Exclusion of Israel from Sporting Fixtures: Motion [Private Members]

Deputy Sinéad Gibney

I move:

That Dáil Éireann:

agrees that:

— the State of Israel is committing an ongoing genocide in Gaza, something which both the Taoiseach and Tánaiste have publicly acknowledged;

— since 7th October, 2023, nearly 75,000 people have been murdered by Israel in Gaza, including more than 20,000 children;

— of the more than 170,000 Palestinians who have been injured in Gaza since October 2023, 43,000 have sustained life-changing injuries, including amputations, spinal cord injuries and severe mobility impairments;

— all of Gaza's infrastructure, including water, energy, healthcare and education systems, have been systematically and deliberately destroyed by Israel;

— Israel has repeatedly violated a so-called ceasefire agreement that was announced in October 2025, with nearly 1,000 Palestinians being killed since then;

— on 28th May, Israel's Minister of Defense, Israel Katz, confirmed that he was committed to the ethnic cleansing of Gaza, through large-scale forced migration of Palestinians from Gaza;

— on the same date, 28th May, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, announced that he had directed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to increase its occupation of Gaza to 70 per cent of the territory;

— since October 2023, nearly 1,500 Palestinians have been murdered in the West Bank;

— violent settlers are acting with complete impunity in the West Bank, murdering Palestinians, razing Palestinian villages to the ground, and forcibly expelling Palestinians from their homes;

— since 2020, Israeli courts have not handed down any jail sentences to settlers found responsible for the deaths of Palestinians;

— Israel's bombardment of Lebanon has intensified in recent weeks, with approximately 20 per cent of Lebanon now occupied; and

— according to a statement from the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), on 29th May, 11 children are being killed or injured every day in Lebanon by the IDF;

notes that:

— on 18th May, 2026, the IDF boarded a Gaza aid flotilla in international waters, and kidnapped humanitarian activists, including 13 Irish citizens;

— those citizens were assaulted and abused by members of the Israeli military and publicly goaded by far-right Israeli Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, before being deported from Israel;

— at the time, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade stated that the treatment of detained activists was "unacceptable" and "appalling";

— the East 1 settlement construction, East of Jerusalem in Gaza and the West Bank, is currently being pursued by the State of Israel, in breach of international law;

— both the European Union and the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, have condemned the East 1 plan being carried out by the State of Israel, stating that these actions damage the viability of a two-state solution, and are in breach of international law; and

— this represents the ongoing denial by Israel of the Palestinian people's right to self-determination, is forcible transfer, and constitutes a war crime;

further notes that:

— sportswashing is a known method for apartheid States to distract from breaches of human rights and other unethical conduct, including war crimes;

— the Irish women's basketball team were not financially supported by the Government to boycott playing Israel in the FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2025 qualifier, despite "strong concerns" expressed from Basketball Ireland over the fixture;

— in 1999, the then Fianna Fáil Government prevented a Euro 2000 qualifying match between Ireland and Yugoslavia from taking place, because of Serbian atrocities in Kosovo;

— the Government acted, despite UEFA turning down a request from them to cancel the game;

— at the time, the then Taoiseach said "It is not for a government to force a sporting decision on a body. But if the body refuses to make a decision, then we will have a decision to make";

— in February 2022, FIFA and UEFA banned Russia from all club and international games, after Poland and Sweden refused to play World Cup qualifiers with the team;

— on 5th December, 2025, the Taoiseach described RTÉ's decision to boycott the Eurovision as "an act of solidarity";

— Irish athletes, such as Wheelchair Rugby player Alan Dineen, have stated they will refuse to play against Israel in international competitions;

— the removal of a fixture from grounds within the Republic of Ireland does not represent an appropriate measure, while the support of this measure is a continued endorsement of the fulfilment of fixtures against a State currently in breach of international law; and

— on 28th May, 2026, the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport and the Minister of State at the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport, announced their intention to boycott the upcoming Ireland-Israel game; and

calls on the Government to:

— advocate, at national and international level, for Israel to be excluded from all international sporting competitions, as long as the genocide and illegal occupation continues; and

— support Irish sporting bodies to boycott fixtures, events, and competitions, where Israel is competing, as long as the genocide and illegal occupation continues.

I offer our sympathies, as a party, to the victim and family of the awful incident in Belfast on Monday, condemn the racist violence that has ensued and call for calm in all communities in the North at this moment.

I am proud to move the motion, which seeks to ask this Government to advocate for the exclusion of Israel from all international sporting competitions and to support Irish sporting bodies that are asked to compete in competitions where Israel has not been excluded.

I thank everybody who has worked on the motion and on the communications around it, the many civil society groups that have been tirelessly working on this campaign to stop the game, including the Stop the Game group and Irish Sport for Palestine, and many other volunteers who are working hard to really express a growing sentiment in society that this is not okay and that we cannot stand alongside Israel in a sporting fixture of this nature and allow that to be a sportswashing exercise for the ongoing genocide in Gaza, the West Bank and in Lebanon.

I will talk through some of the details of the motion. What we essentially offer is an opportunity for the Government parties to act as leaders, to stand up and say that we will not stand for this, we will distance ourselves from Israel and that we will wholeheartedly take part in the boycott, divestment and sanction movement that is growing globally to respond to the genocide in Gaza.

I also want to pre-empt some lines that the Government seems to always throw out when this is debated and when we discuss Gaza, which we discuss a lot in this Chamber. We are sick of hearing on the Opposition benches, and what is wearing really thin, is the continued line that this Government is a leader and is leading out in its response to Palestine.

Dr. Susan Power is the head of legal at Al-Haq, an organisation in Palestine. She spoke in briefing rooms in Leinster House and at a committee meeting. I also heard her at an event later the date. She spoke about how when the occupied territories Bill was originally proposed in 2018, the Irish flag was raised in Bethlehem and that people in Gaza heralded that finally a country was seeing what was going on and that it was responding. She says now that she is ashamed of Ireland's lack of action and that the words the Government speaks and the limited number of actions that it is so keen to list out again and again pale into insignificance compared to what we actually need to see in terms of action.

There are some many things that it can do as a government to support the Football Association of Ireland, FAI, in pushing back against UEFA on its failure to exclude Israel from the Nations League competition. Primarily, it can support the FAI in stopping the game and not playing. It can inoculate the FAI from any potential sanctions that may come its way. It can support the association in all of the fallout from any such exclusion.

The Minister of State and the Government can interact with the governments from the nations involved in this Nations League so that we have a united approach. That is what boycott is and the motion offers the Government the opportunity to boycott, to be leaders in this and to gain the momentum that we need to see for push back against this genocide.

One of the other lines I want to pick up on is that the Government constantly says that we, in the Opposition, do not have a monopoly on empathy. Nobody on the Opposition benches has ever claimed that we have a monopoly on empathy, but we do have empathy, and we choose to display it. In our role as Opposition Members, who have to hold the Government to account, we ask the Government: where is its empathy? Where is its leadership, and will it stop the game?

There is precedent here. As we all know, a Fianna Fáil Government previously refused entry to players on similar grounds.

Le linn cinedhíothaithe, níl aon rud neodrach faoi pháirt a ghlacadh i gcluichí spóirt leis an tír atá i mbun an chinedhíothaithe sin. Caithfidh muid seasamh a thógáil, mar a tugadh in aghaidh na Rúise, in aghaidh na hAfraice Theas le linn apartheid agus in aghaidh na hIúgslaive.

I ask the Minister of State to please listen to what we have to say and hear our indignation. His colleague, the Minister, Deputy O’Donovan, said that we – my party and I – show indignation. The Minister of State will have a whole lot of it coming at him because we are indignant at this genocide and the impunity Israel is enjoying.

An Cathaoirleach Gníomhach (Deputy Aindrias Moynihan)

Iarraim ar an Teachta nuathofa, an Teachta Ennis, labhairt den chéad uair. I welcome Deputy Ennis for his maidan speech. Tá cúig nóiméad aige.

Deputy Daniel Ennis

In this maidan speech, I will start by thanking the people of Dublin Central who voted for me and turned out in good numbers. In everything I do, I am going to work to repay the trust they put in me. I thank my family and friends and everyone who has helped me get to this point. It is a proud honour for both myself and my family. Without my fiancée, Chloe, my son, Wylder, and my daughter, Wren, I simply would not be here. I thank them for all their love and strength. I thank the amazing campaign team, Gary, Cáit and El, as well as everyone who turned out, including volunteers and canvassers. I also thank the youth and sports clubs and schools that were my safety nets in the north inner city.

On that point of sport, sport has changed my life. Growing up in the north inner city, sport kept me on the right track. It kept me connected to my community and friends. From grassroots level on our local pitches and play spaces right up to national level, sport has always been a place of unity, friendship, inclusion and, most importantly, respect. I have seen sports pitches be places that unite our communities and bring people together over a shared love and language. Sport saves lives. It has taught me so much. It is more than just a game.

Sport only works as a tool when we ensure it is grounded in respect, that is, respect for each other, the game, our teammates and our opponents. We must also have respect for our athletes representing our nation and its jersey. This Government has shown a complete lack of respect for our nation, supporters and athletes when it insists that we should play any sporting fixture against Israel. Many of our athletes and club members have already voiced concerns and frustrations about the possibility of Ireland playing sporting fixtures against Israel. Wheelchair rugby player, Alan Dineen, made his position clear when he stated that he would refuse to play against Israel in any international competition. FAI members were clear when 93% of them passed a resolution last November to ask UEFA to remove Israel from all competitions. The Irish public could not be any clearer in this regard. We should not be playing against a genocidal regime.

People have said that politics should not be involved in this decision and that sport and politics simply do not belong together. Choosing to play any fixture against the Israeli state, however, is a political decision. It is a political decision because, for Israel, this is not about football; it is about keeping its reputation clean by continuing on like nothing is happening. For Israel, it is more than a game. It is certainly more than a game for us, too. It is more than a game because, right now, it represents a regime that, for nearly three years, has systematically committed genocide against the Palestinian people. It represents a regime that has overseen the killing of nearly 75,000 Palestinians, including some 22,000 children. It is absolutely shocking and shameful. It has deliberately destroyed water, energy, healthcare and education infrastructure in Gaza. It has committed ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people from Gaza. Sharing that pitch is sharing respect with not just the Israeli team but with that genocidal regime.

