Tánaiste Simon Harris has denied that airplanes carrying weapons destined for Israel have been using Irish airspace.
Appearing on RTÉ’s The Late Late Show on Friday night, Mr Harris was asked if Irish airspace was being used to transport weapons destined for Israel. He responded: “I don’t believe it is.”
When host Patrick Kielty said there were reports that Irish airspace was being used to transport weapons for Israel, Mr Harris replied that “we’ll obviously need to see if there’s more that needs to be done in relation to that. The information available to me is that people need to seek consent before any such flights take place and there is no information available to me in relation to that happening.”
However, the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence admitted that the ability to monitor Irish airspace is a “challenge”.
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“When planes fly well above our skies, the ability of Ireland on its own to know exactly what goes through Irish airspace is a real challenge and I do think we need to work at an international level in terms of the treaties that govern those issues. I accept there’s more that needs to be done in relation to that.”
Separately, Mr Harris said he hopes to have a timeline next week for enacting legislation concerning the occupied territories.
The Occupied Territories Bill, aimed at banning trade between Ireland and Israel’s illegal settlements in occupied Palestinian territories, was first introduced by Independent Senator Frances Black in 2018. It has been stalled at committee stage in the Dáil since 2020.
Mr Harris said he is committed to passing a law in relation to the occupied territories, but will not pass legislation “that won’t stand up to the legal test”.
“I want to make sure that whatever we pass is legally robust,” he said, adding that he will meet Ms Black next week. “We will bring forward legislation and I’ll have a further update on what I hope is a timeline for that next week. In relation to Palestine, we’re going to have to do more.
“We have to do everything humanly possible here, using every lever at our disposal. We are watching children in Gaza being starved, we’re hearing alarming reports of basic painkilling medication not being available.”
Mr Harris described Hamas as a “despicable terrorist organisation” which offers the people of Palestine “no future”, adding that the October 7th attack on Israel was a “disgusting terrorist attack”.
“You can say that though and also say the next thing, that what is happening to the people of Gaza is despicable, disgusting, unconscionable and a humanitarian catastrophe.”
Gardaí were present at RTÉ’s studios on Friday evening in advance of the Tánaiste’s arrival because of a pro-Palestinian protest.
The protest was held by Collective Action for Palestine, which is composed of multiple groups including Mothers Against Genocide. A post on social media by Mothers Against Genocide earlier on Friday called on the public to join them to “give Simon Harris the Late Late welcome he deserves”.
About 30 protesters gathered at the entrance to the site in Donnybrook, chanting “enact the Occupied Territories Bill” and “stop the genocide” hours before the Tánaiste was due to arrive.
A handful of protesters stood atop a nearby pedestrian bridge from which a large “You need to boycott Israel now” sign was draped.
