Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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6. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on EU and international affairs will next meet. [36564/24]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Cabinet committee on EU and international affairs oversees implementation of programme for Government commitments and considers policy matters in relation to the European Union and international issues. The committee generally meets in advance of meetings of the European Council to discuss the agenda for these meetings. In addition, it considers current EU and international matters, including the ongoing situation in the Middle East and the war in Ukraine.

The committee most recently met on 10 June, when it looked ahead to the informal European Council meeting on 17 June and the meeting of the European Council on 27 and 28 June. Both meetings took place in Brussels. At the informal meeting, leaders reflected on the outcome of the European Parliament elections and focused on the new EU institutional cycle. At the meeting of the European Council proper on 27 and 28 June, leaders signed off on a new strategic agenda for the period ahead. We also discussed other issues, including Ukraine, the horrific humanitarian situation in the Middle East, security and defence and the EU’s competitiveness. The meeting of the Cabinet committee on 10 June also discussed my attendance at the conference on peace in Ukraine hosted by Switzerland on 15 and 16 June. It is expected that the Cabinet committee on EU and international affairs will next meet again as required, which is generally in advance of European Council meetings.

Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Mobile devices across Lebanon, whether pagers or two-way radios, exploded indiscriminately, killing 12, including two children, and injuring thousands. Obviously, this was a clear attempt by Israel to escalate the situation and further destabilise the region, and an attempt to distract from the genocide it is committing in Gaza. In February of this year, the then Taoiseach, Deputy Varadkar, with the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, wrote to Ursula von der Leyen concerning human rights abuses occurring in breach of the EU-Israel association agreement. Has a reply to that letter been received? The Taoiseach endorsed Ursula von der Leyen's second term only a few months ago. Were any guarantees received in advance with regard to ensuring there would be a review because of the barbaric actions of Israel? Are there any other means or is any other movement necessary in regard to dealing with the EU-Israel association agreement and the disgrace of dealing with a genocidal maniac regime? We also have to deal with the issue of Irish airspace so it is not used for the tools of genocide.

Has the Taoiseach dealt with the European Commission in the last while? We know about the Digital Services Act and Coimisiún na Meán. We had issues with social media in the last while, and the Taoiseach had his own issues. What movement has there been? We really need to address that.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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It is reported that more bombs are going off in Lebanon now, with an additional three people killed today, and we know 12 were killed yesterday, including two children. This is state terrorism. It is a very clear war crime and I would like the Taoiseach to clearly condemn it in those terms. This is not some once-off out of nowhere. Over the last year, there have been more than 6,000 attacks by Israel on Lebanon, resulting in the deaths of well over 600 people at this stage. It is a very clear strategy to push for an all-out regional war.

Related to that is a question I put to the Taoiseach earlier about the munitions going from and paid for by the US to Israel through Irish airspace. The Taoiseach stated very clearly that no permission was given for that to happen. Therefore, these flights were in contravention of the law. What will happen about that? That is a very serious matter of our sovereign airspace being repeatedly gone through, on six occasions, bringing weapons of war to a country that is currently involved in genocide.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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I say to the Taoiseach that there are no red lines for Israel. There is no atrocity it will not commit or horror it will not perpetrate. The latest one is by any definition an act of reckless, murderous state terrorism. This is the evil genius of getting thousands of pagers and putting explosives inside the pagers and then simultaneously detonating them all over Lebanon and parts of Syria. The mind boggles. To be honest, it is terrifying and this is after they have killed more than 40,000 in Gaza in the past few weeks, attacking schools and so-called safe areas and bombing tents. These people are absolutely out of control. They could not do that without the enabling of the United States, Britain, Germany and significant powers in Europe who are giving them the weapons and means to do that.

Does the Taoiseach agree that this is an act of state terrorism? When are we going to insist that we stop treating this regime as if it was a normal state? It should be fully boycotted and all relations between itself and the European Union should be shut down.

