Paul Murphy: Make 'shall' law, call for Dr Abu Safiya's release
Paul Murphy supports amendment 4 to replace 'may' with 'shall' so that laws obligate the government to act. He also highlights reports of the reported torture of Dr Hussam Abu Safiya and urges the Irish government to press for his immediate release.
Summary
Paul Murphy outlines why replacing 'may' with 'shall' in the bill matters: if the State is to pass laws, those laws should be obligatory and not optional for future ministers or governments. He warns that leaving obligations discretionary risks domestic non-implementation after elections or political change.
Why the amendment matters
Murphy argues the change from may to shall closes a loophole that could allow a future minister to ignore statutory duties. He frames the amendment as a safeguard to ensure that enacted policy becomes enforceable government action rather than a paper commitment.
The case of Dr Hussam Abu Safiya
Murphy devotes part of his speech to the condition of Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, describing recent reports of months of torture, solitary confinement, starvation and denial of essential medicines. He stresses that this paediatrician's alleged mistreatment for refusing to abandon his patients encapsulates the humanitarian stakes behind calls for sanctions and diplomatic pressure.
Next steps and pressure
Murphy calls on the Irish government, the State and civil society to do everything possible to secure the immediate release of Dr Abu Safiya. He notes that healthcare workers and Doctors Against Genocide are planning a standout action next week to increase international pressure.
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Just to support this amendment and a similar amendment 4 which substitutes may with shall precisely to ensure that, I mean in theory, and I accept that this is not the intention of the government, but it is true just for the public that in theory we could go and pass this bill, it could become law, you have an election, you have an even worse government if it's possible to conceive of it, and a minister doesn't do this, we could have all of this, whereas if we're actually passing law let us make it obligatory on the government to carry it out. I want to just take a moment, because I do think this is part of the argument for sanctions on Israel, to mention Deputy Coppedger did already the condition of Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, I mean people will remember him, his only crime was not to abandon his patients during the genocide, and the reports coming from a couple of days ago on his condition are just absolutely horrifying. He's suffered months of torture, solitary confinement, starvation, the withholding of essential medicines, and his lawyer visited him last Thursday and said he did not recognise him, his face was battered, he could barely speak or breathe, and psychologically that he's been irrevocably damaged. If he survives physically he will have gone past the point of regaining normal functioning, he told his lawyer that he's beaten daily with rods and hammered, and he told his lawyer that he was brought to this new torture dungeon so they can kill him. In his words he said this is the last time you will see me. Like a paediatrician, a children's doctor, tortured mercilessly for publicly not abandoning his patients to genocide. Just, you know, what encapsulated, concentrated horror, and I do think it's important that the Irish government, the state, all of us are doing everything in our power to call for the immediate release of Dr Abu Safiya. I know that the healthcare workers and doctors against genocide are talking about taking a standout action next week which will be really welcome and important in terms of trying to raise international pressure on this issue. you
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