I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." This Bill gives us the power to put a block on war bonds being sold through the Irish Central Bank across the European Union, the power to finally sanction Israel. If the Government's words mean anything, it will support this Bill because words mean nothing if the Government refuses to act. There are hard decisions and easy decisions. I listened to a doctor describe responding to a mass casualty event. He only had two shots of painkillers. He had to decide who would get them and who would not. He outlined the harrowing thought process. He narrowed it down to children. Children would get them. He then made the unimaginable decision to keep the painkillers for children, not with the worst injuries, but the two children with the worst injuries who he thought had a hope of living. He spoke of leaving other children close by in pain, in agony, to die. Those are the decisions he said he had to make every day in Gaza. It is gut-wrenching even to imagine it. The bombs raining down that tore those defenceless children apart had to be paid for and, in the past year and a half, Israel raised an estimated €4.5 billion by selling war bonds in Europe. That was only possible because the Irish Central Bank gave it permission to do so. It was no other central bank. It was the Irish Central Bank. Let us talk about easy decisions. Supporting this Bill should be the easiest decision the Irish Government ever makes. It ends our shameful involvement with Israeli war bonds. We all know we are staring a genocide in the face. Men, women and children are being slaughtered. Children are being burned alive. Today is the day we say "No more". Today is the day we stand up and are counted. On behalf of everyone who was elected to the Dáil and on behalf of the people who do not have a vote and cannot stop the Central Bank allowing the sale of Israeli war bonds - all they can do is go on the streets, march, carry their banners, write their letters and plead with their politicians to act - today is the day we can act and say "Not in our name". The Central Bank has written to the finance committee and said, for it to act, it needs either the EU or this Parliament to intervene. That is exactly what this Bill does. It allows for national restrictive measures. It gives the Central Bank exactly what it said it needs and, more important, puts us on the right side of history. There were many times in recent years when we debated important issues in this Dáil, but none was more important than this. I appeal to everyone to do the right thing and vote to end the sale of war bonds through the Irish Central Bank.
Sentiment score: -0.04
Is the Minister serious? That is just pathetic.
Sentiment score: -0.32
It is pathetic nonsense. It is only the Irish Central Bank that is allowed to do this.
Sentiment score: -0.38
It would not be happening in our name. At least we would be standing up against the genocide.
Sentiment score: 0.00
That is a disgraceful speech. That speech is going to go down in history. It is a disgraceful speech from the Minister.
Sentiment score: 0.00
It is absolutely not.
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What about our obligations in the face of genocide?
Sentiment score: 0.00
Tell that to the child who has been ripped apart by the bombs that are funded through sales of war bonds through the Irish Central Bank.
Sentiment score: -0.60
The Government will not even let it go to the committee.
Sentiment score: 0.00
And tomorrow more bombs will rain down.
Sentiment score: 0.00
His masters at EU level will be happy. Paschal will get many pats when he goes back to Brussels.
Sentiment score: 0.29
Shame on you. That was a disgraceful speech.
Sentiment score: -0.24
They are selling war bonds. They are not even hiding it.
Sentiment score: -0.19
That is a nonsense argument.
Sentiment score: -0.64
They are selling war bonds. They are advertising them as that. They are not selling green bonds. They are not planting trees. They are killing children.
Sentiment score: -0.25
With respect, it is a stupid argument you are making, in fairness.
Sentiment score: -0.42
Yes, you are.
Sentiment score: 0.40
I begin by thanking all of the speakers who supported the Bill. It was refreshing and great to see the combined Opposition come out and support the Bill. The Minister, Deputy Donohoe, made one of the most shameful speeches I have heard in all of my time in the Dáil. That speech will come back to haunt him. It was full of nonsense, to tell him the God's honest truth, in the face of genocide. It argued stuff that was inconsistent. For example, he said Article 215 of the EU treaty precludes individual member states from issuing their own restrictive measures. It does not state that. Does the Minister want me to read Article 215 of the European treaty for him? It does not state that. It is simply not true. Another Minister said Israel could issue green bonds as if it is planting trees or watercourses in Gaza. It is bombing children. Children are being burned alive and the Government is talking about green bonds. Israel is promoting these as war bonds. It is asking people to join the war effort, the genocide. The Bill prevents our Central Bank from approving the prospectus. When it approves the prospectus, that means Israel can passport into other European countries. That is how the Bill would have an effect in other European countries. It would be up to Israel to apply for another home country if it wanted to do that. That member state would have to ask whether it wanted to stand up and be counted. The Government has made a decision today. There have been weasel words and no action. It is not acceptable. The Bill was not drafted by me. Every time the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, tries to throw insults around to the effect that it is badly drafted and not constitutional, he should remember that it is the staff of the Oireachtas, namely, the Office of Parliamentary Legal Advisers, which drafted the Bill. We got a legal opinion from the office which stated that the Bill was constitutionally compliant, compliant with EU law and in accordance with international law. I note in his speech the Minister did not state the Bill was not compliant with the Constitution or EU or international law. Rather, his speech stated that it is thought that such measures would be judged in that manner. When he delivered his speech, he said it was advised that that is the case. He also referred to something not having a material impact. There is no clear legal advice that the Bill is not compatible with the relevant law. We have the legal advice. It comes from the Houses of the Oireachtas. The legal advice is also consistent with the leaked advice of the Attorney General because a public policy exemption exists in EU law, and the Minister knows that. He argued the same thing with the occupied territories Bill seven bloody years ago. The Government has used the exact same arguments and referred to the term "extraterritorial". That argument was used seven years ago. The Government tried to use the term "unconstitutional" as well. There is a public policy exemption. The Central Bank, in a letter to me and the finance committee, made it very clear that the only way it can refuse the approval of a prospectus is in one of three ways, namely, that the disclosures in the prospectus are insufficient or there are EU financial sanctions or national restrictive measures to the same effect. Why would the Central Bank suggest national restricted measures if it was not compatible with EU law? The Bill is compatible with EU law. How do we know this? We know that there is case law in Europe on this. The treaties are very clear. One of the four fundamental freedoms in the European Union is the freedom of capital. Section 65(1)(B) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union places restrictions on that and states that that can be restricted on the basis of policy grounds. There are examples of what that would mean. I hope the Government is glad I have dissected its counterargument. This is not about a to-and-fro here. Usually this would go to Committee Stage and these issues would be teased out. The Government is making sure the Bill never even gets another look. I believe the Minister is doing that in order to be the best boy in the class for Europe. I said earlier that tonight is the night that we stand up on behalf of all of our constituents and all of the people across Ireland who want to see us do everything in our power in the face of genocide. Tonight is the night we say that no more money is going to be raised in this country for the sale of war bonds. Tonight is the night that every single person will be asked to vote to support the funding of genocide, which is what is happening by the sale of these war bonds, or stand with their constituents and the people of Gaza and on the right side of history and support the Bill.
Sentiment score: -0.00
Shame on the Government. Disgraceful. It would not even let it go to Committee Stage. So much for the weasel words. There is no point in the Minister standing there and saying we will do everything for the people of Gaza. It is disgraceful.
Sentiment score: -0.13