By our Government refusing to act on this matter, it is placing a responsibility on the shoulders of athletes. While the athletes who represent this country at international level are some of the bravest people we have - they have committed their lives to their sport - it is not and should not be their responsibility alone to make choices like this. This is a decision for our Government and governing bodies. In June 1999, we were faced with a similar situation that we are faced with now. The Republic of Ireland and Yugoslavia were scheduled to play a European qualifier at Lansdowne Road. UEFA refused to postpone the game and threatened the FAI with sanctions if they did not play. The public and players made themselves clear at that time that they did not want this to go ahead. Certainly, the Government at the time had a tough decision to make but days before the game was due to take place, the Government led by Bertie Ahern of Fianna Fáil - in which our current Taoiseach was a Cabinet Minister - refused to grant the Yugoslavian players entry visas because of the atrocities that were taking place in Kosovo.

The football pitch has been a place where I have learned some of my core values. This set of values prioritises being brave, standing up for yourself and fighting for what you believe in and fighting for what is right. It is a set of values that all athletes show time and again when they play, especially when they play for our country. When they go out on the pitch or court, they put themselves out there and show bravery, leadership and accountability. They show how to be bigger and be a part of something bigger.

In 1999, when our Government decided that we could not justly play against Yugoslavia, it was brave. It stood up for what was right. It showed leadership and accountability. It showed the same traits that our athletes show every single time they step out to represent our country. We need our Government to act like our athletes again. We need it to be brave and stand up for what is right. We need it to ensure that none of our athletes have to be faced with a decision to play on the same pitch or court or in the same stadium as the same genocidal regime that is committing atrocities in Gaza. We need the Government to respect and trust the power of sport and show that this is more than just a game.

Deputy Jennifer Whitmore

Some 75,000 people have been murdered, 23,000 of whom were children. A total of 260 journalists and 565 footballers have been murdered. Both our Taoiseach and Tánaiste have said it is a genocide. Yet, it is business as usual for Israel. It gets to pretend that it is a normal state. It is far from normal, however. It is a murderous regime that is conducting a genocide. Yet, it still gets to access European trading markets and European funds. The Israeli football team will now get to represent its country in a stadium, with its flag flying and its national anthem being sung, and the Irish Government thinks it is okay to send our players out representing Ireland to play against it.

We hear repeatedly that sport is above politics. That is one of the Government’s mantras when it comes to this issue. Sport was not above politics when the former Taoiseach, Garret FitzGerald, supported the boycott of apartheid and sporting organisations at that time. It was not above politics when the Government at the time removed the visas from the Yugoslavian players. It was not above politics when, during the previous Government, Ministers supported the boycott of Russia. Yet, all of a sudden, when it comes to Israel, sport is above politics. The Government cannot take or make a decision on it. It cannot have a statement or opinion on it. Where is the Government’s moral compass? That is what this comes down to. Where is its backbone, because previous Governments had courage when it came to this?

Our motions asks for two things. First, we ask the Government to advocate at a national and international level for a boycott. Second, we ask that it supports sporting organisations. What is so difficult for this Government to do that? Why is it so difficult? I ask the Minister of State to lead.

Deputy Liam Quaide

First, I commend my colleague, Deputy Gibney, on today’s Private Members’ motion and for her strength of advocacy on Palestine. The Israel-Ireland match should not go ahead. This is not a normal sporting fixture. It is a fixture involving a state that is carrying out genocide in Gaza, maintaining an ethno-supremist system of apartheid and accelerating ethnic cleansing in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and now southern Lebanon.

The Government wants credit for recognising the State of Palestine. I welcomed that recognition, as I welcomed other acts of solidarity it has taken. Those actions, however, cannot be treated as sufficient when Gaza has been almost entirely destroyed, much of its population murdered or permanently disabled, destruction and mass murder continue despite the so-called ceasefire and while the facts on the ground in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza increasingly make any meaningful, viable Palestinian State close to impossible.

Illegal settlement expansion and settler violence, property destruction and theft, military occupation and forced displacement are the machinery by which Palestine is being dismantled in real time. This is why the Government’s ban on Israeli Ministers, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, from travelling to Ireland was such weak and empty tokenism. These insular tribalist extremists are about as likely to visit Mars as they are to take a trip to Ireland. This is cynical gesture politics aimed at two men who are never coming here. Ben-Gvir and Smotrich may be among the most grotesque versions of Israeli colonial criminality but they are not an aberration.

They are the logical outcome of a state being granted total impunity by our closest international allies, the US, UK and EU, to mass murder, terrorise, starve, displace and plunder a defenceless civilian population. The Government now says it cannot act but history says otherwise. In 1999, Ireland was due to host Yugoslavia at Lansdowne Road while atrocities were being committed in Kosovo. UEFA refused to postpone the fixture. The then Government did not shrug its shoulders and hide behind the sporting authorities. It refused entry visas to the Yugoslav squad and the match did not proceed. When the political will existed, an Irish Government used the powers available to it to prevent normal sporting relations with a state engaged in mass atrocities.

Deputy Eoin Hayes

On the eve of the World Cup, it is worth remembering the immense potential for good that sport, and particular football, can have in the world. Much of what we will see in the coming weeks will be the global community coming together to cheer on their teams in the spirit of friendly competition and comradery. While the power of sport can be used for good, the same power can be usurped and used to obfuscate and distract from great wrong, from corruption and abuse, and even from the greatest crimes against humanity. It can be used by regimes that want to pretend that they are normal and are operating within the bounds of international laws and norms. Let us be clear: there is nothing normal about the regime in Israel. War crimes are not normal. Apartheid and indefinite occupation are not normal. Genocide is not normal. An Israeli Government headed by extreme ethnonationalists is not normal. With its flagrant and consistent breach of international norms, Israel has abdicated its right to be treated like a normal state.

The Gaza genocide has inflicted untold horrors on the Palestinian people. It has also seen incredible moments of defiance and courage from aid workers who have attended the wounded and hungry, journalists who have borne witness to the brutality of the Israeli regime and the brave activists who have sailed into the path of a military with no respect for international law. We have seen it in the refusal of many Jewish people around the world not to allow this onslaught to be carried out in their name. We have seen that courage most clearly in the resilience of the Palestinian people, who have refused to give up the hope for self-determination. It is this bravery that should impinge on the Government's conscience when it comes to the Nations League fixture against Israel. There will be consequences, fines and penalties imposed by UEFA but do any of these stack up against the horrors of Gaza or against the incredible bravery of those who are persecuted?

Deputy Jen Cummins

I thank my colleague Deputy Gibney for the work she has done on this motion. I congratulate Deputy Ennis on his maiden speech. It is a great honour for people to be able to come here and I congratulate him.

Football is important to many people. This game has involved many people who would never watch a programme about politics or tune into anything to do with politics. This means a lot to people. The roll-out of this game in this country or another country has ignited a flame for many people who probably just go to football matches and never think about politics. I have been struck by that over the past while.

The Government is trying to hide behind the FAI by saying this is not its issue. That is a problem because it can do other things with other organisations. It can provide funding. It is a wishy-washy argument. People are saying that politics and sport should not be involved together and have nothing to do with each other. Politics is everything. Sport is everything to many people. Of course, they are naturally intertwined. It was not an issue when Russia invaded Ukraine. International sporting bodies acted swiftly. Sanctions were introduced and its teams were excluded. Political leaders at that time were not shrugging their shoulders as they are now. There are moments when silence is not the right thing and this is one of those moments.

I want to consider some numbers. Some 75,000 Palestinians have been murdered and 170,000 have been injured. The Aviva Stadium holds 51,700 for a football match. That is for a football match, where people are seated. That is not the capacity for a concert. I am talking about when people are seated. If the match were to be moved to Croke Park, which is bigger, the capacity would be 69,100. Neither of those stadiums would be big enough to hold the number of people dead because of the genocide. If people can picture that in their minds, they will realise the importance of making sure that this match is stopped. The world can see exactly what is going on with the genocide on the Palestinian people and what the Israeli Government is doing. Having that flag flying at any stadium in this country is not acceptable. Just because the match may be moved to a different country, out of sight will not be out of mind.

Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Deputy Timmy Dooley)

I move amendment No. 1:

To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following:

"notes:

— that the Irish people are deeply concerned about the conflict in the Middle East and Gulf region, particularly the situation in Palestine, and that the Government is committed to working with key partners to end the conflict;

— that Israeli actions in Palestine consistently contravene international law, and the Government continues to press for appropriate action, both at European Union (EU) and international level, in response to egregious Israeli breaches of human rights and democratic principles;

— Ireland's commitment to working with key partners to end the conflict in Gaza, and to advancing a sustainable peace plan and addressing the huge challenges facing Palestinians in Gaza;

— the Government's grave concerns about the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza, with intolerable conditions;

— that Israel must immediately remove restrictions on aid access and facilitate essential supplies and services to reach people across the Gaza Strip;

— the Government's condemnation of the law passed by the Israeli parliament to expand the scope of the death penalty and revive its implementation in Israel and occupied Palestine;

— the particular concerns about the discriminatory nature of the law as it relates to Palestinians, and that the implementation of this law would give rise to serious breaches of international human rights law and international humanitarian law;

— the approval and publication of the text of the Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2026, noting that the Bill fulfils the commitment set out in the Programme for Government, to progress legislation to prohibit the import of goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, and further noting the proposed introduction of the Bill in Dáil Éireann this week;

— that, in line with the Taoiseach's statement, Ireland will act to prevent those members of the Government of Israel who have been instrumental in fomenting the unfolding disaster in Gaza, and the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration has instructed immigration officers to refuse entry to Itamar Ben-Gvir, Minister of National Security of Israel, and Bezalel Smotrich, Minister of Finance of Israel, should they seek to enter Ireland;

— Ireland's support of an EU-wide prohibition on trade with Israeli settlements, and that at both the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) and the FAC Trade in May, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, requested that the European Commission bring forward proposals for a prohibition on EU trade with settlements, on the basis of the EU's Common Commercial Policy, and furthermore, that the Minister also reiterated Ireland's longstanding position that the EU-Israel Association Agreement should be suspended or, at a minimum, that the trade elements should be suspended;

— that a number of other member states supported Ireland's call for stronger collective EU action, and agreed that targeted sanctions alone cannot substitute for meaningful measures relating to trade with illegal settlements; and

— that the Taoiseach also wrote to European Council President, António Costa, on 20th May, reiterating Ireland's position on EU trade with Israel, and requesting an urgent discussion of these issues among EU leaders at the next meeting of the European Council on 18-19 June;

in relation to sport, further notes that:

— the performance and integrity of our top athletes on the international stage have a very positive representational impact for Ireland, as Irish sport provides the world with a window into Ireland and the Irish people, both at home and abroad;

— international success for our top sports people enriches our country in a variety of ways, and Ireland's achievements on the global sporting stage have been a cause of both celebration and inspiration for the Irish public, and will continue to be so into the future; and

— the Government is committed to supporting Irish athletes competing at the highest level of international competition; and

recognises that:

— national governing bodies of sport, such as the Football Association of Ireland (FAI), are independent, autonomous bodies responsible for the governance of their own sports, including the organisation of sporting fixtures, whether in domestic or international competitions;

— it is the role of the FAI to decide to fulfil its UEFA Nations League fixtures against Israel in September (home) and October (away);

— the FAI has stated that it intends to fulfil both fixtures against Israel;

— the FAI has made this decision in accordance with its obligations as a member of UEFA, the governing body and confederation for football in Europe; and

— the Government acknowledges the FAI's independence and autonomy in arriving at this decision and any decisions it may make in the coming days.".