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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As we sit here, bombs are exploding across Lebanon. They are exploding in supermarkets, offices and cars and they are indiscriminate in the taking and injuring of life. This is clearly a strategic move on the part of the Israeli regime that is designed to escalate the conflict more widely and, crucially from its perspective, to bring the United States directly into the conflict. I can only assume that a large part of this strategy is based upon the wish to deflect attention away from the genocide that has now gone on for virtually a year in Gaza and for the escalation of attacks that we have already seen in the West Bank. The truth of the matter is that Israel will continue to do what it has been doing for as long as it gets away with it or in other words, for as long as there are no consequences for it to pay. The question we must ask ourselves in this House and in democratic houses across the world is what are the consequences going to be.

We know what Ireland needs to do. We need to ensure that the occupied territories Bill and Sinn Féin's Israeli Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill and other meaningful sanctions are levied against a regime that is in blatant violation of international law every single day. Will the Taoiseach ensure that we play our part in enforcing those consequences?

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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Aontú has long been calling on the Government to introduce a common-sense migration policy. We want one that determines who needs help and who does not, and to do so in a speedy fashion in order that decisions can be made about whether people can stay in this country or are returned. We have been raising that information for the past two or three years yet the EU migration pact was passed by the Government. Things are moving very fast, however, on this issue. Germany has decided to close its borders, which obviously will bring an end to the Schengen Agreement on the European mainland. Three hours ago, the Netherlands has officially put in a request to opt out of the EU migration pact. Does the Taoiseach even see the EU migration pact working in the future? During the European elections, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, said that Ireland could opt out of the EU migration pact if there were changes to the rules for which we have no veto at the moment. Does the Taoiseach envisage that as an option in the future? Will he give his opinion on Germany closing its borders and on the wish of the Netherlands to exit the EU migration pact?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank colleagues for raising this first issue. I am conscious as we are sitting in this House and in the time since I have come into this House, there have been significant further developments and escalations in Lebanon with the explosions the Deputies have referred to of walkie-talkies. This follows on yesterday from the explosion of pager devices. This situation should be utterly condemned. It is never acceptable to carry out explosions and attacks among the civilian population. It is not acceptable now and should be condemned by all. It is an unhelpful and dangerous escalation in the region at a time when we need to see de-escalation. Ireland will certainly use its voice at the United Nations General Assembly next week and will continue to engage at all levels and with like-minded countries in respect of what can be done to see a cessation of violence in the Middle East and a stabilisation in the region.

I take the point made by Deputies Ó Murchú, Carthy and others on the occupied territories Bill and its like. I will say inside this House what I have said outside of this House. I think the ruling of the International Court of Justice, ICJ, this summer is significant. The rulings of international courts have to mean something. This is a country that has always supported international courts and I have asked, as have the other coalition leaders in the context of the ICJ ruling, for the Attorney General to look again at a range of these issues and the options available to Ireland. I will keep this House briefed and informed on our deliberations with regard to that. I know the Irish people have strong views on this, and they are views I share, in wanting to see a cessation of violence and being utterly abhorred by the situation we are seeing in the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and now the civilian impact in Lebanon. This is an extraordinarily dangerous and concerning situation and should be condemned by all right-thinking people.

On the points raised by Deputy Tóibín, the Government still sees the way forward is through the EU asylum and migration agreement. The Deputy has a different view on that, which I respect. We had a vote on that in this House and the Government made a decision. I and the Government believe that the way we address these issues is through a common-sense approach at European level. I am sure we will have a chance to tease through this issue again when we have more time. The Government continues to monitor other developments at an EU level. I am not going to comment on the actions of other sovereign member states of the EU other than to say this. I am conscious of all governments, whether it is one with a social democratic or a conservative head, are grappling with the challenge of migration at the moment. I believe the way we are approaching this is the correct way in looking at we how we can improve processing times, have a system that is fair and firm, provide people more quickly with a "Yes" answer if they have a right to be here and a "No" if they do not have a right to be here, and to ensure that our social welfare system is not out of kilter with other European countries. We will work at an EU level on that and we will keep the Houses up-to-date on this issue.