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Dail Éireann · 2024-01-25

Part of Other Questions

Middle East

14 contributions · 2 speakers · 370 words

Q24 PBP Richard Boyd Barrett to the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs

24. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs what efforts he is making to assist Irish citizens or families with connections to this country who are seeking to escape Gaza and especially those who have contacted him seeking assistance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3349/24]

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Summary of this debate

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He is an Irish citizen trapped in Gaza and is not being allowed out by Israel. I want to know what the Government is doing to try to get them out and what it has said to the Israelis or European counterparts about the fact Israel is preventing Irish citizens from leaving the horror of Gaza. I also sent the Tánaiste an extensive list of people who are citizens of Ireland with family in Gaza who are appealing for assistance from the Government to allow them to exit the horror of Gaza.

The Deputy also attacked me when I went to Israel to seek to get Irish citizens out of Gaza. The European Union----- Come off it. -----should crack the whip on Israel over the treatment of our citizens. Our ambassador in Israel has engaged repeatedly with Israeli authorities and that resulted in very substantial numbers of Irish citizens and their dependants getting out of Gaza.

Built by scoring every sentence in the debate on how distinctive its language is, then quoting the highest-scoring ones back word for word and in the order spoken. Nothing is paraphrased or invented — if a sentence appears here, it was said in the chamber. Drawn from 370 words across 14 contributions by 2 speakers.

Most used terms in this debate

How often each word appears across the whole debate, ranked by how distinctive it is to it rather than common to all parliamentary language.

gaza 8
israel 8
citizens 8
union----- 2
hostage 2
tánaiste 4
hania's 1
get 7
appealing 2
trapped 2
credibility 2
attacked 2

The full debate

All 14 contributions, start to finish, in the order they were made.

PBP Richard Boyd Barrett

I handed the Tánaiste a letter this week from Zak Hania's wife. He is an Irish citizen trapped in Gaza and is not being allowed out by Israel. She is appealing to the Tánaiste to assist him. Two other Irish citizens contacted me who are also trapped. They are in effect being held hostage by Israel. I want to know what the Government is doing to try to get them out and what it has said to the Israelis or European counterparts about the fact Israel is preventing Irish citizens from leaving the horror of Gaza. I also sent the Tánaiste an extensive list of people who are citizens of Ireland with family in Gaza who are appealing for assistance from the Government to allow them to exit the horror of Gaza. What is the Government doing on that?

FF Micheál Martin

The Deputy also attacked me when I went to Israel to seek to get Irish citizens out of Gaza. His fellow travellers did likewise, as well as trolling and misinformation online. We got 56 people out.

PBP Richard Boyd Barrett

I do not think the Tánaiste should have gone to Israel. That is my view.

FF Micheál Martin

Yet the Deputy comes in here and says he is handing me letters to get people out.

PBP Richard Boyd Barrett

No, I think the European Union-----

FF Micheál Martin

You are just a hypocrite.

PBP Richard Boyd Barrett

The European Union-----

FF Micheál Martin

Come off it.

PBP Richard Boyd Barrett

-----should crack the whip on Israel over the treatment of our citizens.

FF Micheál Martin

Regarding the specific people, I will do everything I can to get people out of Gaza and that means engaging with the Israeli authorities. Our ambassador in Israel has engaged repeatedly with Israeli authorities and that resulted in very substantial numbers of Irish citizens and their dependants getting out of Gaza. If you had your way, nobody would get out of Gaza.

PBP Richard Boyd Barrett

Do you think it is acceptable that Israel is holding our citizens hostage?

FF Micheál Martin

You are just behaving hypocritically. I went out there to get people out and you attacked me. Then you come in the following day and say "Please get them out". Come off it. What credibility have you?

PBP Richard Boyd Barrett

What credibility has the European Union for allowing citizens to be treated in that way?

FF Micheál Martin

You are a disgrace. You are unbelievable.

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