I thank the Deputies for raising an issue of considerable importance to all of us. Nobody on this side of the House in any way disagrees with the sentiment they express about the atrocities that have been committed against a humble, innocent group of people. We differ on the specific issue but not on the meat or about the seriousness of what is happening. That is the case for the Irish people, who are deeply concerned about the conflict in the Middle East and the Gulf region, particularly the situation in Palestine. The Government is committed to working with key partners to end the conflict and to advance a sustainable peace plan.

Israeli actions in Palestine consistently contravene international law and the Government continues to press for appropriate action at EU and international level in response to egregious Israeli breaches of human rights and democratic principles. Last year, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory called it out for what it is. Having examined carefully Israel's conduct of the war since 2023, as well as the actions and statements of senior Israeli military and political figures, it concluded that Israel is responsible for the commission of genocide in Gaza. That is the gravest of crimes in international law. The Government calls on Israel to immediately remove restrictions on aid access to facilitate essential supplies and services reaching people across Gaza.

There have been many calls for Irish sporting organisations to boycott or exclude Israel from international sporting competitions in the context of the conflict in Gaza. These include calls to the FAI not to fulfil its UEFA Nations League fixtures against Israel this autumn. It is important to note, however, that the national governing bodies of sport, such as the FAI, are independent, autonomous bodies responsible for the governance of their own sports, including the organisation of sporting fixtures in domestic or intentional competitions. That is a fact we cannot ignore. The Government and Sport Ireland have no role in determining or supporting the organisation of such fixtures. At the end of the day, neither the Government nor any of us here in this Chamber decides who plays whom in sport, whether at domestic or international level, notwithstanding the point that politics is involved in everything. Public opinion and our opinion is involved in everything but we have no role in making those decisions. If we were to suggest that we had a role, it would be considered by others as overreach. We must be careful what we are advocating for. Not responding to that request in no way limits the empathy of those on this side of the House or reduces the disgust and distress that we too feel about the atrocities that have been perpetrated on innocent civilians in that zone.

The FAI has stated that it intends to fulfil both fixtures against Israel in accordance with its obligations as a member of UEFA. The Government acknowledges the FAI's independence and autonomy in arriving at this decision and any decisions it may make in the coming days. The performance and integrity of our top athletes on the international stage have a positive representational impact for Ireland as Irish sport provides the world with a window into Ireland and the Irish people at home and abroad. International successes for our top sportspeople enriches our country in a variety of ways. Many of our fondest memories are centred on Ireland's achievements on the global sporting stage. These achievements have been a cause of celebration and inspiration for the public, and will continue to be into the future. That is why the Government is fully supportive of our athletes competing at the highest level of international competition. However, ultimately international sporting federations are responsible for deciding how to carry out their competitions and who may participate. International federations, in this case UEFA, have a leadership role for their global games and it is at that level that strategic decisions should be taken rather than by the national governing bodies of individual countries.

The Deputies opposite are well aware that the Government has advocated at European level for the ending of the neighbourhood agreement that exists between the EU and Israel. I think this is the appropriate action, that relates to governmental activity rather than sporting activity, that shows our commitment to trying to build an alliance at European level and hurt Israel where it matters most in relation to trade. Of course, that is something we have to continue.

The FAI has decided to play the fixtures against Israel in accordance with its obligations as a member of UEFA. While there is speculation that the FAI may request that UEFA allow the game to be moved to a neutral venue abroad in the coming days, this is ultimately a decision for the FAI to make. While the decision to fulfil the fixtures or not is a matter for the FAI, it is important to note that not fulfilling the games could have serious sporting consequences for the Irish team, including losing points, relegation in the national league standings, weaker seeding for Euro 2028 qualification and harm to Ireland’s FIFA ranking. These consequences may not matter to some, for sure, but they matter to Irish football.

At an operational level, I understand that the FAI is continuing to engage with An Garda Síochána to ensure appropriate preparations for and policing of the home leg of the fixture. The FAI has also engaged with the Norwegian Football Association, which hosted a match against Israel in November last year, to see if any lessons from its experience can be applied to the preparations for the upcoming game in Ireland. Norway played the away leg of its World Cup qualifiers against Israel in Debrecen in Hungary. Furthermore, the FAI is engaging with the Palestinian Football Association to get its views on how to prepare for the match. Additionally, the FAI has engaged with the Israel Football Association, which has confirmed that it does not expect a significant number of Israeli fans to travel to Ireland for the fixture.

In accordance with UEFA rules, home legs and fixtures cannot be played in another jurisdiction unless concerns are raised about the capacity for the fixture to be held securely and safely. This is in the broadest sense, from health and safety to fan behaviour to policing. In this instance, An Garda Síochána has confirmed that it is prepared to police the home game.

While there has been a wholesale exclusion of Russia from most international sporting events, a point which was raised, the exclusion is built upon international consensus driven by international sporting bodies and within the EU is linked to sanctions against Russia following its illegal invasion of Ukraine. No such international consensus exists in relation to Israel. I am sorry that is not the case, notwithstanding the efforts that the Government has made and continues to make at European level to build that consensus.

It is the case that colleagues of mine in other parliaments across the European Union will reflect very positively on the statements and actions of the Government in being leaders in this regard. With respect, it was indicated that we had not shown leadership. In almost every other parliament in Europe, we are seen as being leaders in relation to what we are trying to do to bring Israel to heel for its atrocities. That is not the case in other member states and the consensus does not exist within parliaments there.

Reference was made, if not here, then elsewhere, to RTÉ deciding in December 2025 to neither participate in nor broadcast the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest due to Israel’s ongoing participation. This has been referred to in current debates. That was an independent decision taken by the State broadcaster, which is legally and editorially independent of the Government. Again, if there was a debate in this House demanding that the Government involve itself in a decision like that, it would be seen as overreach, and rightly so, if we were to get involved in what is an independent authority. I think it would reflect badly.

The issue of funding was also raised. Sport Ireland, which is funded by the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport, is a statutory body with responsibility for the development of sport, including the allocation of funding across its various programmes. The Sport Ireland recognises national governing bodies, NGBs, play a key role in helping to deliver the strategic priorities identified in national sports policy. Funding delivered via Sport Ireland to the NGBs is not tied to the operational or administrative models used by the NGBs, either nationally or locally. All NGBs are independent, autonomous bodies responsible for their own governance and decision-making, including regarding the organisation of and participation in international sporting competitions.

It is very clear that there have been issues with other organisations and NGBs over time, and it is all about corporate governance and good governance, the management of their strategic goals and ensuring that the State's money is spent appropriately. This is where the level of Government involvement has to end. Otherwise, it would be seen as an overreach. The Government has no role in how NGBs organise their sport or in their day-to-day operational functions. Furthermore, it would simply not be appropriate to intervene in matters such as this. The FAI is completely within its rights to fulfil its international fixtures and the Government acknowledges its right to do so.

The motion put forward today risks isolating not only Irish football but the entire Irish sporting ecosystem, making our sports and sportspeople merely an appendage of Irish foreign policy and entirely dependent on financing from the Government. I do not think, notwithstanding everything that has been said, that would be in the best interests of our sporting organisations. For these reasons, the Government proposes to amend the wording of this motion as per the amendment submitted to the House.

Deputy Holly Cairns

I thank Deputy Gibney for all her hard work on this motion. Moving the match to a neutral venue is not a solution; it is cowardice. The issue has never been where the game would be played. The issue is whether it should be played at all against an opponent actively committing genocide. A neutral venue will not make the game neutral.

Across Ireland, there has been overwhelming public support for strong action in response to Israel’s barbarity but the Government has failed time and again to meet this moment and respond with the urgency needed. Instead, we get weak responses dressed up as difficult decisions, like finally introducing the occupied territories Bill after years of delay while gutting it by removing services. Similarly, the suggestion of moving the game to Hungary is an attempt to make the controversy go away. It is absolutely beyond belief that this Government can stand back and do absolutely nothing. Is this what passes for political leadership from this Government? Previous Governments were not so cowardly.

In 1999, a Fianna Fáil Government took a stand in response to the atrocities in Kosovo and refused visas for Yugoslavian players, which was against the position of UEFA at the time and without the approval of the FAI. In 1999, we were not pretending that football existed in some separate moral universe. We understood the political power and symbolism of the game. What has changed? Israel is using sport to launder its international reputation in the midst of a genocidal campaign in Palestine and ethnic cleansing in Lebanon. Why are we facilitating that?

The Irish people do not want this game to go ahead. Is anyone listening to them? It is the job of this Government to represent the people and not to sit back and remain silent as a genocidal state plays soccer in Europe while committing mass murder in Palestine. Government Ministers are boycotting a match which they refuse to say should not go ahead. They expect players to walk onto the pitch and carry the consequences for this Government’s political cowardice. The Minister of State said he does not disagree with the sentiment of this motion and went on to talk about his strength of feeling. He then read out, word for word, the same speech as the Minister of State, Deputy McConalogue, gave last night. This does not really display the sentiment that the Minister of State, Deputy Dooley, expressed. It is completely unacceptable. Ireland should not be facilitating this game, not in Dublin, not in Hungary and not anywhere.

Deputy Aidan Farrelly

I take this opportunity to thank the Minister of State for reading, word for word, what is already on the Official Record of the Dáil. It is a bit of an insult to everybody involved here this morning that this is pretty much the exact same speech we have heard very recently.

