The clear message from my extensive engagement with international partners, who have expressly welcomed the approach of the Government, is that we sustain it. These efforts are continuing as we speak. As this House is aware, steps are being taken by the Israeli Parliament against UNRWA. These could bring about the collapse of the entire humanitarian response in Gaza, which rests on UNRWA’s infrastructure. The Government is working within the EU, as well as with a core group of like-minded states at the United Natio…

It is not that it is so-called unconstitutional; it is unconstitutional. No one is arguing with that and those measures have to be amended. I emphasise in particular that the ICJ advisory opinion did not somehow drop from the sky. Again, some in the Opposition have ignored this. The Government strongly supported the request by the General Assembly for this advisory opinion in December 2022. The Government contributed actively to the proceedings through its written submission in July 2023 and the oral submission mad…

On the question of sanctions, we participate in European sanctions and sanctions adopted by the United Nations Security Council or the European Union. We have been very active on the sanctions front, in particular, against the violent Israeli settlers this year. The EU has adopted sanctions and we continue to press for that also. Across society, Ireland is broadly supportive. Language used here that the Government is somehow complicit in genocide is reprehensible. I regret that was said by Deputy Cairns.

It is almost trying to exploit the crisis-----

-----to try to have a political go at Government.

That is wrong.

What we are trying to do in the court is important here-----

-----because if we can succeed-----

If we can succeed legally in getting the court to broaden how it interprets the Genocide Convention-----

-----around the denial of humanitarian access into Gaza, it will be a very effective day's work by Ireland.

I am willing, with our legal team, to share with the Deputy-----

I want to build consensus here and a proper approach to this issue.

I beg the Ceann Comhairle's indulgence before I reply, as we finish up the Dáil, to put on record my profound thanks to him and to the unsung army of men and women who make the Oireachtas and, through it, our democracy work - the stewards, the catering staff, the cleansing and maintenance staff, researchers, clerks, the media who are based here and the gardaí who are posted here. We are all part of a community and I am very grateful to every one of them for making it work as well as it has. This Dáil was a particul…

-----and not sustainable. It is something that should have been provided for far less than it subsequently was provided for but it was sought by Members of the House.

I am not naming any names.

I am making the point. In terms of the security hut-----

Yes. Anyway, I said what I said in respect of that. In terms of the security hut, that came from a recommendation from a group. I think it was excessive, but often when the Garda recommends certain security measures in Government Buildings, people fulfil what is ordained in respect of security in that regard. On the phone pouches, I want to make this point. I have been a long-term advocate for public health in this Dáil. I introduced the smoking ban against many vested interests. Deputy Mattie McGrath might not hav…

-----but I did it in the interest of the public well-being and the health of our people. We have done other public health measures like the ban on smoky fuels that Mary Harney brought in, which had a huge impact on public health. I met Dr. Fauci recently, and he and I have described social media as the public health threat of our time in respect of our children. The impact on children is horrific. Deputy Doherty has been extremely disingenuous in his presentation of the arguments and in his dismissal of that public…

I brought in a measure years ago in terms of students being allowed to view their exam papers in schools. That cost money at the time because we had to fund it. What he did not mention in the FOI material is how the schools that were consulted said it was a transformative initiative in terms of the utilisation of phone pouches and preventing the use of smartphones during the school day. I will say this to the Deputy. Long after this election, in time to come----

Deputy, could you explain to me why your party introduced it in Northern Ireland with the Northern Ireland Executive?