It is difficult to overstate just how precarious the geopolitical context has become. We are going from one disaster scenario to the next, and the consequences will no doubt be felt for generations. No words are sufficient to condemn the impunity or disregard for human life that is on display. When we think back to recent human history, we ask how we could have let it happen. There is conflict across the world, in Palestine, Sudan, Lebanon and Ukraine. Even though there is no conflict in Cuba at the moment led by an international warmongering country, the blockade of oil in that country has led to the worst economic and energy crisis in recent decades. Mexico, Spain and Brazil recently called for dialogue to address the gross humanitarian crisis that is happening in Cuba, but there is not a peep out of this Government about the situation there. Why is that? Why do we remain silent so many times? We already saw the three-card trick the Government pulled in the run-up to the election about the occupied territories Bill. Eighteen months later, we are still waiting for it to be enacted. The Government has shown cowardice on an international scale. We are looking at international law being torn up. Human rights are optional. Institutions built to prevent catastrophe are under attack. We have seen what the US has done to its health and humanitarian outreach to foreign countries. It has been withdrawn from them. The US has stopped supporting UNRWA. Our collective humanity is under massive threat. We are witnessing a massive breakdown in global leadership. The EU too is drifting towards militarisation. There are escalating trade tensions that threaten jobs and livelihoods and a raging cost-of-living crisis has resulted from wars and conflict. We have seen a devastating collapse in international development funding across the global south. We must be seen to be a neutral country and be proud of it. We cannot be seen to be neutral on injustice or war crimes. We must be militarily neutral, independently principled and committed to human rights, international law and the institutions that are under attack. If the Government is moving away from neutrality, it should put that to a referendum. Our position has got us respect for years. This reputation cannot be gambled away. Any move away from neutrality will not be supported by the Irish people. The neglect of the Defence Forces is a political choice, and running a bulldozer through it will not fix it. The scale of human suffering across the world is staggering. We all know what has happened in Palestine over recent years. For the Jewish Power party to be wearing golden noose lapel pins on their suits in the Knesset in Israel is a staggeringly depressing visualisation. What they want is separate facilities for people who have been convicted or sentenced to death, no visits apart from authorised personnel, no legal consultations except by video link, and assassinations or hangings to take place within 90 days of sentencing, closing off appeals and clemency. Is this where we have ended up on the international stage? Israel's human rights group has described it as institutional and racist violence against the Palestinians.

Sentiment score: -0.26

What representations has the Government made, whether at EU level or to the United States, about the oil blockade of Cuba, which has resulted in a huge humanitarian crisis? Does the Minister of State agree with the call by Mexico, Spain and Brazil that urgent and sincere dialogue should take place to address this?

Sentiment score: 0.36

Is anything happening at European level?

Sentiment score: 0.00

Has the Government itself done anything?

Sentiment score: 0.00