The Fine Gael Minister for sport, Deputy Patrick O’Donovan, has told us that sport and politics should not mix. That same Minister for sport, who demands an invitation to the opening of an envelope in every sports club, has the cheek to tell us that sport and politics should not meet. That same Minister for sport, who threatened League of Ireland clubs with a funding freeze because of the actions of a small group of people, tells us that sport and politics should not mix. That same Minister for sport, who directly intervened to ensure that the FAI would appear before an Oireachtas committee last year, tells us that sport and politics should not meet. That same Minister for sport, who has told us he will not attend the game, but that the game should go ahead, tells us that sport and politics should not mix. Quite frankly, what a farcical situation we find ourselves in.

The political cowardice on show in this House on this issue is utterly shameful. Where is this Government’s bravery? Where are its values, the very principles that should underpin its politics?

The principles I see are to blame everybody else and take no responsibility or action for yourselves. It is FIFA's fault, it is UEFA's fault, and it is the FAI's fault. My worry is who is next for the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan. It will be the players' fault. It will be Heimir Hallgrímsson's fault. It will be the fans' fault. It will be everybody's fault but the Minister's. Just stop the game. Of course, sport is political. Open any history book and you will find swathes of examples of the relationship between sport and politics, so we know this rhetoric from this Government will not cut it.

A neutral venue for this game is not the answer. What the Government has done is back the squad into a corner. The Government is backing the management and the players - the professionals - into making a decision. These elite athletes who so desperately require elite political representation instead get left with political amateurism, inaction and cowardice. Stop the game because what a sad day it is if it is left up to these players or staff to boycott. That is a position they should not find themselves in. Doing the right thing is not always easy but at least for us it is our job. It is not their job. That is why we are here. While this Minister and this Government continue to cherry-pick the times when politics and sport should collide, we should acknowledge the undeniable intersectionality between them.

It is only June. As the momentum builds behind this campaign, and those who play football or simply love Irish football are forced to be substitutes for those charged with making tough political decisions, we will be back here. I believe this Government will collectively rue the day it could have stood with the majority of people in Ireland and said, "Stop the game."

I commend Deputy Gibney on her work on this and ask the Minister of State to consider withdrawing that amendment.

Deputy Rory Hearne

I also thank Deputy Gibney for her work in bringing forward this motion and the excellent work done in recent days highlighting what this Government should be doing. It is deeply disappointing to see this amendment moved and the Government should reconsider that seriously.

When we talk of sport and football, I will start by reading the words of 13-year-old Saif, who suffered a life-changing injury when he and his uncle were shelled by an Israeli tank. He said that he used to walk but everything he does now is in the chair. He also said that he used to play football with his friends and what he liked most was playing ball down at the sea. Saif cannot play football any more. He will never play football. It was his dream to play for Palestine. The game between Ireland and Israel cannot go ahead, not here, not anywhere. Ireland cannot normalise and legitimise a genocidal regime that continues to bomb children in tents and shelters.

The Taoiseach and the Minister talk weasel words about insisting the game must go ahead and talk about losing league standing and losing points. Why must the game go ahead? Israel is committing a genocide. Does the scale and depth of the barbarity and terror in that word - what Israel is doing - mean nothing any more? Surely it is our duty and our role, given how Ireland was colonised and brutalised in the past, that of all people we should be the first European country to take a principled stand and refuse to play Israel, not to mention our legal obligation to prevent genocide and war crimes. Ireland could start a global movement of countries refusing to be complicit with the dystopian terror that Netanyahu is inflicting on Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon. Stopping the game would give hope that there still remains a universal value called, "Our common humanity". Ireland could be a candle in the dark for Gaza. We did it before in 1979, when the Irish Government banned the South African rugby team due to apartheid. Why will this Government not show the bravery that government showed then?

There is a rising tide of anger on this. The Government is on the wrong side of history. It is going against the Irish people. The movement will grow until this game is stopped. Stop an cluiche. Déan an rud ceart. Seas suas do Gaza. Caithfidh Éire dóchas a thabhairt don Phalaistín. The game must be stopped. We can and must do it again.

I will finish with words from a doctor who writes about his experience in Gaza. It is horrific. He says that what is going on, right now, is hell, hell in one of its most severe forms, and that children have lost their childhoods. He said that a Gazan life, before all of this, was worth everything. Now, he says, it feels as if it is worth nothing. The Minister of State spoke about all the things the Irish Government is doing for Palestine. This is something. It is an act that is within the Government's power. The Minister of State talked about the EU-Israel free trade agreement not being within the Government's power; it is other governments. The Government can do this. If the Minister of State wants, he can stand up today and say, "The Irish Government believes this game should not go ahead". Why will the Minister of State not do that? The Government can support the FAI. It can support the consequences. The Minister of State can say, "Ireland takes leadership. We will take a stand. That is the right thing to do."

An Cathaoirleach Gníomhach (Deputy Darren O'Rourke)

We will go to a Sinn Féin slot. The first speaker is an Teachta Ó Laoghaire.

Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

I congratulate Deputy Ennis on his maiden speech and on his election. I thank the Social Democrats for bringing forward this motion.

Listening to the Minister of State's speech, with references to governing bodies, UEFA, regulations, rules, etc., you would imagine this is a mere matter of sports administration and competitions. Let us engage with that for just a minute. Even on that front, this is an open and shut case. This is a football association that is acting completely contrary to every rule, statute and convention of FIFA and of world sporting organisations. Article 64.2 of the FIFA statute states that it is completely prohibited for football clubs from one country to organise themselves in the occupied territory of another country. It is the rule under which Russia was suspended from FIFA. Similar rules have excluded Russia from other forms of competition. The UN convention against apartheid in sport includes clear statements in relation to human rights treatment and the manner in which sports organisations should organise. Three hundred sports facilities in Gaza and the West Bank have been destroyed in the past number of years.

In terms of what people involved in football in the FAI, in Ireland, are saying, 89% of delegates say that they do not want this game to go ahead. That is the democratic body of the FAI. Two thirds of professional footballers are saying they do not want this to go ahead. Let us be frank. This is not simply a question of sports administration. This is a fixture against a state that is guilty of the greatest crimes of this century. This is a fixture against a football association which fully endorses that and fully endorses all the crimes that have happened in recent years. There have been 75,000 people killed in the past number of years, 20,000 of whom were children, and some 733 even since this supposed ceasefire. Children have been directly targeted. Hospitals have been directly targeted. Humanitarian refugee camps have been deliberately targeted. Aid has been refused. Medicines and food have been stopped at the border and even now are being delayed. What is getting through is barely a trickle. This is the same football association that is peopled and staffed by people who fully support and endorse this and wherever this fixture will take place, members of the Israeli Government will attend.

On that, I do not even understand why we are discussing this issue of Hungary and other locations where the match might be played. It is an Irish non-solution to a different problem. It is an answer to a question that nobody asked. This is not about how Israel does in competitions or how this fixture might go. It is not even about policing. It is, I am sure, partially about policing. Unfortunately, the track record of Israeli fans at many fixtures is a problem. Fundamentally, the issue here is that predecessor governments have set the precedent for this Government. The Government has chosen to ignore it but the fact is that previous Irish governments made it clear that they believed the then apartheid South African Government, the Yugoslavian Government and the Russian Government should not have their actions legitimised by allowing their sporting organisations to participate in sporting competitions as if they were a fully respected and accepted member of the international community.

That was the position then and it was the right position. Why is that not the position now? I do not think that is simply a matter of sports administration. I believe that is a matter of politics. There are worse governments than the Irish Government in Europe, yes, but when you look at the broader international scene, the Irish Government falls considerably short. It is always pulling its punches.

We will see that later on tonight with the occupied territories Bill. Two thirds of trade with those occupied territories is the kind of trade the Department of foreign affairs and the Department of enterprise say themselves should not happen and there should be no trade with the occupied territories. Effectively, it will make an exception and permit trade in services with the occupied territories. It effectively legitimises it. In this area, the Government is pulling its punches and in that area, the Government is pulling its punches. The context here is that the Israelis are trying to narrow the ground and effectively destroy the potential for self determination for the Palestinian people to have their own state. It is not that we have to do just one thing. We should take every action possible. The game must not go ahead.

Deputy Thomas Gould

We must stop the game; it is as simple as that. The Irish Government must step in now. As the Social Democrats have outlined, all sporting events with Israel should be stopped. We should lead a campaign in Europe and the world to have Israel banned and boycotted, the exact same way it was done with the Russians. There are double standards here. The question we must ask ourselves is: where do these double standards come from? Is it Europe? Is it America? Is it big business? Is it the Israeli lobby? Or is it that this Government has no backbone to stand up and face it down?

When you think back to Mary Manning and her ten colleagues of female workers, for three years, they went on strike against Dunnes Stores, South Africa and the apartheid state and the Irish Government did not have the guts to back them. It took 11 working class women to stand up to a regime that the Americans and British supported. We are back here again all of these years later and the same countries are telling Ireland what to do because there is no other explanation for why this is happening.

You can look at what happened with Yugoslavia and how Bertie Ahern stepped in as the Fianna Fáil Taoiseach at the time and stopped the team from coming here. Why does Micheál Martin not stand up and say the Israeli team is not welcome here? The Irish basketball players had to play them over the past 12 months. Where was the Irish Government to support them?

At least 75,000 people have died, including 22,000 children. When you think about it - 22,000 children - it is unimaginable. I cannot imagine it. I have two children and 22,000 children have died. We are allowing Israel to come over and play soccer?

Fair play to RTÉ as it had the guts to say it will not go into a competition with Israel. Now, we need the Government to have the guts to do the same. I stand with the Irish players, all the athletes, fans and sporting organisations. It is not their job. It is the Government's job as the Irish Government. Where is it? Stand up, say no to genocide and say this game will not go ahead. To all the Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael backbenchers who have come in here and cried crocodile tears for the past number of years, do not come in here and talk again unless they are willing to stand with this motion. This Government must stop the game.

Deputy Pat Buckley

I thank the Social Democrats for bringing this motion here today. I sat here last night and have sat here again this morning, listening to the debates. The first thing I have noticed is there is absolutely zero from the Government bench. It is absolutely shameful. It is crocodile tears we see in here. I do not like scripts but I will speak very bluntly. The Government just does not have the balls to stand up to genocide. If this game goes ahead, you might as well bring in who I call Netanyahu the Devil along and dress him up in Prada and we will have a huge Israeli hoo-ha with the headline that the Devil wears Prada in honour of everything the Israelis did in Palestine. It is absolutely shameful.

There is awful pressure on those players. Everybody is very proud to put on their national jersey. To think of an Israeli team with an Israeli flag on Irish soil with the national anthem and the Israeli national anthem being sung and it being acknowledged as normal is absolutely unbelievable and unimaginable. Yesterday, I listened to a debate in the audiovisual room from the Stop the Game campaign. One thing that struck me was there were 100 children lined up on a soccer pitch in Palestine. They placed them so close together that it took one bullet to shoot every one of them. That is the gut these Israeli people have.

