Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee Stage
Seanad Éireann — 2026-06-30
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Conor Murphy (SF), Industrial and Commercial Panel

My apologies for being late. I accept responsibility for not having moved the first amendment. The series of amendments to this section, in my name and the names of my colleagues, is necessary to lay a foundation for later amendments to define circumstances in which it would be an offence to join, train or recruit for an armed force that is engaged in crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide. This is not anything fanciful. The existing legislation ignores the greatest terrorism crimes of our time, which are the actions of the Israel Defense Forces in Palestine. The current laws that we have do not prevent people from joining a military engaged in genocide with gross human rights violations. While right now this arises in relation to the actions of the IDF, it may in future arise in relation to armed forces of other states engaged in war crimes that recruit what are in fact mercenaries. The IDF recruits foreign fighters, just as others do who are targets of this legislation.
The EU directive dates from a period when ISIS was at its peak and there was a significant problem with people travelling from Europe to join ISIS. While it is not the case that many Irish people join the IDF, it is important that, as a State, we make it clear that participating in the actions of armed forces in other states engaged in war crimes and genocide is unacceptable, and those who do so will be held accountable for their actions. The failure of the State to have any sanctions or restrictions against those travelling and participating in war crimes and genocide as part of an armed force leaves the State open to the allegation that we are complicit in this genocide. We have to remind ourselves of what we are dealing with. As a State, we cannot stand by and allow citizens to serve the IDF or any other armed forces engaged in war crimes.
Sinn Féin's amendments are designed to outlaw citizens of this State travelling or training to participate in genocide or war crimes. They also outlaw recruitment by the armed forces of such a state. Our amendments would have the effect of preventing the IDF or other armed forces engaged in genocide or war crimes from training with the Defence Forces. It was previously revealed that IDF military personnel had trained in the Irish military college over the previous six years. This is something that would not be permitted under our amendments. The amendments I have tabled are no less important than the introduction of the occupied territories Bill in the stance that this State takes against genocide and war crimes. I ask the Minister of State to accept them all and for the Committee to support them.

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Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:55:07+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-06-30