I thank the Deputy. I am obviously aware of the case he has mentioned. It is important to stress that my Department, and in particular my team, have been providing consular assistance to Daniel since September 2025. We have a dedicated consular office in the consulate general in Munich which has been assigned to provide consular assistance to support Daniel but also his family, because I appreciate this is a difficult time for them. Staff in the consulate, including the consul general but also the deputy consul general, have undertaken four consular visits, the most recent on 10 April, and another visit is to be carried out next month. It is important to stress that the very clear readout I have received on this states Daniel did not raise any complaints about his treatment. He reported that he has been treated relatively well, both physically and mentally, and that he is able to avail of the facilities and activities in the prison. His visiting conditions have been relaxed. He is able to have video calls and in-person visits with family members, and I understand that other visits may be possible as well. It is also important to stress that in the prison Daniel is in, he is the same as any other person. It is a normal or regular pre-trial detention facility. The reports I have directly from our ambassador, who is dealing directly with him and engaging with him and will have a further visit later this month, are that he is being treated well and has access to the facilities he needs. Again, it is the same for any other person in his situation. I assure the Deputy, because I appreciate this is very difficult for Daniel and his family, that my Department will continue to provide all appropriate consular assistance. We have to do this in line with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations 1963, which specifies the functions of our consular officials. It is obviously subject to limits permitted by international law, so we cannot interfere in the domestic affairs of the receiving state. While consular officials have a role in assisting citizens, including by helping them to find lawyers and visiting them in detention, consular officials cannot give legal advice or intervene in the judicial process or internal affairs in the receiving state. Throughout the trial, when it happens, we will of course continue to engage directly with Daniel and his family and make sure the assistance continues.

Sentiment score: 0.10

First, it is essential that any Irish citizen who finds himself in this situation be provided immediately with consular assistance, and that has been the case. I have said very clearly that our consular team on the ground cannot provide legal assistance. That is not the position it has. However, it is our role-----

Sentiment score: 0.10

Absolutely. It is our role and duty to make sure the detainees are treated in the appropriate way. Daniel is in a pre-trial facility. He is being treated the same as others. I appreciate how difficult this is. The most important thing is that the facts of the trial are borne out. The Deputy has outlined some of what has happened. It is for the trial judge and the system itself to make sure all the facts are borne out. While the Deputy might not agree with the particular legislation under which Daniel has been charged, it is for the trial to ensure the facts of what happened are borne out and for a decision to be taken in that regard. We will ensure that there is fair oversight of this trial. I can assure the Deputy of that. I will be meeting my German colleague this week and I will reiterate that point when I meet him. We will ensure that we continue to have direct engagement and provide consular support to Daniel. We will make sure the trial, which I hope happens soon because I agree this should not be drawn out any further, is subject to direct oversight and that we have full sight of what is happening in it.

Sentiment score: 0.24

I cannot be any clearer in what I am saying here. It is our role and responsibility to make sure that citizens, when they have been arrested and detained, have access to consular assistance. I am saying very clearly to the Deputy that this has been happening. There has been direct engagement with Daniel with a view to making sure he is in good health and is being treated well. That is exactly what he has conveyed and relayed.

Sentiment score: 0.15

He is in a pre-trial detention facility. I fully agree with the Deputy that this should not go on indefinitely. However, as the Deputy and every other Deputy in this House well knows, it is not for me to determine when a trial in another country should take place. What I have said to the Deputy is that I will raise this directly with my German colleague when I meet him on Friday, but I cannot, nor can any Deputy here, intervene in respect of when a trial is set and how its outcome is presided over. What I can be clear on, however, is that we will make sure we have sight of what is happening in the trial and that we are in direct communication with Daniel and ensuring his welfare at every stage.

