Latest news with #Leaders'Questions
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Irish Sun
Ireland lodges protest letter over ‘reckless & intimidatory' Israeli army gunfire near Irish peacekeepers in Lebanon
IRELAND is to lodge a formal letter of objection with Israel after shots were fired in the vicinity of peacekeepers in southern Lebanon. The incident came during a joint Irish United Nations Interim Force in Advertisement None of the Irish personnel – who were Oglaigh na hEireann said that all personnel were reported to be safe and well, and that they continued to monitor the situation in southern Lebanon. Minister for Defence He said just before midday, the Advertisement READ MORE IN IRISH NEWS He also confirmed that a formal letter of objection from Ireland would be lodged with Israel via the Tanasite Harris said: 'Brigadier General Mulcahy provided me with a detailed briefing on the serious events that took place yesterday involving 'It's clear to me that the actions of the IDF were reckless, intimidatory, totally unacceptable and a clear breach of the international rules surrounding peacekeeping. 'Brigadier General Mulcahy has assured me that all of our troops impacted are safe and well. They have been debriefed following the incident and patrols are continuing as normal today. Advertisement Most read in Irish News 'I want to pay tribute to our personnel deployed with Unifil, who are operating in an increasingly volatile and tense environment. 'My officials in the Department of Defence will today formally lodge a protest letter over what happened yesterday and this will be communicated directly with Israel.' 'ACT OF EVIL' Earlier this week, Harris insisted Government is doing all it can to help ordinary people in Harris was speaking during a heated Advertisement Speaking during the Leaders' Questions debate, Connolly said 54,000 Palestinians have been killed since the 1 Ireland is to lodge a formal letter of objection with Israel after shots were fired in the vicinity of peacekeepers in southern Lebanon Credit: Defence Forces Press Office Issue
Irish Examiner
4 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Tánaiste 'disgusted and sickened' about Gaza 'genocide' being carried out by Israel
The Tánaiste has hit out at the "genocide" being carried out by the Israeli government while defending his own government's record on Gaza. During a heated exchange with independent TD Catherine Connolly at Thursday's Leaders' Questions, Simon Harris said that the Irish government had called out Israel's actions in Gaza. 'We are the first government in the EU to say what Israel is doing is genocide. It is genocide," Mr Harris said. Mr Harris responded after Ms Connolly had criticised the "cognitive dissonance" of the Government, saying it was time to 'make our words mean something'. In response, the Tánaiste said that Ireland was a world leader on the issue. 'We're working to support the people of Palestine and the only chamber I ever go into in the entire world where people don't acknowledge that Ireland, the Government, the people of Ireland, are standing with the people of Palestine, standing up for human rights, standing up for international law, is here when you get up and distort – with your ideology – the actions of this government. 'I'm disgusted and sickened – sickened – watching children dying on our television screens and every day I come to work and work with all the people in here to do our best to show leadership at a time of horrific conflict.' Ms Connolly said that Ireland had waited for EU action on the issue and that the "elephant in the room" was Israel's backing by the US. 'You're waiting for the morally corrupt EU to take action. They're the second-biggest supplier of arms to the genocide. Let's call a spade a spade.' Ms Connolly also criticised Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael for "feting" the visit of US Congressman Brian Mast to Kerry last week. Mr Mast has previously called for Israel to "kick the shit out of" Gaza. Read More Independent TDs vote against Government to back Sinn Féin bill on Israeli government bonds
Irish Examiner
5 days ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Clash in Dáil over bill to ban purchase of Israeli bonds
The Taoiseach and Sinn Féin leader have clashed over a bill which would ban the Central Bank from purchasing Israeli bonds. Sinn Féin had brought a bill to the Dáil on Tuesday, with the debate interrupted as one man was arrested during a protest in the Dáil visitors' gallery. Finance minister Paschal Donohoe had been speaking when the large group began to chant, wave signs and flags, and bang on the safety glass. Leinster House ushers were joined by gardaí as they attempted to clear the group who chanted "shame", "stop the genocide" and "free free Palestine". The disruption lasted several minutes with one man being arrested. The group continued their protest outside the gates of Leinster House. Speaking during Wednesday's Leaders' Questions in the Dáil, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said the Finance Minister's speech was "shameful" and "gave the water-weak mealy-mouthed and baseless excuses for the Government's opposition to the legislation". "The Minister stated that he is advised that the Bill might be judged inconsistent with EU law. That is bogus. We have over 20 pages of independent robust legal opinion clearly stating that the Bill is compliant with Irish law, European law and international law," she added. The Minister should know that Ireland is fully entitled under EU law to unilaterally restrict access to our financial services and that we are legally entitled to make that decision on public-policy grounds, including pursuing our international law obligations. So Government has no sound legal advice on these matters. "The Government's reasons for opposing the Bill are exposed as bluff. The