It has been said over and over again here that this Government has an opportunity. We are known as a very proud nation, a strong nation and a sporting nation but we also stand up for those who are being persecuted because we have learned from our own history. We have heard many lines here before about how we do not want to be on the wrong side of history. I urge the Government to withdraw its countermotion. It is utterly shameful. The Irish people are very angry and very hurt. What if the Government had to walk in the shoes of any Palestinian. I have spoken to many of them. I have asked them how they are actually still coping and living today. One individual said to me that all we have left is hope.

Each and every one of us has an opportunity to throw politics out the window, do the right thing and stand up to say "No" that we are not letting this game go ahead and that Ireland will not participate in any sporting event whatsoever and tell the FAI to forget about the sanctions. There is a court proceeding that can go further than this. I do not even think UEFA has the balls to take us on because it will set a precedent. If we do the right thing now, we can stand up here in a year's time or ten years' time and say we are proud we did the right thing and we stood up for the people who needed us.

Deputy Louis O'Hara

The Palestinian people have been subjected to starvation, occupation, dispossession and genocide at the hands of Israel, which has shown no restraint in its onslaught of the Palestine people. The international community has failed to stand up for Palestine for decades and speak up against the heinous crimes of the Israeli State. Israel is not a normal state and must not be treated as such. When Russia invaded Ukraine, both economic and sporting sanctions were imposed, and rightly so. There are many other examples but across the world, governments, FIFA and UEFA in this instance are completely silent when it comes to the genocide in Palestine. They are content to allow Israel to continue to participate as normal. It is a shocking double standard.

By participating in this game wherever it is held, we are normalising Israeli genocide and occupation. Ireland has a proud tradition of standing up for human rights on the international stage. We must use every opportunity available to us to stand up for international law. It is time for the Government to finally show some leadership and get behind this campaign to Stop the Game on legal and moral grounds. Stand with the people of Ireland who do not want this game to go ahead. Stand with the people of Palestine who are experiencing genocide. There is a moral obligation on us to do so.

On the one hand, the Government says the Israeli State is committing a genocide against the Palestinian people but on the other hand, the Government is content to welcome its sports teams here. Where is the leadership? Where is the Government's moral backbone? It is utter cowardice for the Government to expect Irish players, who are in a really difficult position, to go out and fulfil this fixture but Ministers then publicly announce they will not be attending the game. The Government will send the players out to play the game but it will not even show up on the day to back them up. The reason for that is the Government knows going ahead with this game is the wrong thing to do. The FAI's own members, stakeholders and supporters oppose this game taking place. Sport can send a really strong message and with the support of the Government, the FAI should be empowered to take a moral stance here. The Government should use its conscience and stop this game.

The occupied territories Bill will be debated today. The decision to strip that Bill of services is a cynical act by the Government. It knows it is diluting the legislation and by doing so, the Government is completely blunting the measures that are needed to hold the State of Israel to account for its genocidal acts. Start listening to the people, Stop the Game and pass the occupied territories Bill in full.

Deputy Martin Kenny

I thank the Social Democrats for bringing this forward this morning.

The truth is we cannot have a situation where the world stands idly by but that is what has been happening, not just in the couple of years since Israel started bombarding Gaza but for decades. For more than half a century, we have seen Israel treat the Palestinian people as not just second class but as third- and fourth-class citizens. People have been mutilated in their own homes.

I am often struck by the fact that soccer and football, certainly in working class communities, bring everybody together, particularly those who come from different ethnic backgrounds. We see kids of all races and creeds coming together to play football. It brings huge energy and positivity to society, here in Ireland and around the globe. Yet, here we find it being used as something negative. Genocide and murder are being hidden behind soccer, a game that is so positive.

The Government has a job of work to do here. We have to recognise that this is not about the rules of international football; this is about politics. It is about whether we take a stand. It was very interesting to hear about a neutral venue. I think it was Desmond Tutu who said to claim neutrality in the time of oppression is to stand on the side of the oppressor. That is exactly what is being done here with this talk of neutrality. There is no such thing as a neutral venue. There is no such thing as a Government being neutral in a time of oppression. You have to either stand with the oppressed or stand with the oppressor. That is the choice we have here, and the choice which, unfortunately, the players may have to make at some point if the Government and others do not stand up to what is happening. Of course, there may be consequences. However, those consequences are minor compared to the consequence of the loss of one child, never mind 22,000 children who have lost their lives since this conflict erupted in its most recent form in Gaza.

Many soccer clubs affiliated with the Israel Football Association are located in occupied territories, on land which was stolen in the West Bank from Palestinian people. They are illegal soccer organisations, yet FIFA and World Soccer are doing nothing about it. The Government has an opportunity to stand with the oppressed, and that is what it has to do. That is what is required of a Government which claims to be in favour of international law and ensuring standards are applied equally and fairly. If they are applied equally and fairly, we should be applying them in the same way to the Israelis as we apply them to the Russians, applied them to the Yugoslavians and South Africans and would apply them to any other terrorist organisation around the world which claims to be a government.

There are Jewish people around the world and in Ireland - I met a couple of them recently - who are totally outraged by what is happening in Israel. They are very annoyed it is being done in their name. Zionism is a different thing altogether from the Jewish communities around the world who are being plagued by what is happening in Israel. It is totally wrong, and the Minister and Government need to stand up and say "Stop the game", so that we can truly identify with the people being oppressed in Gaza and the West Bank.

Deputy Ann Graves

I thank the Social Democrats for bringing forward this motion. I also congratulate Teachta Ennis on his maiden speech.

Sinn Féin fully supports the motion to exclude Israel from sporting fixtures. We also stand with the Stop the Game campaign, which includes a huge number of organisations and individuals across Ireland, from football clubs, fan clubs and trade unions to students, players and pro-Palestinian groups, all of whom are united in making sure Israel's genocide is not legitimised or sportswashed, in a coalition across Ireland campaigning to stop the Ireland versus Israel games in September and October.

There must be accountability for Israeli crimes against humanity. Israel should face boycotting, divestment and sanctions. The least we can do in Ireland is ensure the green jersey is not used to rehabilitate Israel at a time when the IDF is involved in genocide in Gaza and the first annexation of the West Bank. I have been around long enough to remember and to have stood in support of the brave stance taken by Dunnes Stores workers in Henry Street in 1984, when union members decided to take a stance against apartheid in South Africa. The Dunnes Stores strike led to the Irish Government introducing legislation to officially boycott apartheid in South Africa, contributing to the further international isolation and eventual downfall of apartheid there. It is a proud example of what we should be doing now with Israel.

Ireland should not play Israel in sport. Doing so legitimises genocide and gives cover to statute violations, apartheid and war crimes. Attempts to move the football games behind closed doors or to a different country are cowardly and have to be called out. The game should not go ahead, whether in Dublin, Hungary or anywhere else. That is not the point. We are witnessing is genocide in Gaza and the destruction of Palestine in real time. We know what is going on.

There should be no excuses, no change of venue, no games - just no way. The Government must rise to the challenge and show real leadership. It cannot pass the buck and leave it to sporting bodies, and most definitely not to the players. Only last year, the Government failed children in Palestine who could not visit Ireland to play Gaelic games. The excuse at the time related to visas. There should be no excuses. The Government must do the right thing and be the leader it claims to be.

Irish people have consistently stood shoulder to shoulder with Palestine. We have marched in our thousands in solidarity with the Palestinian people. The Government must respect the values of human rights, justice and international law. It must stand up against genocide in Gaza and Israeli apartheid and stop the games now.

Deputy Robert O'Donoghue

I will start by quoting Eric Cantona, who has been very vocal in his support for boycotting Israel:

We all remember apartheid in South Africa. The sporting boycott was critical in ending it. We have power. You have power. And football fans around the world have power.

I would go further. It is not just football fans around the world who have power. Every sporting fan, every athlete, every governing body and every nation that participates in sport has power. Sport cannot be separated from human rights and sporting boycotts can play a significant role in increasing pressure for change. We are now more than one thousand days into the destruction of Gaza. Nobody can dispute the scale of human suffering that has taken place. Tens of thousands have been killed and entire communities have been devastated. We are witnessing a real-time destruction of the Palestinian people and we ask ourselves what are we prepared to do about it.

Sport is often described as having no place in politics. We hear that phrase repeatedly, but history tells us otherwise. Sport has always been political. Nations use sport to project an image of themselves to the world. Governments celebrate victories as national achievements. Major sporting events are used to showcase internationally how a country represents itself on a global stage. If sport can be used to promote a country's image, then surely it is legitimate to ask whether that image reflects reality. How a country represents itself on the global stage must be measured against how it treats other human beings. That is why this debate matters. I thank the Social Democrats for bringing it forward.

The motion argues that Israel should be excluded from international sporting competitions. I agree with this, as the destruction and illegal occupation continues. When apartheid South Africa was isolated from international sport, it was not just because of sport that it suddenly became political. It was because the world recognised that continuing as normal sent a message that oppression could be ignored. When Russia was rightly suspended from international competitions following its invasion of Ukraine, sporting organisations acted with remarkable speed. The question many people are asking today is simple: if sporting sanctions were appropriate in those circumstances, why is Israel being treated differently?

Here in Ireland, we have our own history of taking principled positions. In 1999, the Government intervened to prevent a game involving Yugoslavia because of atrocities taking place in Kosovo. The principle was clear, namely, that there are moments when events become so grave that business as usual is no longer acceptable. We were fined £25,000, but we stood in solidarity with a nation under siege because how you treat the weak is your true nature calling.

We in this Chamber and sporting authorities need to provide that leadership again. What message do we send when sporting events continue exactly as normal? What message do we send when flags are waved, anthems are played and international fixtures proceed while images of destruction and suffering continue to emerge day after day?

Whether intentional or not, we risk normalising what should never be normal. We risk sending the message that there are no consequences, human rights are secondary and international law is optional.

Those who oppose sporting boycotts often argue that athletes should not be punished for the actions of government. That is a serious argument, one that deserves consideration. However, sporting sanctions have never been primarily about individual athletes. They are about international pressure. They are about signalling that the global community cannot continue with business as usual while grave violations are taking place. History shows us that sporting isolation can be a powerful non-violent tool. It allows ordinary people to take a stand without causing harm. It provides peaceful means of expressing collective outrage and demanding change. We need Ireland to advocate nationally and internationally for Israel's exclusion from sports competitions while the destruction of Palestine continues. Ireland should support sporting bodies which choose not to participate in fixtures involving Israel. A sport does not exist in a vacuum. Every generation is tested. Every generation faces moments when remaining silent becomes the choice itself.

