Time for clear condemnation of illegal strikes – Bacik

Labour Leader Ivana Bacik TD has called on this Government to issue a clear condemnation of the recent US and Israeli strikes on Iran as a breach of international law. She warned that Ireland’s failure to speak plainly is undermining our credibility.

Speaking in the Dáil today with the Taoiseach, Deputy Bacik said that the bombardment of Iran represents a flagrant breach of international law.

She urged the Government to adopt a principled, consistent foreign policy approach, while taking urgent action to safeguard Irish citizens stranded in the region and to  protect households at home from further cost-of-living shocks.

Deputy Bacik said:

“Families across Ireland are watching horrifying scenes unfold: schools struck, civilians killed, flights cancelled and communities locked down. Irish citizens in the Middle East are stranded and fearful. At home, people already struggling with rising energy bills now face the prospect of further wartime inflation. The human impact of this conflict is immediate and real.

“This Government has failed to state clearly what should be obvious. The strikes carried out by the United States and Israel on Iran represent a clear and flagrant breach of international law. It is entirely possible to condemn the tyrannical and repressive Iranian regime – as Labour has consistently done, standing with women’s rights and pro-democracy campaigners and speaking out on cases such as the horrific killing of Mahsa Amini and the brutal detention of Irish citizen Bernard Phelan – while also insisting that international law must be upheld and multilateralism defended.

“The Taoiseach’s reply in the Dáil today amounted to Doublespeak. He side-stepped the central issue and refused to condemn the actions of the United States and Israel. He criticised the UN while claiming to be multilateralist. At a time when more than 200 people have reportedly been killed or maimed in a strike on a primary school, and when tens of thousands of Irish citizens are in affected countries, hedged language is not good enough. That’s why I accused him of soft-peddling a response ahead of the St. Patrick’s Day photo-op. It’s just not credible to engage in Plastic Paddy Pageantry while Trump continues with his warmongering and our world descends into chaos.

“Labour is calling on this Government to condemn the US/Israeli strikes as illegal, to set out a robust plan to assist and, where necessary, evacuate Irish citizens in the region, and to work urgently with EU partners on a credible de-escalation strategy. People in Ireland deserve a Government that is consistent, principled and prepared to act. The Government must defend the international rules-based order robustly and steadfastly.”