Sinn Féin’s spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Seán Crowe TD, has said he is disappointed and disgusted at the Irish Government’s reply after he raised  the issue of formally recognising the State of Palestine in the Dáil.

Deputy Crowe said:

“On 10 December 2014 a Sinn Féin motion calling on the Irish Government to officially and formally recognise the State of Palestine was unanimously passed in the Dáil.

“It followed the passing of a similar motion in the Seanad on 22 October 2014,

“It’s over one year since these motions were passed, without one TD or Senator voting against them, yet the Government continues to sit back and ignore the overwhelming wishes of the Oireachtas, and the Irish people, and refuses to recognise the State of Palestine.

“I raised this issue in the Dáil and the Government’s response and inaction disappointed and disgusted me.

“Their reply mentions that included in their consideration on whether to recognise Palestine was that no other EU country has recognised Palestine since Sweden last year, the potential downsides it might have for Ireland’s work in the Middle East, the recent upsurge in violence, and how Israel might read the recognition.

“What they fail to grasp is that what we are asking the Government is not something unprecedented and would actually enhance Ireland’s international standing.

“Currently 136 countries recognise the State of Palestine, which is over 70% of the 193 member states that make up the United Nations. We are asking the Irish Government to catch up with the rest of the world, to implement what Irish elected representatives clearly want, what the vast majority of Irish people demand, and to do what is clearly moral and just.

“I challenged the Government’s view that now is not the right time for this move. They have been sitting on their hands in relation to this issue for too long. Palestinians have a right to self-determination and this cannot be subject to the veto of another country, especially not one that is currently illegally occupying it.

“The Government’s failure to move on this issue is disgraceful and is against the expressed wishes of the vast majority of Irish people.”

ENDS