Sport cannot stop war, rebuild a city or bring back those who have been lost, but sport can send a message. It can declare that human rights still matter, international law still matters and that no nation, regardless of power and influence, should be exempt from accountability. If we truly believe that sport has the power to unite and represent our values, then we must ensure that those values include justice, equality and human dignity.

Deputy Eoghan Kenny

I thank the Social Democrats for this important motion. I must pay tribute also to senior international players like Séamus Coleman and Nathan Collins. They have been put in an incredibly difficult position, but they have shown in their recent comments how connected they are to the Irish supporters and to Irish society, and we are very proud of them.

In 2022, the Polish Football Association showed its mettle and its connection with its players. Polish players stood up against the sportswashing of Putin's murderous regime and forced the hand of UEFA and FIFA. I commend the Polish Football Association and the players for that stance. That is exactly the approach our football association should be taking and the fact that it has not shows the wild disconnect between the leadership of the FAI and the players and supporters of Ireland.

Taking a home international away from the team and supporters hits particularly hard when we consider that the Palestinian national team and supporters have not been able to have a true home game since 2019 because of a murderous and genocidal government that poses a lethal threat to players, fans and hundreds of thousands of innocent people. Many of us in this House, thousands of Irish people, activists, fans and players want to see this game cancelled and boycotted. The single most cowardly decision that the governing body could have made was to move this game to a neutral venue. It removes the ability of ordinary people, Irish fans, to protest what they firmly believe would be the sportswashing of genocide. No banners, no protests in the street, no platform for our soccer fans to have their voices heard. Irish fans would have no issue with having a home game taken from them if it meant that the Irish people and Irish soccer were taking a stand against Israel's participation.

Finally, I would like to say to those who spout nonsense about politics and sports, sport is political. All sport is political. Art is political, music is political. That sentiment is nothing but a cloak to guard an opinion that you do not care about standing up for the oppressed in the only ways that ordinary Irish people have at their disposal. Stop the game, Minister.

Deputy Ciarán Ahern

On 24 February 2022, the same day that Putin launched his illegal invasion of Ukraine, Russia's World Cup qualifier play-off opponents, Poland, Sweden and the Czech Republic, all announced they would refuse to play their matches on Russian soil. Three days later, those three countries announced they were all boycotting the fixtures in their entirety. These decisions were taken without the approval of FIFA. There was no hand-wringing about points deductions, world rankings or finances. They simply made the right decision. After these countries took this action themselves, FIFA then announced that Russia would be suspended indefinitely from international competitions and UEFA announced that Russian clubs would similarly be suspended. Those countries took that decision because, as it was put in a statement released by the Polish players and the Polish FA at the time, there are more important things in life than football.

This is a question of principles. Why is Russia's horrific and illegal war in Ukraine different from the genocide, the ethnic cleansing and the apartheid that Israel has inflicted on the Palestinian people? Israel should not be participating in sporting fixtures while it continues to bombard Gaza and Lebanon, expand settlements in the West Bank illegally and carry out its policies of apartheid. Hundreds of Palestinian footballers are among the victims of the genocide, including Suleiman al-Obeid, the "Palestinian Pelé", who was killed while he was waiting for humanitarian aid. The FAI must take the brave step and refuse to play against this genocidal regime, just as the Polish, Swedish and Czechs did before, and this Government must back them. It must reassure the FAI of its and our full support, financial, political and whatever else. Do not put this on the players. Football bodies take a stand on political issues all the time. They take stands against racism and against advertising alcohol, gambling and smoking. FIFA celebrates inclusivity and pride. These are all intensely political decisions. This decision is no different. Stop the game. Not here, not anymore.

Deputy Ruth Coppinger

I heard the Minister of State on the television last night and I have to say it was mealy-mouthed, disingenuous and lacking in any moral fibre. What he said was that the Palestinians think we are great, that we are doing so much. He went on to dispute the idea that this match meant anything. I spoke to ordinary Palestinians who live in my area, some of whom have been the victims of the genocide and were helped out of Gaza by the Minister of State's Department, for example. It would mean a lot to them if this match were not to go ahead. Obviously they would prefer the Government to sanction Israel and impose economic sanctions, but it would mean a lot to people in Gaza to hear that a team stood out and refused to play Israel. I wanted to pass that message on to the Minister of State.

I do not know if the Minister of State has had any hand, act or part in the rumour that the FAI is talking about shifting the game. I think the magnitude has hit home with the FAI and the Government as regards playing fixtures here, given the history of this country and so on. Shifting solves nothing. The venue was never the issue. It is about playing a team that is steeped in genocide, apartheid and racism. I am not going to list the reasons, but many of these players have actively cheered the genocide. Many of them have been in the IDF. The women's team, for example, participated in a PR stunt where they swapped their jerseys for IDF jerseys. Two Palestinian women footballers were kidnapped last week. How long do we need to go on here?

The FAI moving the fixture is an attempt to quell the opposition and I do not think it is going to work. There is a very important role for the Government here. The FAI would fear finance and it would fear sanctions against it. Six points in the face of genocide is nothing to me, but the FAI would fear maybe financial retribution from UEFA and FIFA if it pulled out of having fixtures played here. I believe UEFA would be on very dodgy legal ground if it were to carry that out because it is breaking its own statutes anyway. The FAI would have a very strong legal case to challenge that, since UEFA is not abiding by what it says. However, the Minister of State could step in here and reassure the FAI that the Government will not allow the sport to suffer in any way financially. It is very important that he do that.

The pressure needs to be kept on the FAI and the Government. I also appeal to the players to get together and come to a collective decision, if needs be. Hopefully it will not come to that. The women's team went on strike in 2017 when players refused to play against the Czech Republic, a World Cup qualifier, because of their ill treatment and unequal treatment. That was a success.

The Spanish women’s team refused to play a match as long as Rubiales was left in charge because of sexual harassment. Sometimes players take a stand for the right reasons and sometimes it is very effective.

Deputy Brian Stanley

I thank the Social Democrats for bringing forward this comprehensive motion. Football is very important and I certainly do not want to be stopping any sport but there are other things that are more important. It is important that the slaughter that we have witnessed in Palestine, not just in the past two or three years, but going back over generations, is stopped. Medics, journalists, families and children have been killed; it is absolute genocide. The strangulation of normal life in the West Bank, ethnic cleansing of the West Bank and now Lebanon, all of southern Lebanon, almost a quarter of the territory, are war crimes. People in Israel who support it are as guilty as their government.

I do not care what religion anybody is. Whether they are Jewish, Catholic, Protestant or whatever I am not interested. That is not issue here. The issue is whether people support the genocide of their government and the people in Israel who do so share some of this blame. Many Israeli people do not support it and many Jews I have met do not support it, which is good but over 75,000 people have died in Gaza since October 2023. With the aerial bombardments, starvation, disease and people buried under rubble, what people have seen is horrendous. Since the October 2025 ceasefire, 947 Palestinians have been killed with over 3,000 injured. To rub salt into the wounds, the treatment of the flotilla, including the 13 Irish citizens, was fingers up to the international community.

Israel is not a normal state. Israel is a terrorist state and should be treated as such. FIFA and UEFA banned Russia and there have international bans on Yugoslavia as well. Is what Israel has done to Palestinians not the same? I note that well over 90% of FAI members voted to instruct the association to call on UEFA to suspend Israel and that should have happened.

There is growing support across the country for the match not to go ahead. Ordinary people, who normally would not think too much about politics or what is going on in the world, are horrified by what they have seen through the good work that has been done by journalists - those who have been left alive to actually witness it - in Gaza who have brought that information to us on a daily basis. People may say that it is tokenistic or whatever but back in 1984 when the women in Dunnes Stores took the small step of not handling South African fruit, it mushroomed and ballooned into the boycott of the apartheid regime. This has the potential to do the same thing.

We must send a powerful message to the Israeli Government and the Israeli people who support it. Its genocide is not acceptable. As I have said, there are some things more important than sport. Irish people want action and here is the opportunity. I welcome the measure taken by RTÉ to boycott the Eurovision, which was good. I welcome to measure by the Government to ban the two Israeli ministers, the security minister and the finance minister, but it should go further than that. Israel needs to be ostracised in total until it makes amends for what it has done to the Palestinian people.

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett

I love football. I have played football since I was aged five. One of the things I love about football is it is young people all over the world playing the beautiful game, doing something beautiful. What Israel is doing to Palestinian children is the very antithesis of what football is about because it is ugly, murderous and genocidal. A very significant part of Israel’s decades-long genocidal campaign against the Palestinians is its desire to murder Palestinian children, including the children who play football.

Back in 2015, more than a decade ago, I read out a quote from among many from ministers. One particularly stuck out by Ayelet Shaked, a Knesset MP who later became minister for justice, talking about Palestinian children. He said, "They should go, as should the physical homes in which they raised the snakes. Otherwise, more snakes will be raised." That was his attitude and he became a minister after saying that. That is the altitude of the Israeli regime towards Palestinian children that has led it to kill more than 350 children who play football in the past three years, more than 1,000 mostly young people who play sports of various kinds.

One of those children was a young man called Muhammad Khalifa. I was very proud to be part of organising one leg of soccer events involving Muhammad Khalifa's team, Al-Hilal in Gaza. They played in Ballybrack as well as elsewhere in the country. He was aged 12 the time in 2016. A decade later, he was massacred along with seven members of his family and his brother. He had gone on to play for the Palestinian national youth team and he was wiped out by an Israeli attack which wiped out his entire family. He played hurling while he was here. He met the President. It was such a beautiful thing. His life was extinguished along with hundreds of other young people playing football by a regime that treats young Palestinians playing football and young children as snakes to be wiped out. That is the psychosis of the Israeli regime and that is why it must not be normalised. The idea of normalising it by playing a game of football against a state that does that to children is disgusting. The Government should support the boycott and stop the game.

