Certainly, I view the Prime Minister's comments as more do to with the general elections that are due to take place in November, and an attempt to win over some Arab voices or voters living in Israel to try to secure his tenure in office. The Minister outlined all of the breaches of international law and the flagrant human rights violations, including the murder of journalists and the raid on the six civil society NGOs. We see the continued arbitrary detention of thousands of Palestinians, the expansion of illegal …

I do not think that it is just the make-up of the Israeli Government that is facilitating what is happening on the ground. I strongly believe that it is the failure of the international community to hold Israel to account that is emboldening Israel to carry out those illegal actions. We see it in some of the commentary from Liz Truss, who has stated that she is going to review moving the British Embassy to Jerusalem, a flagrant breach of international law. We also see it in the actions of the EU in proposing to rec…

I wish to ask the Minister about the current position in respect of discussions on the Irish protocol, given the fact that there has been a lot of recent focus on, and talk about, an opportunity to reset and a change in the mood music. Is the Minister optimistic that progress will be made quite soon to address the concerns some people have with the Irish protocol?

The tentative optimism that is there at this point is welcome, as is the fact that conversations are going to start. It is the first time in many months that conversations have taken place. It is a welcome departure from the autocratic approach taken previously. Will the Minister outline some of the parameters regarding his meeting this evening with the British Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly? It would be interesting to see what may be discussed. Issues such as the European Court of Justice are critical. I ask fo…

Sinn Féin is ready, willing and able to go into the Executive in the North today, tomorrow or as quickly as possible. We have been since the recent elections in the North. Chris Heaton-Harris has said that come 28 October he will push the button with regard to assembly elections. It is a matter of concern that elections are now being put forward. He is saying he is bound by legislation, which is unhelpful. On the Minister's engagement with unionism, are unionists serious about getting back into the Executive? Are t…

It was my understanding that there was double the time for each response but I hear what the Leas-Cheann Comhairle is saying.

Before I pose this question, I will take the opportunity to express my condolences and sympathy to the family of Rory Mason from Meath, who tragically died in Ukraine defending its territorial integrity and the rights of the Ukrainian people. Following on from that, I ask the Minister about the recent moves to annex illegally four regions-----

-----within Ukraine. What is the Minister's response?

There is no doubt that the annexations of the four regions, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, are totally illegal as they follow what have been widely and correctly described as sham referendums within those regions. Unbelievably, Russia does not even fully control these regions and yet it has declared it is legally annexing them. It is right that the international community acts and responds to any illegal annexation anywhere in the world. It represents a serious escalation in the illegal conflict and oc…

I welcome the fact that the Minister called in the Russian ambassador to outline the Irish position on the illegal annexations but it raises the question of why he is still here. From the outset, my party and I have called for him to be expelled and I reiterate that point today. The UN General Assembly will next week debate the annexing of these four regions and I welcome that. It is important that there is an international push to try to bring the illegal conflict and occupation to an end. I hear what the Minister…

I express my sympathy and that of my party to the family and friends of Mahsa Amini, who was killed in detention following her arrest. Regarding the subsequent crackdown on protesters, this is not the first time the Iranian authorities have cracked down on protests such as this. Reports estimate that between 63 and 133 innocent civilians have been murdered in this crackdown with over 1,500 people arrested. There needs to be an immediate independent investigation. I have no faith in the Iranian authorities to invest…

It is right that we fully support the right of the Iranian people, particularly women, to protest against draconian measures and treatment. I wish to raise serious concerns about the Iranian response to this crackdown and the protests, which blames the West and totally ignores Iran's own responsibilities, its crackdown on protesters and the shameful treatment of women. I reiterate my support for protesters and condemn the brutal crackdown on them. We are due to open an embassy in Iran next year and I support and we…

What engagement has the Minister had with military management and the Department of Defence regarding a report that five apprentice electricians, who upon completion of their block placement, were offered permanent employment and their defence contracts were bought out by the company with whom they were on placement?

I hear what the Minister said on the recruits. Three, as opposed to five, apprentices were training as electricians. They recently completed their block release with a multinational medical supplier, Stryker, in Cork. The company was impressed by the high standards of the training on which the apprentices had embarked, and they bought them out of their contracts at an estimated cost of €30,000. The Minister and I know that issues exist, and not just in regard to the Naval Service. Unfortunately, the loss of personn…

More than 270 personnel have left the Defence Forces this year alone, a threefold increase on the same period last year, and that is despite all the focus, the commitments and the rhetoric the Minister has been putting forward in the context of addressing all the issues and concerns within the Defence Forces. There has been a serious and concerning escalation in the number of members leaving the Defence Forces. I welcome the capital investment, but it is meaningless unless we have the crews and personnel to use it.…

Will the Minister initiate a proper and accurate process of recording the hours worked by members of the Defence Forces?

As the Minister will be aware, the working time directive is a major issue of concern for members of the Defence Forces and their representative bodies. It is an issue that has been consistently raised. The current shortages within the Defence Forces have put massive pressure on existing members who, in some instances, are double-jobbing and triple-jobbing. In some instances, this is also leading to mandatory selection for overseas duties. It is putting members under serious pressure. The Minister stated that a fie…

I ask again about the field study that was carried out. Could the findings be made public? I would be interested in seeing them and I have no reason to doubt that the study will bear out the information members of the Defence Forces have given and that in many circumstances they are working 60 or 70 hours per week. At a meeting of the joint committee the other day, the Minister spoke about derogations and exemptions from the working time directive and he has touched on that again this morning. He stated at the comm…

That is what the Minister said in the committee.

What, if any, concerns does the Minister have about Ireland's vulnerability with regard to data cables that pass through Irish waters? Given the difficulties with retention of members of the Naval Service, which we discussed, are those vulnerabilities of serious concern to Government?