Calleary wants government recall on Gaza

Calleary wants DΡil recall on Gaza


Ciara Galvin

BALLINA TD Dara Calleary has described Ireland’s decision to abstain from a United Nations vote on investigating allegations of Israeli war crimes in Gaza as a ‘disgrace’.
The Fianna Faíl deputy said he was one of the first TDs to sign a petition seeking a recall of the DΡil to discuss the escalating conflict between Israel and Palestine and also the situation in Ukraine.
In light of Seanad leader Maurice Cummins recalling the Seanad last week to discuss the escalating Palestinian/Israeli conflict and An Taoiseach Enda Kenny’s decision not to reconvene members of the DΡil in order to do the same, The Mayo News asked Mayo TDs if they would cut short their Daíl break to discuss the conflict.
“I feel what is happening in Gaza at the moment is a failure of action on the part of world politics. I cannot understand how people can stand by whilst children are being killed and schools and hospitals are being bombed on a daily basis,” said Deputy Calleary.
He continued, “I feel very strongly that whilst the DΡil remains in recess whilst this horror is happening on a daily basis - that we are betraying not just the residents of Gaza, but the vast majority of the people of Ireland too who want an end to this and want to see those representatives who they’ve elected get their act together on this issue.”
Fine Gael TD Michelle Mulherin said she cannot see what can be added by a DΡil recall and said she supports the Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan’s’ ‘nuanced approach’ in abstaining from the UN vote. Deputy Mulherin said the Minister has set out the country’s position in relation to humanitarian aid and Ireland’s support in the efforts that are being made for brokering a ceasefire.
“Where the UN suspects war crimes on either side they must be investigated and perpetrators brought to account.Vilification of one side or the other by outside nations does not help the situation,” said Deputy Mulherin.
Fine Gael TD John O’Mahony told The Mayo News he would be ‘available to attend the DΡil if it were to be recalled’. Deputy O’Mahony said he was not sure what a recall would achieve and said that he would be of the opinion that Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan and An Taoiseach have ‘articulated Ireland’s position by condemning the killing of hundreds of civilians in military attacks by Israel on targets in Gaza’.
Asked about his view on Ireland’s decision to abstain from the recent UN vote, O’Mahonysaid he accepts the Government’s explanation on this matter.
Minister Flanagan said the government wanted swifter action using mechanisms already set up, instead of establishing a new investigation and that this was the reason for the country abstaining.
Speaking about Ireland’s decision to abstain, Deputy Calleary said it was a ‘disgrace’.
“How can we seriously justify abstaining on a vote that was seeking an independent investigation in to what’s happening in Gaza? That is why the DΡil needs to meet so that the Government can be held to account.”
He added that the current situation in Ukraine was ‘very perilous for the world’ and that its impact needed to be discussed before it gets any worse.