Deputy Peadar Tóibín

Benjamin Netanyahu’s IDF have been involved in some of the worst atrocities have been committed anywhere in the world in the past 50 years. A total of 75,811 people have been killed in a few short years in the conflict in Gaza - 73,770 Palestinians and 2,039 Israelis. The word disproportionate does not cut it. This has been the slaughter of the people. It has been the intentional killing of tens of thousands of innocent women and children. Horrific images of blood-soaked children have flooded onto our screens and in the past number of years. Many of these children have been atomised by bombs supplied by Western countries. The Israeli Government is also facilitating the stealing of land in the West Bank. The IDF are now involved in a killing spree in Lebanon, demolishing whole swathes of villages, towns and cities. The IDF have pulled in the US into bombing Iran which is causing the cost-of-living crisis all around the world.

On the one hand, the Government is saying that the Israel is involved in genocide and on the other hand that we should play a soccer match against Israel. The Minister of State should think about the incongruence of that. The Government supports this soccer match against the perpetrators of genocide on this planet. The Government has an incredibly two-tiered approach to this - one approach for Russia and one for Israel. Why is that the case? It is simply because of the international community. The Government does not have the backbone to have a consistent approach in these two very similar situations.

We believe we should be doing far more than we are doing here. Ireland has a history as a campaigner for peace and justice. We have had our own peace process. Our peacekeepers have put their lives on the line for peace internationally. Irish missionaries have fed the poor, and built schools and hospitals all around the world. Ireland has a history of being an honest broker in relation to peace. Norway, another small country with similar population, worked hard and created the Oslo Accords. Norway focused its reputation and experience on becoming a catalyst for peace. We in Aontú have been calling on the Government to get off its backside and do the same to try to become a catalyst for peace in this region. We are not saying it will be easy. It may well end in failure but peace is always worth trying for.

Ireland has lived in the shadow of a powerful military neighbour for centuries. Our experience is very similar to the experience of the Palestinians. Britain has murdered and killed Irish people through bullets and famine in their hundreds of thousands and many Irish people see themselves in the eyes of the people of Palestine. Given this shared experience, the Government’s actions are even harder to understand.

Deputy Ken O'Flynn

I welcome the Minister of State with responsibility for sport to the House.

Sport has always occupied a unique place in humane society. It transcends politics, religion, ethnicity and nationality. It brings people together in a way that very few things can. That is why I approached this motion with extreme caution. Let me be clear to this House: I condemn the horrific attacks that were carried out by Hamas against Israel on 7 October 2023, the murder of innocent civilians, the taking of hostages and the acts of terror. None of that can ever be justified. Equally, I am deeply troubled and disgusted by the devastating loss of civilian life in Gaza and the suffering of innocent men, women and children. It is absolutely heartbreaking to watch. One lesson that I have learnt in life is that war brings tragedy and grief to everybody it touches. However, young athletes should not be asked to carry the burden of resolving geopolitical conflicts that they did not create. As the Minister of State knows, a sporting career is short. For many of these players, there will be few opportunities for them to represent their country on an international stage. We should be very careful, therefore, before we ask them to sacrifice for that decision of which they have absolutely no control. The decision regarding Israeli participation in games with Ireland in UEFA competition is a matter for UEFA, not the FAI or for this House to impose on sports people.

History teaches us one thing, which is very important. When South Africa emerged from apartheid, Nelson Mandela understood the extraordinary power of sport by uniting a nation and not dividing it. He used the Rugby World Cup not as a weapon, but as an instrument of reconciliation. He brought a country together where politics alone had failed to do so. That lesson is as relevant to this House today as it was then. I say to those who are angry that they have the right to be angry, and they should be angry. I say to them to bring their energy to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, this Chamber and the institutions and governments that have the power to act on that and to push for sanctions and for accountability locally, nationally and internationally. That is where the battle truly is, not on the sports ground. Parliaments and this Parliament exist to settle political disputes. Sport fields exist to bring people together. At a time the world feels increasingly divided, we need more spaces where people of different nationalities, beliefs and backgrounds can still meet peacefully and respectfully in a mutual respect of one another in the name of competition. This House should be protecting those spaces and not dismantling them.

Let politics be debated in the parliament. Let diplomacy be pursued by this Government and the European governments. However, let athletics compete, let supporters come together and let sports remain the most powerful focus that we have to unite the people.

Deputy Barry Heneghan

Gabhaim buíochas le gach éinne a bhí ag caint. Aontaím le go leor rudaí atá á rá ag an Teachta O’Flynn faoi accountability but I disagree with him fundamentally on this. The Israelis have not let sport exist. When Alaa Al-Dali was trying to leave Gaza for the Olympics, he was deliberately shot in the knee. His own words described it as "a grenade which exploded". He is now an amputee. I met him when I was on the flotilla travelling to Gaza. Speaking of Nelson Mandela, his grandson was also on that flotilla. I speak to him regularly. He is a current elected official in South Africa. It is a repeat of what we said on yesterday's motion in the sense that sport is and can be a time for peace. However, when a country is inflicting genocide, multiple reports have said it is inflicting genocide and UN independent reports are stating that it is inflicting genocide and using starvation as a weapon of war, breaking every international law, illegally abducting EU citizens in EU territorial waters, then it has broken everything. Bringing them here and allowing them to play on our pitch while standing for Amhrán na bhFiann is not nearly the same as the comparison that was just made by the Deputy. Under the Geneva Convention, we have every obligation to do everything that we can to oppose anyone that is inflicting genocide.

There is a rumour that Germany's away jersey is green because we were one of the first countries to play them after the Second World War. I used to say that thinking it was true, but it is not. We were one of the first countries to play them. We always have been a lobbyist for peace. Ireland is recognised worldwide for our peacekeeping missions, diplomacy, neutrality and everything that we have done. However, when we eventually played Germany, it was after the regime had fallen and the Germans had changed. This is the fundamental point. We are not against Israelis; we are against the current Israeli regime. I have said this 100 times. After my speech last night, I had people sending me emails and tweets saying that I am antisemitic. I am not antisemitic. This is against genocide. We had Israelis on the flotillas. Regarding the most recent flotilla, we had the video of the Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir I welcome that the Government has brought in sanctions. I welcome the investment that the Government has made in aid for Gaza and how it has been using its voice in the EU. I hope that when we take up the EU Presidency and we are setting the agenda, we use it to the best of our ability to be a broker for peace. Regarding our strength, níor bhain sé go stairiúil leis an líon saighdiúirí nó the big defence budget. Ireland’s power is our respect worldwide as a broker for peace. That is why there needs to be a message sent out from this motion. I thank the Social Democrats and the Opposition. I thank the Minister of State for saying at last week's committee meeting last week that he is not going to go to the game. We need to look at in that sense. We did before in 1982. Another Fianna Fáil Government did it back in 1999. We can do it again. Let us consider how quickly we and FIFA brought in sanctions for Russia. There is a clear hypocrisy and issue here that needs to be assessed.

I welcome the occupied territories Bill being brought in. I would love it to have services included. I would like something done rather than nothing. I look forward to it being introduced. That message will go around the world. Ireland will always oppose genocide, as Deputy Tóibín said based on our history and what all of our ancestors have seen. Le linn an Ghorta Mhóir nuair a bhí na seandaoine ag ithe féir ó thaobh na mbóithre timpeall na tíre toisc nach raibh aon bhia in aon áit, with grass stains on their mouths, would they not have liked somebody to have stood up to someone inflicting genocide on our forefathers? That is why I support it and really support what the motion is doing. It is a fundamental difference. I hope and I am optimistic that there will be a global shift. It has been a very long time coming. This needs to change for all the children starving, who have lost parents and lost legs and for all the women and men who have been peacefully protesting in Gaza and been shot in the knee or head and blown up. The figures constantly get higher. Aid workers are being told that they cannot bring in aid, such as a prosthetic due to it possibly being used as a weapon. The flotillas that are bringing baby food and medicine, which is allowed under international law, are being illegally abducted. Nothing is happening. Irish citizens having bullets shot at them by the IDF while bringing in aid is not acceptable. Any regime that is inflicting and allowing this feels they can act in impunity, can get away with it and continues to do more.

I will not say that the Government has not done anything. I welcome what the Government has done in the past by recognising it at the ICJ and the millions of euro that we have given in aid.

We are lagging behind other countries but it is not too late for us to catch up, to run and lead with them, especially with the EU Presidency coming. I welcome this motion and will not support the Government's amendment to it.

Minister of State at the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport (Deputy Charlie McConalogue)

I thank Deputy Gibney and the Social Democrats for tabling this motion and I apologise for not being here at the outset of the debate. Based on the debate in the House today and the debate on the Sinn Féin Private Member's motion last night, as well as from the discussions we have on a regular basis in this House, it is very clear that this House and the people of Ireland have significant concerns about Israeli actions in Palestine and the dire and worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza. I reiterate that Israeli actions in Palestine consistently contravene international law. The Irish Government continues to press for appropriate action both at EU and international level in response to egregious Israeli breaches of human rights and democratic principles. Last year the independent international commission on the occupied territories called it out for what it is: genocide, the gravest of crimes in international law. The prevention by Israel of essential and sufficient humanitarian aid going in to the people of Gaza, the continued facilitation of violent settlers in the West Bank and the appalling displacement of so many people in Lebanon is completely unacceptable.

Ireland has taken a strong stance in respect of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, including recognising the State of Palestine, and the Government stands ready to play its part in working towards a sustainable peace between Israel and Palestine through the realisation of a two-state solution. We have a consistently strong record as a country in driving these issues and in taking action, including by intervening in the case taken by South Africa against Israel in the International Court of Justice alleging violations of the genocide convention. These are no small measures for a country like Ireland to take but it is clear that they will not be sufficient to drive meaningful change on the ground. The Government believes that the most effective and impactful way to deal with Israeli actions is at European Union level. It is clear that the EU needs to do more on this issue and the Taoiseach has written to the President of the European Council, Mr. António Costa, asking that it is put on the table for the next European Council meeting which, I understand, he has agreed to do. We will continue to raise this at EU level which we believe will ultimately have far more effect than unilateral actions taken at home. We will also continue our endeavours to use our influence to persuade the international community to take appropriate action and stop this conflict.

Much has been made in this debate of moral imperatives. It is clear that the moral imperative in Ireland is to do what is most effective in attempting to mitigate and end the suffering of the Palestinian people. Reducing this conflict to one or two particular football games does not achieve that objective. For good reasons, governments should not interfere with international sports federations nor national governing bodies of sport, particularly in regard to directing who should play whom in international sporting events. FIFA, the world football governing body, and UEFA, the European football governing body are responsible for the system within which these fixtures are scheduled. They both maintain a strong line against interference by governments in international football competitions. What we do not want is to see the Irish team penalised due to interference by an Irish government. We are in government to run the country and the FAI should be left to run football. It would be a strange sight indeed to see governments dictating football fixtures or fixtures in any sport. The FAI. to its credit, has strongly represented the views of its membership that Israel should be excluded from international football competitions, including bringing a motion to UEFA to this effect last year. While we may all agree with the motion, the reality is that it was not passed by UEFA. The FAI must conduct itself in line with UEFA rules.

