International Court of Justice and Genocide in Gaza: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members]

The following motion was moved by Deputy Matt Carthy on Tuesday, 30 January 2024:

That Dáil Éireann:

expresses its deepest concern at the continued deterioration of the situation in Gaza and the resulting catastrophic humanitarian disaster with over 25,000 killed, thousands missing, almost two million people displaced, and massive destruction of housing and vital infrastructure, including hospitals and education facilities;

deeply deplores the major food insecurity on a massive scale, with United Nations (UN) agencies warning of imminent famine which will affect 400,000 people, the near collapse of the health system in large parts of Gaza with 65 per cent of hospitals now shut and the World Health Organisation warning of widespread death from preventable diseases;

reiterates its condemnation of the ongoing bombardment of Gaza by Israel;

further reiterates its calls for an immediate ceasefire, the immediate release of all hostages; and the urgent need for full, safe, and unhindered access for the delivery of humanitarian aid;

notes:

— the International Court of Justice (ICJ) proceedings instituted by South Africa under the Genocide Convention, and commends South Africa for its action in this regard: determining that it is valid to ask the ICJ to investigate whether there is a risk of genocide; and notes that other states have indicated their intention to participate in the case;

— that under Article I of the Genocide Convention the Contracting Parties are obliged to prevent genocide;

— that the Genocide Convention defines genocide as "any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:

(a) Killing members of the group;

(b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;

(c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;

(d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;

(e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group";

— that Ireland is a Contracting Party to the Genocide Convention; and

— that the ICJ has held that "a State's obligation to prevent [genocide], and the corresponding duty to act, arise at the instant that the State learns of, or should normally have learned of, the existence of a serious risk that genocide will be committed";

— that the ICJ on 26th January, 2024 recognised:

— the right of Palestinians in Gaza to be protected from acts of genocide;

— that some rights claimed by South Africa are plausible; and

— that there is an urgency in that there is a real and imminent risk that irreparable prejudice will be caused to the rights found by the court to be plausible before it gives its final decision; and

— that the ICJ on 26th January, 2024 issued a binding order for provisional measures in the case taken by South Africa against Israel under the Genocide Convention, ordering Israel to:

— take all measures within its power to prevent the commission of acts within the scope of Article II of the Genocide Convention;

— take measures to prevent and punish direct incitement of genocide; and

— take immediate and effective measures to ensure the provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance; and

calls on the Government to:

— call on Israel to immediately implement fully the provisional measures order, and to support efforts in the UN to promote, and take all necessary bilateral actions to ensure, this immediate implementation;

— file a declaration of intention to intervene in this case with the ICJ;

— commence the process of preparing for participation in the case, including drafting comprehensive written observations to submit at the relevant phase(s); and

— support the ICJ in its exercise of jurisdiction in this case, in particular to defend the Court, and by association the international rule of law, from any attacks on its performance of this duty, through any appropriate means necessary.

Debate resumed on amendment No. 2:

To insert the following after "ongoing bombardment of Gaza by Israel;":

"reiterates its unequivocal condemnation of the brutal terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel on 7th October, 2023";

to delete "call on Israel to immediately implement fully" and substitute "reiterate its call on Israel to immediately implement fully";

to delete "file a declaration of intention to intervene in this case with the ICJ;" and substitute the following:

"urgently consider filing a declaration of intervention in this case with the ICJ, based on a legal analysis of the Genocide Convention, the Court's provisional measures order and consultation with other Contracting Parties;"; and

to delete "commence the process of preparing for participation in the case" and substitute "commence the process of preparing for potential participation in the case".

- (Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Micheál Martin)

An Ceann Comhairle

I must now deal with a postponed division relating to the motion regarding the International Court of Justice and genocide in Gaza. On Tuesday, 30 January 2024, on the question, "That the amendment to the motion be agreed to", a division was claimed and in accordance with Standing Order 80(2), that division must be taken now.

Amendment put.

The Dáil divided by electronic means.

Deputy Matt Carthy

Under Standing Order 83(3)(b) I propose that the vote be taken by other than electronic means.

Amendment again put:

The Dáil divided: Tá, 70; Níl, 63; Staon, 0.