Sentiment score: 0.34

I thank both Deputies for raising this matter. I do not believe there is a single person who saw the footage yesterday who could not but be appalled by what they saw. The Deputy is right that this is just another act by the Israeli Government among a string of acts we have seen over recent weeks, months and, indeed, years. The Irish Government has been consistent in its approach, and I, as Minister in recent months, have been consistent in mine. I have said very clearly that I will commit to bringing forward the occupied territories Bill. The Government approved the general scheme of the Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory (prohibition of importation of goods) Bill last June. The main purpose, obviously, is to prohibit the importation of goods into the State from the Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory. I have been clear with this House that since it was published, a number of questions needed to be asked of the Attorney General and that information has come back and forth to me. What I can say is that I will bring forth legislation in the coming weeks. We, as a Government, and I, as a Minister, have said that we will fulfil our commitment. That has not changed just because of this week. I have been clear that I believe the best way to bring forward legislation is to do so with our colleagues. I have been engaged with my Dutch and Belgian colleagues and, more recently, my Slovenian colleague, whose Government is going through a particular change process at the moment. While introducing this is the right thing to do, and I will, as I have said clearly, bring forward legislation in a matter of weeks, I also firmly believe that bringing forward changes at a European level will have a much greater impact. I have been working on that, too. For the past number of months, I have been engaging directly with my colleagues. I have been engaging directly with the High Representative to ensure that we can put this back on the agenda at a European level. It has not been on the agenda since last summer before a ceasefire was agreed. What we agreed last week at the Foreign Affairs Council was, for the first time, a Commission proposal that has been on the table since last year to impose sanctions on violent settlers, and for it to be agreed. It had been prevented because of the position that Hungary had taken. Thankfully with a new government in place, Hungary lifted that ban. Last week, there was an agreement from the EU that we would impose sanctions on violent settlers, members of Hamas and anybody who supported these types of actions in the West Bank. What I have subsequently done, and did clearly at the most recent meeting, is to advocate for a further vote at the next Council meeting. A second Commission motion has been on the table since last year to ban or suspend the trade element of the EU-Israel association agreement. Israel as a whole gets preferential treatment through that trade agreement. It is worth billions to the Israeli economy. It is not a blanket ban like the ban that was being voted on last night. The reason we voted against that is that it is a sanction on every single person in Israel. That is not an approach we have taken in any sanction placed on Russia or any other part of the world where sanctions have been imposed by the EU. I believe that the European Union should agree to the proposal that we suspend the Israeli association agreement and, in particular. its trade elements. I have also advocated for a second proposal to ban trade within the West Bank and with the settlers. That is the most appropriate approach to take. It is in line with what has been said internationally. This is what we have been advocating for. It would be in tandem with our occupied territories legislation. This is the principle and the right thing to do. At home in Ireland, we have always taken that approach, from recognising Palestine to the humanitarian aid we have provided and raising the issue at every Foreign Affairs Council, and every single Council that we can. I will also, for the first time, ensure the matter is raised this week at the trade Council. The only way we can pass this at European level is where there is qualified majority voting, QMV. That is why we have focused on trade. It is why we have focused on the suspension of the trade agreement. Instead of needing unanimity, QMV is needed. I will be raising this directly with colleagues at the trade Council on Friday this week. I will be pushing for this to be put to a vote at the Foreign Affairs Council. I spent an hour and a half with my Jordanian colleague yesterday. That is somebody who is on the ground and sees what is happening. His view is that Europe needs to respond collectively in this kind of way and I have been advocating for that for months. Separate from that, I say clearly that we will fulfil our commitment in the programme for Government. We will bring forward legislation because it is the right thing to do. However, I also want to make sure that the actions we take have a knock-on impact and change the actions of the Israeli Government. That is what has to happen here. The actions we saw this week were despicable. We all agree that this is just one action in a string of actions that we have seen over recent years.

