Inishowen Palestine support group seeks meeting with Charlie McConalogue 

The Irish Palestine Solidarity Campaign in Inishowen is seeking a meeting with Donegal TD and minister of state Charlie McConalgue as it called for the

Government to “impose sanctions on the genocidal entity that is Israel”.

Following a protest meeting held last Friday by the Inishowen branch of the Irish Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) outside his office in Carndonagh, Mr McConalogue sent a letter of response to the group. 

However, a spokesperson for the group said that Mr McConalogue had not directly responded to the concerns they raised in their letter to him. The spokesperson said the group would be seeking a meeting with him to address these issues. 

At the protest meeting, the group asked questions about the government’s perceived lack of action on the genocide in Gaza and on the attacks by the Israeli navy on the Global Sumud Flotilla.

“Mr McConalogue should also explain why he  and his government awarded the management and rollout of the new Irish Pension Savings scheme to TATA / TCS who have multiple business ties with the Israeli government. These include manufacturing weapons and providing IT and Cloud Services for the Israeli military,” said the spokesman.

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In his response this week, Mr McConalogue said that the Government “would continue to work with like-minded partners to bring this human catastrophe to an end”. 

“Let me assure you that the government is using all the tools at its disposal – political, legal, diplomatic and humanitarian - in response to this dreadful conflict,” he said.

In his letter to the group, Mr McConalogue said that the Government has provided over €95m in support to the people of Palestine since January 2023. 

 “Ireland has intervened in the South African case at the ICJ. We have recognised the State of Palestine. We are legislating against the import of goods from the Occupied Territories,” he said.

The protest meeting last Friday took place while Mr McConalogue was returning from America to host dignitaries from the  American National Football team ahead of the NFL game in Croke Park on Sunday. 

“We believe that Mr McConalogue and the Irish Government have their  priorities completely wrong. We have to ask why,” said an IPSC spokesman at the rally at the TD’s office last Friday, one of the monthly protests that the group says will continue until a ceasefire is in place.

“We demand that our government impose sanctions on the genocidal entity that is Israel. We demand that Shannon airport is no longer used to facilitate the transport of munitions for the ethnic cleansing of Palestine,” said the spokesman.

“The most important headline this week should not be about the NFL game in Ireland, but about the flotilla and what the Government is doing to protect our citizens. It’s about passing the Occupied Territories Bill.”

“We learned that he is currently on his way back from America and tonight, Friday, will host a reception at Dublin Castle for dignitaries from the National Football team (NFL) ahead of the match, the first ever in Croke Park this coming Sunday. 

“The group are disgusted with Mr McConalogue sharing his excitement about this sporting event - and the €10 million contribution made  by the government - at a time when 22 of our Irish citizens are offered no protection as they sail, under continued threat from the Israelis, with the Sumud Flotilla to Gaza, to try to deliver  life-saving baby formula for the starving babies in Gaza. The NFL owners are collectively worth almost $1 trillion,” said the spokesman.

“Planting Donald Trump’s American flag in our revered Croke Park at a time when Palestinians are being slaughtered with US weapons is a disgrace and a shame for the Irish people.

“The US Armed Forces have paid 10 million dollars to NFL clubs to make the military part of their games,” said the spokesman.