THE GOVERNMENT HAS defeated a motion brought by Sinn Féin seeking for Ireland to intervene in South Africa’s against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

The final tally was 71-62 in the Government’s favour, after it had added several amendments to the Opposition motion.

Out of four amendments, the key changes sought by the Government altered the wording calling for Ireland to signal its intention to join the case.

It also amended the wording of the motion so that the Government would “commence the process of preparing for potential participation in the case”.

Sinn Féin had called on the Government to “file a declaration of intention to intervene” in the case taken by South Africa to the ICJ. It also called for the Government to “commence the process of preparing for participation in the case”.

It was the second consecutive evening the motion was before the Dáil chamber, after voting was deferred into tonight’s sitting.

Last night, Sinn Féin TDs had criticised the Government for its failure to commit Ireland to intervening in South Africa’s case of genocide against Israel for its actions in Gaza.

The Sinn Féin motion follows the defeat of a similar motion last week put forward by the Social Democrats.

At least 26,000 people – mostly civilians – have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza since it launched a war in relation to attacks by the militant group Hamas on 7 October that left about 1,140 people dead.

The vote came after the ICJ filed provisional orders last Friday about the conflict in Gaza, which Israel must comply with. It said Israel must do everything it can to “prevent the commission of all acts within the scope” of the Genocide Convention.

Israel has also been asked by the court to take “all measures within its power to prevent and punish the direct and public incitement to commit genocide”.

It must also take “immediate and effective measures to enable the provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance to address the adverse conditions of life faced by Palestinians”.

It is expected the next stage of the case will take a number of months, as South Africa drafts a document that outlines its substantive case against Israel, during which time the Government will decide on whether to intervene in the case.

With reporting by Cormac Fitzgerald