Sentiment score: 0.17

That is exactly what we are doing. We are taking a little time to build a consensus. At a European level, I have been sitting around the table for the past few months. Months ago, there was no discussion of how we would move or impose sanctions. There was nothing. Sanctions have been on the table at the Commission since last year. I have, with colleagues from Slovenia and Spain, over recent weeks and months, pushed for this issue to be put back on the agenda. Because of that, what we agreed last week was sanctions on violent settlers in the West Bank. That was one sanction that was on the table, and not before time, but there are more. The next sanction on the table is that we would suspend the trade element of the EU-Israel association agreement. That is for all of Israel and not just the West Bank. It would have a significant economic impact on Israel. That is something we should have done before now, but Ireland has called for it. We have been at the table and calling for this, but others have not agreed. What I have been trying to do is to build a consensus. I have also asked for a proposal that would ban trade with the illegal settlements, separate from the ban on violent settlers that we have already agreed. That is in place, has been agreed and will be followed through on. I want action at a European level because that is how we have the greatest impact. Yes, Spain has already imposed its legislation, but I want to ensure that we move collectively and have legislation individually. In response to Deputy Ó Laoghaire, I am not confused at all in what I have said this week. I have said we should move both. I have said that if this does not happen at a European level, it is all the more reason we should have this other legislation. We have lots of legislation in our programme for Government and not all of it gets implemented in the first couple of months or the first year. We have to work through it. I have worked with the Attorney General because we need to make sure that we have legislation that can be implemented and can take effect. That is what everybody here wants. There is an element of making sure that we do what is principled, and I believe that Ireland has always taken that approach when it comes to Palestine, Gaza and what is happening in the West Bank. However, as Minister, I also want to make sure that our actions have a positive impact on the people on the ground and the best way I believe we can do that is by Europe taking a strong stance. I believe we are in a much better place in that regard than we were a couple of weeks ago and that is because I and other people in other countries have been working to build consensus. We are not sitting on our hands and saying nothing. We have been trying to get people to this point within Europe so that we will have a vote at the next meeting. I reiterated that point to High Representative Kaja Kallas again this morning and said that we need to have a vote at the next meeting because we have discussed it long enough. This week's actions show us exactly why we need this.

Sentiment score: 0.06

I cannot be any clearer in saying that what I am advocating for and what I have been advocating for is that there would be a full ban on trade with the illegal settlements. That is not a proposal that has been put on the table by the Commission before now. The proposal on the table is that we would suspend the trade element of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. That did not have full support last year but that is now what we are discussing and it is very much what we discussed last week at the Council. However, I want a further proposal on the table specific to the West Bank and to the illegal settlements because we very clearly set out that this is illegal occupation. It has been agreed by all of us; therefore, we need to follow through. This has not just come about because of this week; Ireland has been saying this consistently. However, we cannot move on this on our own. Even with QMV, it is 55% of the Council or 65% of the overall population but that is manageable and something I believe we could achieve. Certainly, looking at the different kinds of comments we have seen in the past few weeks around the table, there are countries that are moving and countries that perhaps would have had a different position only a few weeks ago. As to where we are now and in terms of our own work, again, I cannot be any clearer in saying that as regards the work I am doing with European colleagues - say, my Dutch colleagues and others - they have made it very clear. My Dutch colleague at the last meeting said that they were bringing forward legislation, and I have been engaging with them as to the timeline in order that when we do introduce this, we can have a stronger voice around this. If, however, they decide not to do this, we will still continue with ours. I am being very clear about that and very clear in what I say. The approach here has always been to make sure that everything we do has an impact. Yesterday, when I saw our citizens and other people with their hands tied behind their backs, I thought, if this is how they are treating Irish citizens and other people, how are they treating Palestinians, people we cannot see? I think we all think that and we can all imagine exactly what has been happening. That is why we need to do everything we can over the next while, in the coming weeks, myself at the Trade Council this week and then in the coming weeks, to make sure that Europe moves. I am pleased to say that the statements and much of the actions we have seen across Europe and internationally have been to condemn these actions and to call for some form of accountability from Israel.

Sentiment score: 0.09