emperor has no clothes. It is precisely the tactic the Taoiseach has used to delay and hollow out the Occupied Territories Bill." In response, Taoiseach Micheál Martin accused Sinn Féin of "trying to drive a wedge" and of "bandying" words "such as facilitate and complicit in genocide which are false". "The latest now is this issue in terms of the Central Bank's role in issuing prospectuses. The Deputy and I know that the Central Bank does not approve and does not issue or sell, or oversee the sale of, Israeli bonds. The Deputy knows that, but the truth does not matter in the situation." The clashes followed a debate on a Labour motion calling for Ireland to push for an emergency session of the UN General Assembly and to establish a peacekeeping force in Gaza. In response to that motion, Tánaiste Simon Harris said he considered the request for a UN session "to be a constructive request". He said a mechanism called the Uniting For Peace resolution to which the Labour motion refers to, dates from the time of the Korean War in 1950. "The reality is that only once, in 70 years, back in 1956, has the resolution been used to establish a peacekeeping force. This was under very specific circumstances at the time, in which all the parties and the key members of the Security Council were in agreement. Sadly, similar circumstances do not exist today." Read More Tánaiste urges other countries to recognise Palestine as a state
Dublin Live
23-05-2025
- Business
- Dublin Live
'Crazy' that National Children's Hospital deadline has been missed 15 times, Dail hears
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info It is 'crazy' that the deadline for the National Children's Hospital to open has been missed 15 times, the Dail has been told. The Public Accounts Committee heard on Thursday that in the past seven months, developer BAM had achieved around 60% of its planned progress. This has moved the completion deadline from June to September 30 – the 15th time the substantial completion date has been extended, according to the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board. Sinn Fein finance spokesman Pearse Doherty told the Dail the hospital had become 'an epic saga' which has ballooned from a cost of 650 million euro to 2.2 billion euro. 'The deadline for opening this hospital has been missed 15 times – 15 times. Like that's crazy. Crazy,' he told Tanaiste Simon Harris during Leaders' Questions. 'You've broken your election promise when you said it would be delivered in June. Do you really expect the public to have any greater faith in this date compared to any one of the other 15 dates that you and your Government ministers have announced?' He accused Mr Harris, a former health minister, of signing off on a contract to build the hospital that was 'skewed in favour of the construction company'. 'It was build-as-you-go, and that is why BAM has the state over the barrel for the last eight years. Now your Government is blaming the construction company. It's not a surprise to anybody on this side that developers are going to squeeze as much profit out as they can. But competent ministers… are supposed to protect the public purse,' he said. Mr Harris said the hospital was 'well over 95% complete' and technical commissioning was under way. He accused Sinn Fein of hypocrisy and said a children's hospital to be built in Belfast would cost more per square metre than Dublin 's, citing the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO). 'The First Minister of Northern Ireland, who's your party's vice president, said she was 'delighted that £671 million would be spent on a state-of-an-art children's hospital at Belfast Royal Victoria Hospital. Ladies and gentlemen, who was that contract with? Does anyone know? BAM, the same developer who's building the hospital in this jurisdiction.' He said BAM had since pulled out of the project, which had delayed it. 'They (the PBO) have looked at the hospital Sinn Fein are presiding over the north, the hospital we're presiding over here with BAM, and they found yours is more expensive than the one we're delivering. So get over yourself with the absolute hypocrisy.' He said the hospital has 22 operating theatres, 6,150 rooms with spaces for parents to stay with their child, and a helipad. 'We know it's a hospital that costs more than originally intended, that is true. 'And yes, you know – because you've been covering finance for a hell of a long time for your party – you know that we've changed significantly the approach we take to the delivery of infrastructure.' Aontu leader Peadar Toibin said no one was questioning the quality of the hospital. He said the additional 1.5 billion euro it has cost to build has 'come from the pockets of hard-working Irish citizens and taxpayers'. 'It's not a victimless crime as well. The opportunity cost of that 1.5 billion euros would have actually paid for over 4,500 homes in this country. It would have housed up to 18,000 people, more than the number of people who are currently homeless. 'But Tanaiste, you are the blame-shifting expert in this country. Simon 'it wasn't me' Harris.' He raised previous quotes from Mr Harris that he was not responsible for signing the contract that underpinned the construction of the Dublin hospital. 'This contract lacks an enormous amount of detail within it, which has allowed it to become a blank cheque for the contractor, it is designed to fail from the start,' Mr Toibin said. He added that 'inertia, waste and blame-shifting are the characteristics of this Government'. Mr Harris said he was responsible for bringing the proposal to Cabinet and recommending they proceed, and would be responsible for 'a world-class facility' and 'transforming children's healthcare'. 'Nobody gets everything right in politics and a lot of lessons have been learned,' he said. Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage.
