First and foremost, I commend the professionalism and dedication of our consular staff. Many of us have engaged with those working out of our embassies across the Middle East at this time and those working in Dublin. I have no doubt nearly everybody in here has been contacted by those who have found themselves stranded, in some cases in relatively precarious scenarios where they may have medical conditions and other circumstances. I have no doubt there will be a need for further charter flights and that far greater resources will need to be provided. We need to ensure we do absolutely everything from the point of view of looking after Irish people who are stranded down to what has been not only a breach of international law but a crazy act by genocidal Israel, and America following on its coattails, and not for the first time in the Middle East carrying out acts that are not even beneficial to America from the point of view of its own foreign policy and strategy. That is, unfortunately, par for the course. It has been said by many here that oil prices have shot through the roof, whether at the forecourts or in the purchase of kerosene. Action has been taken straight away, with nothing about reserves or hedging or anything else. It is absolutely right that the Minister would call in the industry. We need to see action. Regarding the CCPC, we will be very interested in what the Minister, Deputy Burke, says will be an investigation that should take in or around a month. We need to see action straight away. We have stated for some time that the regular people of Ireland are under severe pressure with the cost-of-living crisis, and it goes without saying that this only adds to it. While we will attempt to keep manners on those who gouge, we also need to provide support for those who are under severe pressure. Those with disabilities are high among them. I again call for an emergency cost-of-disability payment to be delivered. Iran is not a state that any of us is going to stand up and defend. We are all aware of its many sins over many years. However, how did this Islamic Republic come to power in 1979? It followed the chequered history of America in the Middle East. It was a coup to ensure the Shah would be in a position to ensure American interests were absolutely protected and that there would be no chance of the nationalisation of those resources, particularly oil, which America cared about. It is obviously an utterly repressive regime, and we are now dealing with the outworkings of it. If anyone remembers the Iran-Contra affair, the Americans illegally sold weapons so that the CIA could make money to provide it to the Contras in Nicaragua to fight against the Sandinistas. American foreign policy has not just gone rogue with Donald Trump; it did not start in a particularly great place. We also know that when America had an issue with Iran, it decided it would use its great friend Iraq and Saddam Hussein. That did not blow up in any way, shape or form. We do not know where this ends. We do know what is happening to civilians across the Middle East at the moment and our thoughts are with them. We are aware that 185 civilians were killed in an attack on a school, many of them schoolgirls. We have all seen the pictures. Not only have we seen a ship attacked by the Israelis and the Americans, but what was almost worse was the fact the survivors were not saved. I do not know what we can call that but a war crime. I will give Benjamin Netanyahu one thing: he is consistent. He is not only a genocidal maniac who wants to ensure there is no Palestinian state, but he is absolutely committed to this attack on Iran, which is absolutely illegal and needs to be condemned by this Government. Let us be clear: Marco Rubio let it out of the bag when he stated that the Israelis were going to do it anyway, so America followed on. It is an absolute disgrace. The Government has to be stronger on this. The EU has failed miserably.

Sentiment score: -0.12