Inaction over Gaza crisis slammed by Smith

New Minister for Arts Heather Humphreys has said that the Dáil will not be re-convened over the Gaza crisis, which a Cavan TD says is an atrocity.
The minister said on Monday that there was not sufficient need in Taoiseach Enda Kenny’s mind for the Dáil to be recalled from their summer break.
“I would be of the same view with the Taoiseach who doesn’t intend to recall the Dáil. Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan is making every possible effort and is engaged in bilateral meetings but is making every effort,” said the newly-promoted Aghabog woman.
“It is terrible what is happening there, but they are going to have to work with everyone they can, but the most important thing is to get the ceasefire.”
Cavan Town TD and Foreign Spokesperson Brendan Smith TD, however, criticised Flanagan’s decision that Ireland should abstain from a UN Human Rights Council resolution to set up a commission of inquiry into atrocities in Gaza.

‘Outrage’
“Like many people across the country, we listened in disbelief to the news that Ireland had joined other European states in abstaining from the vote at the UN Human Rights Council,” he fumed, of the crisis which has seen over 800 killed.
“What is happening in Gaza is an outrage and it is happening in plain sight. If the international community is not able to find the moral courage to speak out on an issue which is as clearly unacceptable as the killing of young children or the bombing of a UN school housing refugees, one is left to wonder what level of atrocity is needed before we say stop.

Depressing
“The attempt to justify our abstention on the basis that the resolution did not adequately condemn rocket attacks by both sides is depressing. We utterly condemn the reckless attempt to target civilians using rocket attacks, but does that mean that we cannot also put our name to a resolution to investigate the slaughter of four innocent children on a Gaza beach?
“The decision to sit on our hands and abstain from what should have been a very clear position on this UN resolution is a dereliction of this country’s proud history in foreign and humanitarian affairs,” he said.