Tá

Browne, James.
Bruton, Richard.
Byrne, Thomas.
Cahill, Jackie.
Cannon, Ciarán.
Chambers, Jack.
Collins, Niall.
Costello, Patrick.
Cowen, Barry.
Creed, Michael.
Crowe, Cathal.
Devlin, Cormac.
Dillon, Alan.
Donnelly, Stephen.
Duffy, Francis Noel.
Durkan, Bernard J.
English, Damien.
Farrell, Alan.
Feighan, Frankie.
Flaherty, Joe.
Flanagan, Charles.
Fleming, Sean.
Foley, Norma.
Griffin, Brendan.
Harris, Simon.
Haughey, Seán.
Heydon, Martin.
Higgins, Emer.
Humphreys, Heather.
Kehoe, Paul.
Lahart, John.
Leddin, Brian.
Madigan, Josepha.
Martin, Catherine.
Martin, Micheál.
Matthews, Steven.
McAuliffe, Paul.
McConalogue, Charlie.
McEntee, Helen.
McGrath, Michael.
McGuinness, John.
McHugh, Joe.
Moynihan, Aindrias.
Moynihan, Michael.
Murnane O'Connor, Jennifer.
Naughton, Hildegarde.
Noonan, Malcolm.
O'Brien, Darragh.
O'Brien, Joe.
O'Callaghan, Jim.
O'Connor, James.
O'Dea, Willie.
O'Donnell, Kieran.
O'Donovan, Patrick.
O'Dowd, Fergus.
O'Gorman, Roderic.
O'Sullivan, Christopher.
O'Sullivan, Pádraig.
Ó Cathasaigh, Marc.
Ó Cuív, Éamon.
Phelan, John Paul.
Rabbitte, Anne.
Richmond, Neale.
Ring, Michael.
Ryan, Eamon.
Smith, Brendan.
Smyth, Niamh.
Smyth, Ossian.
Stanton, David.
Troy, Robert.

Níl

Andrews, Chris.
Bacik, Ivana.
Barry, Mick.
Berry, Cathal.
Boyd Barrett, Richard.
Brady, John.
Browne, Martin.
Buckley, Pat.
Cairns, Holly.
Canney, Seán.
Carthy, Matt.
Collins, Joan.
Connolly, Catherine.
Cronin, Réada.
Crowe, Seán.
Cullinane, David.
Daly, Pa.
Doherty, Pearse.
Donnelly, Paul.
Ellis, Dessie.
Farrell, Mairéad.
Fitzmaurice, Michael.
Funchion, Kathleen.
Gould, Thomas.
Grealish, Noel.
Guirke, Johnny.
Healy-Rae, Danny.
Healy-Rae, Michael.
Hourigan, Neasa.
Howlin, Brendan.
Kenny, Gino.
Kenny, Martin.
Kerrane, Claire.
Mac Lochlainn, Pádraig.
McDonald, Mary Lou.
McGrath, Mattie.
Mitchell, Denise.
Munster, Imelda.
Murphy, Catherine.
Murphy, Paul.
Murphy, Verona.
Mythen, Johnny.
Nash, Ged.
O'Callaghan, Cian.
O'Donoghue, Richard.
O'Reilly, Louise.
O'Rourke, Darren.
Ó Broin, Eoin.
Ó Laoghaire, Donnchadh.
Ó Murchú, Ruairí.
Ó Ríordáin, Aodhán.
Ó Snodaigh, Aengus.
Pringle, Thomas.
Quinlivan, Maurice.
Shanahan, Matt.
Sherlock, Sean.
Smith, Duncan.
Stanley, Brian.
Tóibín, Peadar.
Tully, Pauline.
Ward, Mark.
Whitmore, Jennifer.
Wynne, Violet-Anne.

Staon

Tellers: Tá, Deputies Cormac Devlin and Hildegarde Naughton; Níl, Deputies Matt Carthy and Pádraig Mac Lochlainn.

Amendment declared carried.

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett

I move amendment No. 1:

To insert the following after "urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance; and":

"further notes that the ICJ has previously held that:

— the obligation to prevent genocide requires States 'to employ all means reasonably available to them, so as to prevent genocide so far as possible';

— a state incurs responsibility for breaching this obligation if it 'manifestly failed to take all measures to prevent genocide which were within its power and which might have contributed to preventing the genocide';

— 'various parameters operate when assessing whether a State has duly discharged the obligation concerned' including its 'capacity to influence effectively the action of persons likely to commit or are already committing genocide'; and

— 'if the State has available means likely to have a deterrent effect on those suspected of preparing genocide, or reasonably suspected of harbouring genocidal intent, it is under a duty to make such use of these means as the circumstances permit';"; and

to insert the following after "through any appropriate means necessary":

"further calls on the Government to:

— fulfil its obligations under Article V of the Genocide Convention by enacting measures and legislation to provide effective penalties on the state of Israel, including expulsion of Israel's Ambassador; imposition of economic, financial, political and diplomatic sanctions on Benjamin Netanyahu and all Israeli government Ministers, ambassadors, officials and military personnel that would place meaningful pressure on the Israeli Government to halt their current assault on Gaza, and all other meaningful sanctions that may be available to impede their ability to continue this assault; and

— publicly call on the member states of the European Union to impose a comprehensive international arms embargo on the state of Israel, such as those currently imposed on at least eight other states".