The Journal
23-05-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
Tánaiste concerned about 'aggressive' US deportations after Shannon flight
TÁNAISTE SIMON HARRIS has expressed concern over the Trump administration's 'aggressive' deportation policy after a plane containing US deportees was found to have landed in Shannon this week. The Tánaiste was pressed on the issue by Labour leader Ivana Bacik during Leaders' Questions in the Dáil on Thursday where she claimed Ireland is being 'used as an instrument to violate human rights' in the illegal deportation of migrants. 'These are deportation flights that are illegal and taking place in violation of a US court order,' Bacik said. The Journal received confirmation from gardaí yesterday that the flight stopped in Shannon Airport on Wednesday en route to Africa. The Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed the status of the plane in a statement released yesterday. 'The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is aware of reports that a US flight on 21 May landed in Shannon en route to Djibouti. 'This was a civil aircraft, and as such, no diplomatic clearance would have been sought or would have been required.' The Journal has established that the plane, a Gulfstream V, landed in Shannon and spent approximately two hours on the ground. It is not known as yet if gardaí or immigration officials had any interactions with the plane during its time at the airport. A federal judge in Boston ruled on Wednesday that the Trump administration had 'unquestionably' violated a court order by deporting eight criminals to South Sudan without hearing their objections. A lawyer for some of the deportees on the flight stopping at Shannon told RTÉ's Morning Ireland that she only learned that her clients had been removed from the US after seeing television reports about their landing in Shannon. Trina Realmuto said: 'I guess at this point, this far into this administration, I can't say I'm shocked that the [US] Government is defying court orders, but given that just recently, on May 7, we we had to go to court and and try to stop a flight of people who were about to be deported to Libya, I am surprised that so shortly after that, we had to run him to court to try to stop a flight to South Sudan.' Advertisement U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents guide undocumented migrants into a military plane in Texas. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the US Department of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin said those on the flight were the 'worst of the worst' individuals, including child rapists. The logistics of the flight Ivana Bacik questioned whether the flight also landed in Shannon on its way back to the US. 'We understand that one of the planes in question, flight JNY588A, [was] due to refuel at Shannon Airport on its return journey from Sudan later today [Thursday night] at about 9.30 p.m., according to flight logs,' Bacik added. She went on to further attack the 'barrage of revelations' about flights from America refuelling in Shannon en route to Israel to deliver weapons, claiming the State's position 'remains something of a mystery'. Harris acknowledged the arrival of the deportation flight on Wednesday, and said he spoke with Minister for Transport Darragh O'Brien about the matter. 'Officials from my Department are liaising with the Department of Transport, the Department of Justice, and the US authorities,' Harris said. Addressing the approach of the Trump administration to deportations, Harris said: 'I am concerned about some of the aggressive migration policy we see being pursued in the United States of America. 'If we had a deportation flight landing in another country, there would be a presumption that those on the flight were lawfully detained. 'I am trying to piece together here information that is coming at us, in the first instance through US media, and the decision of the US courts. He added: 'I am very happy to keep in close contact with the Deputy and with this House because I recognise there is significant public interest and public concern in relation to this.' With reporting from Niall O'Connor Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
