Govt bid to reform rent cap will put tenants at risk
Eoin Ó Broin, Dublin Mid-West TD and Sinn Féin's spokesman on Housing, Local Government and Heritage, discusses the changes to Rent Pressure Zones that will go to cabinet tomorrow (Tuesday).
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Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Government to withhold support for motion to end Central Bank facilitation of Israeli war bonds
The Government will not be supporting a cross-party motion demanding the Central Bank end the facilitation of Israeli war bonds and will instead table its own counter motion. Four opposition parties have come together to back the motion and have called on Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to provide the Government TDs with a free vote when it comes before the Dáil on Wednesday. The Social Democrats, Sinn Féin, Labour and People Before Profit-Solidarity have united behind the motion that demands that the Government enact emergency legislation to explicitly force the Central Bank to stop facilitating the sale of Israeli bonds. It also calls on the coalition to advise the bank that "by acting as the enabling cog in Israel's fundraising machine in the European Union it is putting the state at risk of a charge of complicity in genocide". The motion stresses that since October 2023 the bonds have been advertised as war bonds with the slogan 'stand with Israel – Israel is at war'. The website marketing the bonds contains a video by Israeli President Isaac Herzog who lauds 'the crucial role of Israel bonds during this time of conflict and war". Last month, a similar Sinn Féin bill which sought to stop the Central Bank facilitating the sale of Israeli war bonds was defeated after the Government voted against the draft legislation. Sinn Féin TD Seán Crowe said the gap between the vote on the Sinn Féin Bill and this motion has given TDs 'time to reflect'. Mr Crowe asked: Is there anyone in Ireland comfortable with the fact that we're facilitating this blood money coming into our country and being spent on weapons that are killing men, women and children? Calling on the Government leaders to allow backbench TDs a vote of conscience, Social Democrats TD Sinéad Gibney said: 'We have failed as an international community to prevent a genocide from happening so now we have to do everything in our power to make sure that we stop it.' She added: 'We are urging the Government to allow a free vote, a vote of conscience, because we believe that this is something that many TDs will support if given the opportunity. 'And we absolutely urge the Government to support this motion.' Labour TD Duncan Smith said adopting the motion would send a "clear signal" that Ireland is "morally and ethically" against Israel's bombardment of Gaza and that "Irish people do not stand for the selling of Israeli war bonds". Humanitarian aid blockade Meanwhile, Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Harris has made an urgent call to end the blockade and allow humanitarian aid into Gaza. "Ireland has consistently called on Israel to lift its blockade and allow unimpeded access of humanitarian aid at scale into Gaza, in accordance with international law and humanitarian principles," Mr Harris said in a statement. "The UN and humanitarian organisations must be allowed to work independently and do their job. It is a shame on the world and international community that people are starving in Gaza." Praising activists aboard the Madleen, which was blocked by Israeli forces on route to Gaza, Mr Harris said: "The question we should be asking today is not a debate about the merits or not of the flotilla but how it has come to this; that the world is turning a blind eye to starving children in Gaza." Read More Watch: Surveillance footage shows crew on Gaza aid boat putting hands up as Israeli forces seize vessel
The Journal
3 hours ago
- The Journal
Opposition calls for ‘vote of conscience' on Israeli 'war bonds' ahead of cross-party motion
OPPOSITION PARTIES HAVE requested a free 'vote of conscience' on a motion calling on the Government to stop the Central Bank from facilitating the sale of Israeli State Bonds. The Central Bank of Ireland is the designated authority in relation to the sale of Israeli Bonds in the EU. Israeli State Bonds have been advertised as supporting the country's economy, and more recently, websites promoting the securities emphasise their role in supporting Israel's military operations in Gaza, leading some to dub them 'Israeli war bonds'. The Central Bank is responsible for assessing whether a prospectus for the offer of securities is in compliance with requirements of the EU Prospectus Regulation, with the authority saying approval should not be viewed as 'an endorsement of the issuer'. Protesters have demonstrated outside the Central Bank and called for legislation that would give Ireland the power to refuse the sale of Israeli 'war bonds' over human rights concerns. Advertisement Last month, a Sinn Féin bill which sought to stop the Irish Central Bank facilitating the sale of Israeli 'war bonds' was defeated after the Government voted against the draft legislation. On Wednesday, the Dáil will vote on a motion on the matter brought by a number of opposition parties during the Social Democrats' time. The motion says the bonds are intended to fund the war in Gaza and argues Ireland ha obligations under the Genocide Convention to use all means likely to have a deterrent effect on those suspected of preparing genocide. Speaking to reporters today, Social Democrats TD Sinéad Gibney said: 'We have failed as an international community to prevent a genocide from happening so now we have to do everything in our power to make sure that we stop it.' She added: 'We are urging the Government to allow a free vote, a vote of conscience, because we believe that this is something that many TDs will support if given the opportunity. 'And we absolutely urge the Government to support this motion.' Sinn Féin TD Seán Crowe said he believes the gap between the vote on the Sinn Féin Bill and this motion will give TDs 'time to reflect'.