Amendment put:

The Dáil divided: Tá, 61; Níl, 72; Staon, 0.

Tá

Andrews, Chris.
Bacik, Ivana.
Barry, Mick.
Berry, Cathal.
Boyd Barrett, Richard.
Brady, John.
Browne, Martin.
Buckley, Pat.
Cairns, Holly.
Canney, Seán.
Carthy, Matt.
Collins, Joan.
Cronin, Réada.
Crowe, Seán.
Cullinane, David.
Daly, Pa.
Doherty, Pearse.
Donnelly, Paul.
Ellis, Dessie.
Farrell, Mairéad.
Fitzmaurice, Michael.
Funchion, Kathleen.
Gould, Thomas.
Guirke, Johnny.
Healy-Rae, Danny.
Healy-Rae, Michael.
Hourigan, Neasa.
Howlin, Brendan.
Kenny, Gino.
Kenny, Martin.
Kerrane, Claire.
Mac Lochlainn, Pádraig.
McDonald, Mary Lou.
McGrath, Mattie.
Mitchell, Denise.
Munster, Imelda.
Murphy, Catherine.
Murphy, Paul.
Murphy, Verona.
Mythen, Johnny.
Nash, Ged.
O'Callaghan, Cian.
O'Donoghue, Richard.
O'Reilly, Louise.
O'Rourke, Darren.
Ó Broin, Eoin.
Ó Laoghaire, Donnchadh.
Ó Murchú, Ruairí.
Ó Ríordáin, Aodhán.
Ó Snodaigh, Aengus.
Pringle, Thomas.
Quinlivan, Maurice.
Shanahan, Matt.
Sherlock, Sean.
Smith, Duncan.
Stanley, Brian.
Tóibín, Peadar.
Tully, Pauline.
Ward, Mark.
Whitmore, Jennifer.
Wynne, Violet-Anne.

Níl

Browne, James.
Bruton, Richard.
Byrne, Thomas.
Cahill, Jackie.
Cannon, Ciarán.
Chambers, Jack.
Collins, Niall.
Costello, Patrick.
Cowen, Barry.
Creed, Michael.
Crowe, Cathal.
Devlin, Cormac.
Dillon, Alan.
Donnelly, Stephen.
Duffy, Francis Noel.
Durkan, Bernard J.
English, Damien.
Farrell, Alan.
Feighan, Frankie.
Flaherty, Joe.
Flanagan, Charles.
Fleming, Sean.
Foley, Norma.
Grealish, Noel.
Griffin, Brendan.
Harris, Simon.
Haughey, Seán.
Heydon, Martin.
Higgins, Emer.
Humphreys, Heather.
Kehoe, Paul.
Lahart, John.
Lawless, James.
Leddin, Brian.
Madigan, Josepha.
Martin, Catherine.
Martin, Micheál.
Matthews, Steven.
McAuliffe, Paul.
McConalogue, Charlie.
McEntee, Helen.
McGrath, Michael.
McGuinness, John.
McHugh, Joe.
Moynihan, Aindrias.
Moynihan, Michael.
Murnane O'Connor, Jennifer.
Naughton, Hildegarde.
Noonan, Malcolm.
O'Brien, Darragh.
O'Brien, Joe.
O'Callaghan, Jim.
O'Connor, James.
O'Dea, Willie.
O'Donnell, Kieran.
O'Donovan, Patrick.
O'Dowd, Fergus.
O'Gorman, Roderic.
O'Sullivan, Christopher.
O'Sullivan, Pádraig.
Ó Cathasaigh, Marc.
Ó Cuív, Éamon.
Phelan, John Paul.
Rabbitte, Anne.
Richmond, Neale.
Ring, Michael.
Ryan, Eamon.
Smith, Brendan.
Smyth, Niamh.
Smyth, Ossian.
Stanton, David.
Troy, Robert.

