THE DÁIL WAS suspended briefly today – the first day of the new Dáil term – when People Before Profit TDs called on the government to allow a Dáil debate this week on the situation in Gaza.

The TDs said there should also be a debate on the government’s refusal to support South Africa’s action against Israel in the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

On his feet in the chamber, TD Richard Boyd Barrett said: 

There is a genocide going on, are you going to give us a debate where we can discuss the genocide, the worst possible crimes?

Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl told the TD to resume his seat, telling him to “stop making a charade of the place”. 

People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy said “it makes a charade of the place not to discuss a genocide, to continue as if we have business as usual when we have 250 Palestinians being killed every single day and you won’t even have a debate about it”.

“We need to have a debate this week,” he told Minister Heather Humphreys, who was standing in for Leaders’ Questions today. 

TD Mick Barry said 10,000 have been killed since the Dáil last had a debate on the conflict. 

Ó Fearghaíl suspended the House for five minutes after the TDs would not resume their seats.

When the Dáil resumed, Ó Fearghaíl said there wasn’t a single member in the Dáil who wasn’t “sickened by what they see happening in Gaza and what we saw happen in Israel on October 7th”.

“We’re shocked and appalled by all of it, but I don’t know what is being achieved by shouting in here and jumping up and down, or by a debate,” he said.

Humphreys said there are other opportunities where the issue could be debated. 

“You don’t have to stand up there and just create a big fuss so that you’ll get attention and you run it off on social media and you have a big song and dance.

“I know what you do all the time. This is all about yourselves,” said the minister.