Irish Times
3 hours ago
- Irish Times
Opposition tables second motion to ban Central Bank role in approving Israeli bonds
Members of the main Opposition parties have combined for a second time to put pressure on the State to stop facilitating the sale of Israeli bonds through the Central Bank . A fortnight after the defeat in the Dáil of a Sinn Féin Bill to prevent the Central Bank's role in approving Israeli bonds for sale in the European Union , the Social Democrats have tabled a private members' motion calling for the exact same measures. The Central Bank of Ireland has a role in approving documents on bonds issued by the Israeli government, which have been described as 'war bonds' by the Opposition. The Bill would have prevented the Irish Central Bank from approving the prospectus that allows Israel to trade its bonds in the European Union. Israel traditionally had its European bond prospectuses rubber-stamped in the UK, but turned to the Central Bank for authorisations after Brexit. READ MORE Sinéad Gibney of the Social Democrats said the Government had insisted the State is not selling the bonds. She argued the fact remained that Ireland was 'facilitating' the sale of bonds within Europe. 'Countries sell these bonds to raise money, and in the case of Israel, that money is being spent on bullets and on weapons to kill people, and that's why we have to stop it,' she said. Ms Gibney, Seán Crowe of Sinn Féin, Duncan Smith of Labour and Paul Murphy of People Before Profit all spoke against the bonds at a joint media conference by the four main Opposition parties on Monday, and argued that by facilitating their sale, Ireland became complicit in the Israeli war effort. They said the Central Bank should have no role in approving the prospectus that allows Israel to trade its bonds in the European Union. 'What's happening is these bonds are basically going toward blood money,' said Mr Crowe. 'It's buying the bullets, it's buying the ammunition.' [ 'Repulsive'; 'obscene'; 'genocide': Dáil voices rise in unison over Israel's slaughter in Gaza Opens in new window ] He added: 'Is there anyone in Ireland comfortable with the fact that we're facilitating this blood money coming into our country and being spent on weapons that are killing men, women and children?' Mr Murphy said that in the past day Israel had seized a boat carrying humanitarian aid from international waters and 'kidnapped' activists, including Greta Thunberg . He said the argument of the Government 'boiled down to the fact that if they don't authorise the bonds, someone else in Europe will authorise the bonds, and they'll be able to be to be sold. 'We do not accept that we should be assisting in the sale of Israeli bonds used for genocide at all,' he said. Mr Smith said that Ireland may be doing more than other European countries but the bar was so low, it was nowhere near enough. 'This motion could send a clear signal that Irish people do not stand for the selling of Israeli war bonds. We are asking for the Government to legislate, on an emergency basis, for the Central Bank to ban those sales.' [ Harris praises Madleen volunteers for highlighting 'urgent need for humanitarian aid' to reach Gaza Opens in new window ] Ms Gibney said the Government had a very clear mandate of support for Palestine from the population. 'Other Member States have much more divided populations, much more gritty things to deal with in terms of getting people on board. The Irish Government has the mandate of the Irish people, and they should be leaders on this. And it is simply not good enough to say, 'if we don't do it, somebody else will', because that is the absolute definition of complicity. If we stand up and stop this, other countries will follow suit.' Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe said during the Dáil debate at the end of May that the Sinn Féin legislation was 'unworkable' and inconsistent with EU law.