Staon

Tellers: Tá, Deputies Richard Boyd Barrett and Paul Murphy; Níl, Deputies Hildegarde Naughton and Cormac Devlin.

Amendment declared lost.

Question put: "That the motion, as ameded, be agreed to."

The Dáil divided: Tá, 71; Níl, 62; Staon, 0.

Tá

Browne, James.
Bruton, Richard.
Byrne, Thomas.
Cahill, Jackie.
Cannon, Ciarán.
Chambers, Jack.
Collins, Niall.
Costello, Patrick.
Cowen, Barry.
Creed, Michael.
Crowe, Cathal.
Devlin, Cormac.
Dillon, Alan.
Donnelly, Stephen.
Duffy, Francis Noel.
Durkan, Bernard J.
English, Damien.
Farrell, Alan.
Feighan, Frankie.
Flaherty, Joe.
Flanagan, Charles.
Fleming, Sean.
Foley, Norma.
Griffin, Brendan.
Harris, Simon.
Haughey, Seán.
Heydon, Martin.
Higgins, Emer.
Humphreys, Heather.
Kehoe, Paul.
Lahart, John.
Lawless, James.
Leddin, Brian.
Madigan, Josepha.
Martin, Catherine.
Martin, Micheál.
Matthews, Steven.
McAuliffe, Paul.
McConalogue, Charlie.
McEntee, Helen.
McGrath, Michael.
McGuinness, John.
McHugh, Joe.
Moynihan, Aindrias.
Moynihan, Michael.
Murnane O'Connor, Jennifer.
Naughton, Hildegarde.
Noonan, Malcolm.
O'Brien, Darragh.
O'Brien, Joe.
O'Callaghan, Jim.
O'Connor, James.
O'Dea, Willie.
O'Donnell, Kieran.
O'Donovan, Patrick.
O'Dowd, Fergus.
O'Gorman, Roderic.
O'Sullivan, Christopher.
O'Sullivan, Pádraig.
Ó Cathasaigh, Marc.
Ó Cuív, Éamon.
Phelan, John Paul.
Rabbitte, Anne.
Richmond, Neale.
Ring, Michael.
Ryan, Eamon.
Smith, Brendan.
Smyth, Niamh.
Smyth, Ossian.
Stanton, David.
Troy, Robert.

Níl

Andrews, Chris.
Bacik, Ivana.
Barry, Mick.
Berry, Cathal.
Boyd Barrett, Richard.
Brady, John.
Browne, Martin.
Buckley, Pat.
Cairns, Holly.
Canney, Seán.
Carthy, Matt.
Collins, Joan.
Cronin, Réada.
Crowe, Seán.
Cullinane, David.
Daly, Pa.
Doherty, Pearse.
Donnelly, Paul.
Ellis, Dessie.
Farrell, Mairéad.
Fitzmaurice, Michael.
Funchion, Kathleen.
Gould, Thomas.
Grealish, Noel.
Guirke, Johnny.
Healy-Rae, Danny.
Healy-Rae, Michael.
Hourigan, Neasa.
Howlin, Brendan.
Kenny, Gino.
Kenny, Martin.
Kerrane, Claire.
Mac Lochlainn, Pádraig.
McDonald, Mary Lou.
McGrath, Mattie.
Mitchell, Denise.
Munster, Imelda.
Murphy, Catherine.
Murphy, Paul.
Murphy, Verona.
Mythen, Johnny.
Nash, Ged.
O'Callaghan, Cian.
O'Donoghue, Richard.
O'Reilly, Louise.
O'Rourke, Darren.
Ó Broin, Eoin.
Ó Laoghaire, Donnchadh.
Ó Murchú, Ruairí.
Ó Ríordáin, Aodhán.
Ó Snodaigh, Aengus.
Pringle, Thomas.
Quinlivan, Maurice.
Shanahan, Matt.
Sherlock, Sean.
Smith, Duncan.
Stanley, Brian.
Tóibín, Peadar.
Tully, Pauline.
Ward, Mark.
Whitmore, Jennifer.
Wynne, Violet-Anne.

Staon

Tellers: Tá, Deputies Hildegarde Naughton and Cormac Devlin; Níl, Deputies Matt Carthy and Pádraig Mac Lochlainn.

Question declared carried.

Cuireadh an Dáil ar athló ar 9 p.m. go dtí 9 a.m., Déardaoin, an 1 Feabhra 2024.

The Dáil adjourned at 9 p.m until 9 a.m. on Thursday, 1 February 2024.

Dáil Éireann debate - Wednesday, 31 Jan 2024