Air Navigation and Transport (Arms Embargo) Bill 2024 [Seanad]: Report and Final Stages
Seanad Éireann — 2026-04-22
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Frances Black (IND), Industrial and Commercial Panel

Obviously, I support these amendments. We all know that the technical precision in legislation of this kind is obviously not a minor matter. It is the difference between a law that holds and one that can be undermined on procedural grounds. When we are dealing with an arms embargo, the question of who can authorise or inspect and enforce is absolutely foundational. Vague or inconsistent definitions create gaps that can be exploited, whether by design or by default. This Bill is very important because of what is happening today to the people of Gaza and the West Bank. As of this week, the death toll from the Israeli assault on Gaza since 7 October 2023 has surpassed 72,000. That is a very conservative figure. Independent peer reviewed research that was published in The Lancet estimates over 75,000 violent deaths, with scholars noting that official figures represent a floor as opposed to a ceiling because the very infrastructure needed to document death has been destroyed. UN Women reported just this week that more than 38,000 women and girls were killed between October 2023 and December 2025. That is an average of 47 women and girls every day, which is outrageous. That is why getting this right is exactly what Report Stage is for. Accordingly, I absolutely support and commend these amendments.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-04-22/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:50+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-04-22