, the practical effect of it within this jurisdiction is the same. It implies the same obligation and burden on companies to ensure due diligence and the same obligations on the Tánaiste's Department to ensure it also. What is the difference between the situation there and the situation in Palestine?
Sentiment score: 0.03
That does not necessarily make it any clearer as to what exactly will be in this Bill. Ireland is not a major country in the grand scheme of these things. It is about using what levers are at our disposal. There have been a number of levers and recognition was important. This is important. Had we not had this debate over the past number of years about this, it would not have ended up being discussed in so many other jurisdictions, including in the options paper at European Commission level, so it is important. It is also important that the example being set by Ireland and potentially being followed by others, although others have now taken further initiatives, is strong. There is no legal reason not to include services. There is no moral reason. It is already the position of this Government that people should not trade with the occupied territories. What this Bill proposes to do is make that a criminal offence. I think this is right. It should be a criminal offence with regard to goods and it is not more morally acceptable for somebody to trade in services with the occupied territories, so it is the morally correct thing to do to ensure that there is a legal ban on that and that is a criminal offence. No reason has been produced as yet to say why it is any different in terms of services or why that is more legally challenging.
Sentiment score: -0.01
90. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade for an update on his Department’s recent engagements with the Government of Ukraine in relation to the ongoing conflict, and efforts made to reach a ceasefire. [57185/25]
Sentiment score: -0.05
We had a beneficial engagement with the Ukrainian ambassador, H.E. Ms Larysa Gerasko, last week. She provided an update on the considerable challenges facing the Ukrainian people in their fight with the Russian Federation. The war of aggression has been going on for a number of years. There are a number of upsetting elements to it, in particular the abducted children. Will the Tánaiste give an update on the Irish Government's actions in relation to Ukraine?
Sentiment score: -0.17
Exploration of such matters is important and a lot of what Ireland is in a position to do is at a European level. As a lot of actions are being blocked by particular member states, such as Hungary and perhaps others in other circumstances, it is important that we continue to examine what actions Ireland can take by itself. The Tánaiste has had communication and some work has been done on dual-use technologies that potentially - inadvertently - end up in the hands of Russia to be used as weaponry. It has been a while since there has been much discussion of this, but at the start of the conflict, there was some discussion on Russian companies using section 110 shell organisations to avoid sanctions. I think some action was taken to resolve that. Is the Tánaiste satisfied that to the best of his knowledge that issue has been entirely resolved and that no sanctions are being evaded in that manner?
Sentiment score: 0.10
We have discussed Ireland and the EU. If anything can be assessed from the past few years, it is that the United States still carries a huge amount of influence. Who deserves credit for various ceasefires can be debated. A peace deal in Gaza is welcome, but it is clear that where the US wishes to exert influence and pressure, it achieves results in many instances. What is the Tánaiste's assessment of the American position at this point? It seems that Russia and Vladimir Putin have been allowed to pay limited lip service to negotiations without ever having to meaningfully engage in them. They have not felt the pressure they ought to have felt. Europe is maybe attempting to exert more influence, although it is facing certain roadblocks, as we discussed. I am curious about the Tánaiste's assessment of the US position at this time and how it can more fruitfully bring pressure to bear.
Sentiment score: 0.24