For the record, the Social Democrats has published detailed proposals about how to increase financing for housing, make it more affordable and build more homes. The Taoiseach owes the people an explanation. Why was their money used to fund Israel's genocide in Gaza? There is no denying or hiding it. Not only was public money used but the Taoiseach actually increased that funding in 2024. Last year, as tens of thousands of innocent people in Gaza were slaughtered, as hundreds of medics were butchered, as hospitals were flattened, as refugee camps were set alight and schools were razed to the ground, the State increased its financing of Israel's brutal genocide. The figures are clear: at the end of 2023, the Irish Strategic Investment Fund held €2.62 million in Israeli sovereign debt. By the end of 2024, that had increased to €3.62 million. This was not a mistake or some kind of oversight. Someone made a deliberate decision to increase the level of public money spent on Israeli war bonds. The Israeli Government has not hidden what those bonds are for. These bonds are clearly being used to help finance their genocidal campaign. This is utterly outrageous. I am sure many people who are learning about this will feel sickened. They will wonder why it was that their hard-earned taxes were used to buy bombs and bullets that killed and maimed children in Gaza, and they will also wonder why the Government let this happen. Last night, the finance Minister, Deputy Paschal Donohoe, said all of these bonds have now been sold but this only happened in the last number of weeks, right before the annual accounts of the State investment fund had to be published. While the Government says it wants to ban trade with the occupied territories, public money is actually being invested in companies operating there illegally. Nearly €8 million of Irish public money is invested either directly or indirectly in those companies. This is shameful. Just yesterday, the UN warned that the largest displacement since 1967 is happening in the West Bank right now. The State sold its Israeli war bonds. Can the Taoiseach confirm exactly when those bonds were sold, why public money is being invested in companies operating illegally in the occupied territories, and does he have any plans to stop this?
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It is public money.
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It is funded by Government.
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The Irish Strategic Investment Fund is funded by the Government using public money - money that belongs to the public. The Government gives the Irish Strategic Investment Fund its strategic direction. It should be directing it not to have any of our money invested in companies operating in contravention to international law in the West Bank.
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There are much better places our money should be spent - in affordable housing, healthcare and disability services. Not a cent should be invested in companies operating in occupied Palestinian territories in the West Bank. The Taoiseach knows that. Is he going to stop this now and will he tell the Dáil when were the Israeli bonds sold, on what date? We know it was a few weeks ago. The Minister for Finance has told us that but I ask the Taoiseach to give us the date on this. The genocide that is happening in Gaza must be stopped. There were over 700 Palestinians killed over the last 21 months just trying to collect water, when the Israeli army bombed the wells they were trying to get that water from.
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Is the Taoiseach going to act to ensure not a cent of Irish public money goes into these companies?
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Directly and indirectly.
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Is the Taoiseach defending it?
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Where does the Taoiseach think that money goes? There should not have been a cent.
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