The Bill the Government has published is a hollowed-out version of what people want and expect. The Minister has not advanced a legal argument because there is not one. She should be honest with people and say that this is purely and simply a cowardly political decision. For eight years we and the Government have talked about and around the occupied territories Bill. The Minister knows that including services gives this legislation teeth but she has chosen to propose a hollowed-out version. She clearly does not want this Bill to have real teeth or any real impact and that is the only conclusion I can draw. It is worthwhile reading back over the coverage of the great and the good discussing what we should not do back in the 1980s when there was a weight of public opinion in favour of Ireland leading by example and challenging apartheid South Africa. It took a shop steward from Dunnes Stores and her colleagues, with the eventual backing of her trade union, to really show that leadership. If the Minister looks back at the coverage, she will see the same types of people who are now telling us that we should settle for second best. They are saying we are too small to make a difference. They said that back in the 1980s and they were wrong. They said we would be isolated and that there would be consequences. They said that in the 1980s as well and the Government is saying it now. The Government was wrong in the 1980s and it is wrong now. The Government knows the difference between action for the sake of it and real action. It knows what the right thing to do is. The Bill should include services.

Sentiment score: 0.05