While deciding whether to fulfil these fixtures is ultimately a matter for the FAI, it must be acknowledged that refusing to play the games against Israel risks isolating Irish football from the international football community. This risk does not fall upon Members of this House but on the FA,I which has the decision-making and stewardship capacity. The FAI's role is to ensure that football remains viable domestically and in good standing globally, without inflicting long-term institutional damage on the sport. With support from the Government, the FAI has made great strides in reforming its operations over recent years, driving change towards a modern, professional and sustainable football ecosystem in the country. It is in no one's interests that Irish football becomes isolated and indefinitely dependent on Government goodwill, as has been effectively suggested by some in recent days. Punishing athletes for the actions of governments undermines the foundational principles of international sportsmanship. Players have trained their entire lives to compete for their country at the highest level and denying Irish footballers the opportunity to compete in the Nations League compromises their opportunity to engage in sport as well.

The motion is not limited to the upcoming Nations League matches but calls on the Government to support any and all sporting boycotts against Israel. Let us be clear about what it proposes. It calls on Irish sporting bodies to boycott fixtures, events and competitions where Israel is competing, as long as the illegal occupation continues. An official boycott would set a dangerous precedent with wider implications that are not realistic or reasonable in the sporting landscape. Reflecting the reality that meaningful change on the ground in this conflict will not be driven by unilateral action by Ireland but by action at an EU and international level, the motion risks isolating Irish sport, financially undermining the entire sector and reducing it to a tool of foreign policy. Across all sports Irish athletes are currently trying to qualify for the Los Angeles Olympics. Many will have to compete against athletes from Israel. Are these young sports people supposed to park their Olympic dreams because the IOC has not excluded Israel? Should our boxers sit out international tournaments where there is an Israeli competitor? The same could be argued for our rowers, sailors and almost all athletes across all sports. If the Social Democrats' motion and approach was to be followed through, it would be an empty plane that departs for Los Angeles.

Many Deputies have referenced UEFA, FIFA and other sporting organisations that have excluded Russia from international sporting competitions. Conveniently, they do not note that these exclusions were not decided by unilateral action but by multilateral action by a significant number of national sporting organisations. As has been long pointed out during this debate, all national governing bodies of sport, including the FAI, are independent and autonomous bodies responsible for the governance of their own sports, including the organisation of fixtures. The FAI is completely within its rights to fulfil these international fixtures and the Government acknowledges its right to do so. This well-established position has been rejected by the Social Democrats. Last night, Deputy Gibney called on the Government to intervene in the governance of football, and she does so again with this motion. As I have outlined previously, this would be very much at odds with the appropriate way for sports to be separate from political decisions. The Government does not have the legal authority to interfere with sporting fixtures and our amendment to the motion reflects this position. The Government's proposal to amend the wording of this motion has been submitted to the House.

Deputy Cian O'Callaghan

I thank Deputy Gibney for her work on this motion and congratulate Deputy Ennis on his maiden speech. I want to remember Trevor Dietz, the Fontaines DC manager. He was someone I knew for 30 years who was a strong advocate for and steadfast supporter of the Palestinian people throughout his life. My thoughts are very much with his family and friends today.

The Minister of State, the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste have all recognised that a genocide is taking place in Gaza. Indeed, everybody in this House recognises that a genocide is taking place. How can we actually recognise that and give meaning to it while at the same time take the approach that it should be just business as usual with Israel? That is what is happening. The current situation is that there are no meaningful sanctions against Israel. It actually has a preferential trade agreement with Europe in which Ireland participates. It is fine for the Government to say that we must address this at a European Union level because that will be more effective but it has been saying that for years. It is an absolute cop-out. There has been no agreement at EU level to do anything meaningful and there is unlikely to ever be agreement, and the Minister of State knows that. What we need the Government to do is show leadership. That is what we are asking for. Leadership was shown in the 1980s by the Dunnes Stores strikers in Henry Street and by Ireland. That had a real impact on bringing down apartheid in South Africa. We need leadership from the Government now, similar to that.

Deputy Gary Gannon

It is an extraordinary attempt at an Irish solution to tell us that the game of football the Irish national team is going to play against a country the Irish State believes is committing genocide against its people will now take place at a neutral venue and expect that to be some form of compromise. The Minister of State, Deputy McConalogue, referenced that the Taoiseach himself believes that Israel's actions against the Palestinian people and people in Gaza amounts to genocide. The Irish State has aligned itself to an International Court of Justice case that agrees this is genocide. Yet, we are now expected to take part in a game of football, or any sport, as if it is just normal that we remove our obligations and try to unsee what we have been watching every single day for the past three years and to which we have added legal weight at the highest international courts.

What actually makes a venue neutral? Will the Minister of State paint a picture for me of this neutral venue in some other state? Do the obligations of the Genocide Act not apply there? Are the players, who we expect to walk into the stadium, expected to leave their morality at the door? The Minister of State has said he will not attend the fixture in Ireland, presumably as a form of protest. That is a message but he expects the players to leave their morality at the door of the stadium on the way in. Does the Minister anticipate the stadium to be filled with fans or does he anticipate this neutral venue to be behind closed doors? Does the Minister of State reckon the capacity of the stadium would exceed about 75,000? When the Irish players look out into the stadium at the empty seats they may see a lost Gazan life that was taken by the same country whose flag now stands up beside our Tricolour and whose anthem we will listen to alongside our national anthem. Is that the Minister of State's expectation of an empty stadium where one can probably see dead Gazan bodies? Does he imagine there would be journalists there? Would those journalists have any consideration for the Gazan journalists who were targeted by Israel precisely because they could not tell the story of the horrors that are being inflicted there?

Football is something that I have lived by my whole life. It is where I found a lot of my identity. It is where I became inspired as a kid. The Gazan children who were murdered will not be inspired by a match that plays at this neutral venue, where apparently our obligations under the Genocide Act do not apply and where players are asked to leave their morality at the door. I am a football fan. I cheer wildly when Ireland scores but I do not care about six points in the Nations League division two if what we are asked to do is separate our morality or conscience to achieve that. This is not normal. This should not be seen as normal. I would not like to see the Irish team line out against Russia and I would protest that. I cannot separate the hypocrisy of being asked to do so against a state that the Irish State believes, at the highest levels, is carrying out a genocide.

Sport and politics always mix. There has been no time in history where sport and politics have not mixed. Where would we like to start? Yesterday I referenced examples from Ireland, from Yugoslavia, and from apartheid South Africa. I can go back in history as long as we want. Sport has always been a means by which people present their identity and their politics but on this particular occasion the Tricolour will fly alongside the flag of a nation we believe is carrying out genocide. There is weight to the Minister of State's office. There is weight to the Taoiseach's office. When he referred to the genocide, it was a brave decision but it does not stop there. In recognition of genocide, we also apply the standard that we will not treat as normal a state we believe is carrying out genocide. I understand the complexities but I also understand the simple reality that courage matters now more than ever.

Deputy Sinéad Gibney

I thank everybody for their incredible contributions today. We have heard some really impassioned, very well informed and evidence-based detailed contributions from everybody on these opposition benches, unified in our message for the Minister of State to stop the game. What a shame that those contributions fall not just on deaf ears but there are no ears here as there is barely any representation from the Government. I welcome that the Minister of State, Deputy McConalogue, has been able to return here to the debate. I know he did explain in advance that he had another engagement but honestly it did not really make any difference because the words we heard delivered from his colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Timmy Dooley, were the exact same words we heard last night in a debate on a different motion. I am just shocked at that. The Ministers of State literally just changed the numbers at the top of the documents. This is the level of engagement they have given to this motion and to our work as parliamentarians to represent people who are appalled at the thought of us playing Israel in a soccer game. That is all the Ministers of State bothered to do; just change the number on a motion and read the script back to us.

The Minister of State's take on our motion is simply wrong. We are not trying to penalise the sporting community. We are not trying to set back Olympians and athletes in any sport. That is not what we are trying to do. It displays for me that the Minister of State does not understand what boycott actually means. As other colleagues have said, and as I called out to the Minister of State last night when he read out the exact same speech, the whole idea about this is that there is not the same consensus in the international community about Israel as there has been for Russia and other countries where we have seen a united action against them. We do not have that. In the absence of that, and in the Minister of State's now acknowledged acceptance that we do not have that, what we have to try to do one by one, as individual beings and as individual nations, is to stand up and say "No, we will not take that". What will happen is that a domino set of actions will follow, which means that we will not be the ones penalised and our sports people will not be the ones penalised but it will be Israel who will be penalised because they will not be able to stand in resistance to the actions that we start. That is what boycott, divestment and sanctions do. That is how it works and it seems to be lost on you guys completely.

This genocide is unique because we are all seeing the atrocities. We are all aghast because the other thing we are seeing is the inaction of governments the world over. I mentioned Al-Haq earlier. One of its other contributors was really powerful in their description. They said that not only is the inaction clear from governments but those same governments have ministers who have been to Palestine. The Minister of State's colleagues have been there and they have told us this. They know what is going on. The Minister of State will excuse me for getting graphic for a minute but they have heard of the decapitated bodies coming back to Palestinian communities. They have heard of and they have witnessed the atrocities that are going on there, including the not isolated but systemic rape and torture of Palestinian prisoners. They have seen this. The Government has seen this and in response chooses inaction. We are so angry as a party, as a people, as a football community and as a globe that this is being allowed to continue. We can all see it with our own eyes.

The Government obfuscates, dances on the heads of pins and tells us the reasons it cannot act. We cannot tolerate it any more. The Minister of State and his colleagues know what is going on. They know the tools that are available to them. They know the words of the Genocide Convention and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which say that we will save future generations from the scourges of war. The Government knows it has the ability to do this.

The final quote I want to finish on was from that same group. They said that the Palestinian people and the Lebanese people are not crying out now for us to save Palestine or for us to save Lebanon. They are crying out for us as a globe to save humanity. Do the one thing that is in front of you; stop the game.

Amendment put.

An Ceann Comhairle

In accordance with Standing Order 85(2), the division is postponed until the weekly division time this evening.

Dáil Éireann díospóireacht - Wednesday, 10 Jun 2026

Exclusion of Israel from Sporting Fixtures: Motion [Private Members]

Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 10 Jun 2026